Eurocommissaris Barrot neemt deel aan EU-Rusland Permanente Partnerschapsraad (en)

Vice-President Jacques Barrot i, Commissioner responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security, starts his official two-day visit to St. Petersburg on 24 April 2008 to attend the EU-Russia Permanent Partnership Council (PPC) on Justice and Home Affairs.

The meeting will review the implementation of the Common Space on Freedom, Security and Justice, which was agreed at the EU-Russia Summit in May 2005, and discuss priorities for further joint activities between the EU and Russia. The PPC will consider the state of the EU-Russia visa dialogue in which the conditions for a mutual visa free travel as a long-term perspective are being examined by experts. The meeting will also take stock of other ongoing processes, such as the implementation of the EU-Russia agreements on visa facilitation and readmission and contacts of Europol, Eurojust and the European Police College with their Russian counterparts on possible cooperation agreements.

In addition, Vice-President Barrot, the Slovenian Ministers for Justice and Interior and the French Minister for Immigration will be discussing with the Presidential Aide Mr. Viktor Ivanov border cooperation, the fight against drugs and organised crime,

Vice-President Jacques Barrot will hold a joint press conference, together with the other PPC participants, on Friday, 25 April, after the meeting at around 12h30 at the Palace of Congresses.