RESIDENTS OF KALININGRAD REGION MAY GET SCHENGEN VISAS








KALININGRAD, March 8, 2001. /from RIA Novosti correspondent/. --Russia's leadership "will do its best to ensure that EU expansion should entail no extra obstacles for the residents of the Kaliningrad Region," said RF Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov on arrival in Kaliningrad.


	Both the President and Government of the Russian Federation have paid close attention to the problems the Kaliningrad Region is facing in respect to Lithuania and Poland's upcoming entry into the European Union, stressed Igor Ivanov.


	These problems concern transit, visa regime, steady delivery of required supplies, and other issues, Ivanov pointed out.


	Igor Ivanov said that "among other options", the Russian leadership is considering a possibility of approaching the European Union with a suggestion that residents of the Kaliningrad Region be granted Schengen visas.


	According to the Russian Foreign Minister, we need to do our best to make sure that the forthcoming EU expansion have no detrimental effect on the Region's development but, on the contrary, "be put to maximum use and advantage." Ivanov also said that representatives of the Kaliningrad Region's Administration would take part in the talks with the European Union regarding the Region's status in the context of the upcoming EU expansion.


	The Russian Foreign Minister pointed out that he would discuss this issue during the meeting with the Regional leadership later today and during his talks with the EU "top three" in Stockholm tomorrow.