President Dmitry Medvedev believes that Russians should be able to travel throughout the European Union without a Visa, which European business leaders’ claim will benefit both sides.  However, Brussels is opposing the proposal.

At the moment, Russians are able to pick up a visa at Turkey’s airports allowing them easy entry, which resulted in the country receiving over two million visitors from Russia last year.  On the other hand, in order to receive a European Schengen visa, Russians must fill out long foreign forms and wait over a month to receive an appointment at the embassy.  When they arrive for their meeting, they must bring with them proof of hotel, salary, return travel, and many other documents.

Given the fact that there are millions of shoppers in Russia willing to go through this process to get a visa, shop owners are positive that if visa entry was simpler millions more would travel to their stores.

EU business owners are asking Brussels to rethink their stance on visa requirements in an effort to gain new customers after the financial fallout.

President Medvedev now says that he is ready to sign into a visa-free deal and warns that if Brussels does not agree it will be hard to build a strong relationship between the EU and Russia.

The EU-Russia summit was supposed to map out how to get to free-visa travel, but instead deputy of delegation for the EU, Michael Webb, warned that it may take years for such plans to be realized given there are several countries that are not willing to compromise on a variety of issues.

Top worries are that Eastern criminals will flee across the borders, and migrants will begin taking EU jobs, and the worry of racism.

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