Poland supports the conditional lifting of EU visa requirements for Russian citizens, Foreign Affairs Minister Radosław Sikorski said. He presented the stance at a meeting of the EU's foreign affairs ministers.

Mr Sikorski said before entering the Schengen zone Poland had visa-free travel agreement with Russia which worked well. According to him, there should be certain conditions, for example that Russia introduce biometric passports, secure its borders and sign re-admission agreements with its neighbors.

Moscow officials have long been trying to get rid of the requirement for Russians to obtain visas in order to enter the EU. At the EU-Russia summit in December last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin strongly criticized Brussels for maintaining visas with Russia and warned that it could prove detrimental for the economic relations between Russia and the European Union.

Currently the EU is considering doing away with visas for Russians who hold special passports for government employees.

Poland A.M.