Russian-US New START treaty to take effect Saturday

MUNICH, February 5 (Itar-Tass) -- The plan for transition to a
visa-free regimen between Russia and the EU is already overripe, Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a news conference, following talks
with his German counterpart, Guido Westerwelle.
Lavrov said that the two parties had paid attention to the transition
to a visa-free regimen between Russia and the EU.
"In my opinion, the plan is already overripe," Lavrov said.
Westerwelle, in turn, said that Germany supported the ultimate goal of
transition to a visa-free regimen and movement towards it through a series
of incremental steps."
The German foreign minister added that his country "cannot take
unilateral decisions, because the issues should be agreed within the EU."
"We talk a lot on this subject with the countries of the European
Union," he told Russian journalists.