Russia Says EU Stalling On Visa-Free Travel

Sergei Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that the EU is "foot-dragging on the move to a visa-free [travel] regime" with Russia.

"This is undoubtedly an anachronism of an era in the past that, I hope, will never return," Lavrov added today at a business meeting in Moscow.

"This is already creating real problems for the development of our relations, including economic and cultural ties and simple human relations."

Some EU members are worried that scrapping visas for Russians could spark a surge of illegal immigration from Russia.

On the other hand, according to the World Tourism Organization, Russians were the ninth-biggest spenders on international travel in 2009, spending $20.8 billion.

compiled from agency reports