The European Union and Russia provisionally signed an agreement on passport visas and the return of illegals Wednesday that should make travel to Russia easier and cheaper by the end of next year and help curb illegal immigration into the EU, according to AP. The deal took five years of negotiations often centering on travel between the enclave of Kaliningrad and the rest of Russia. The two sides need only to settle some translation and procedural issues before the agreement goes into force, officials said. Viktor Ivanov, an aide to President Vladimir Putin, and EU Vice President Franco Frattini initialed the agreement during a short ceremony. «This agreement will make traveling to and from Russia, simpler, easier and cheaper for many EU citizens, and will help us to work together more effectively to tackle illegal migration,» said EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner. Under the deal, Russia will readmit people who migrated illegally to the EU, which in turn promises to make visa applications to 11 of its 25 nations easier for Russian diplomats, students and businesspeople. Frattini said the agreement should go into force, once fully ratified by both sides, «if possible before the end of next year.»
