Press Release: EU-Russia relations: Council approves conclusion of agreements on visa facilitation and readmission of illegal immigrants

On 19 April 2007, the Justice and Home Affairs Council approved the conclusion of two agreements on visa facilitation and readmission of illegal immigrants, which should enter into force on 1 June 2007. These agreements had been signed on 25 May 2006 and mark a milestone in the EU’s relations with Russia, opening the way for easier travel and people-to-people contact across Europe, while fighting illegal migration.