Brussels, 15/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - The Greens/EFA group at the European Parliament has had to cancel a conference that was to take place in Moscow from 28 to 31 October on EU-Russia relations and the current situation in Russia. The Russian government has refused to issue visas for MEPs and staff of the Greens/EFA group to enter the country. “This is a further worrying sign that the country is closing in on itself and that an open and democratic debate on key issues is no longer welcome in Russia”, said Co-Presidents of the Greens/EFA group, Daniel Cohn-Bendit (German) and Monica Frassoni (Italian), on 10 October. The group will therefore raise the problem during the plenary debate on the occasion of the EU-Russia summit on 26 October. (B.C.)