European Union and Russian justice and interior ministers held talks Friday aiming to clinch a deal on justice, immigration and border issues. The talks were to focus on closer cooperation in the field of immigration and travel, and judicial matters as part of a new pact between the EU and Russia which also foresees closer economic, political and cultural ties. Both sides hope the agreement can be signed next month. Efforts to seal a deal have been held up over the contentious issue of visa arrangements, joint efforts to end conflicts in the Caucasus and Russia's practice of charging EU airlines when they fly over Siberia. The EU has been lukewarm to accede to Russian demands it lift visa restrictions for Russians traveling to the 25-nation bloc. Russian officials want to abolish visas for EU citizens heading to Russia in return for similar conditions for Russians going to the EU. Justice Minister Luc Frieden of Luxembourg, which holds the rotating EU presidency, and EU Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner Franco Frattini were discussing the issues with Russia's Interior Minister Rachid Nourgaliyev and Justice Minister Yuri Tchaika. The talks included efforts to get Moscow to become more active in tackling illegal immigration. The EU has already signed "readmission" accords with Albania, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and Macau, under which the countries take back illegal migrants who entered the EU from there. The EU is seeking to sign a similar agreement with Russia, and has made such a deal a condition for easing visa requirements for Russians. Moscow, however, has refused to agree to the practice.
