On 14-16 March 2012 the first expert-level meeting took place in Moscow on implementation of the list of Common Steps towards a visa-free regime between Russia and EU, adopted at the Russia-EU summit in December 2011.
The Russian delegation was led by Mr. Anvar Azimov, Ambassador-at-Large of the MFA of Russia. The EU delegation was led by Mr. Michael Webb, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation in Moscow, and Mr. Luigi Soreca, Head of Unit at the Directorate-General for Home Affairs of the European Commission. Representatives of Russian agencies and experts of the European Commission and the European External Action Service took part in the meeting.
The Parties discussed in detail measures necessary for the implementation of the Common Steps. They exchanged views on the state of relevant legislation and current practices regarding all elements of the document.
The Parties agreed to exchange reports on implementation of the list of Common Steps in April. Afterwards further timetable of their implementation assessment will be defined.
