Brussels, 18/10/2010 (Agence Europe) - In future, the EU and Russia could work together more closely on foreign, security and defence policy through an “EU-Russia Political and Security Committee” which would bring together the foreign ministers of the 28 countries and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton. The idea of setting up this new joint body, launched by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev in June, was due to be discussed at the trilateral summit between French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Merkel and Medvedev which began in Deauville on Monday evening 18 October. The meeting will be largely devoted to security in Europe. France, keen to tie Russia more closely into Western organisations, might be willing to support the German-Russian initiative. Moscow, France has indicated, must become a security “partner” for Europe in order “to confront common threats together”. The Deauville meeting, which ends on Tuesday 19 October, will, then send out a message backing the creation of the joint EU-Russia Committee.
All that would remain, then, is to convince the other member states. Some, such as Poland and the Baltic states, are wary of too close an involvement by Moscow in EU foreign, security and defence policy. Ashton has declined to reveal her position on this issue. “No comment,” was all her spokesman said on Monday.
Russian Ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov says the aim of the new joint committee should not just be discussion of political and security issues, but also decision-making. “We would like Russia and the EU to be able to take joint decisions,” he is quoted as saying in the International Herald Tribune of 18 October. EU-Russia foreign policy, security and defence relations must be “formalised to be more efficient,” he said. The frozen conflict in Transnistria could be the first issue of common interest discussed by the committee, Merkel and Medvedev suggested in June. (H.B./transl.rt)