The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi should be viewed as a logical occasion for switching to visa-free travel between Russia and European Union countries, Russian Permanent Envoy to the EU Vladimir Chizhov said.
"And what are the alternatives? Let's look at things realistically. If we don't reach a visa-free agreement with the EU before the Olympics in Sochi, I cannot rule out that we will have either to increase the workload of our visa services manifold or, as a goodwill gesture, to introduce visa-free procedures during the Olympics," Interfax quoted Chizhov as saying.
"But we would like this to look well-prepared and solid from any viewpoint," he said.
