In late December, the Belgian capital hosted the 30th E.U. Summit, which was attended by President Vladimir Putin and European leaders Herman Van Rompuy and Jose Manuel Barroso.

The issues discussed were broad and diverse. One of the main topics, on which the Russian delegation focused attention, was the visa-free travel regime for Russian citizens and the Europeans. Judging by the attitudes of both sides, steps were taken at the summit towards resolving this long-standing problem.

The E.U. Commission President Barroso has made an encouraging statement to this effect, “We have started the process of moving towards a visa-free regime, and made progress in the implementation of joint actions in this direction.” The summit’s participants have not given any indication as to the timing of the possible visa regime change.

In his turn, President Vladimir Putin expressed hope for the adoption of a visa-free regime in short order, the benefits of which, he said, cannot be doubted. At the same time, the President of Russia criticized the E.U.’s decision to give the Third Energy Package retroactive effect. During the negotiations, the Russian President raised the long-standing issue of removing trade restrictions imposed by the European Union. It was noted that the work on a new basic agreement between Russia and the European Union is actively underway. In the near future, the agreement is expected to be drafted as an intergovernmental document.