Brussels, 07/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - At the summit in Brussels on Tuesday 7 December, attended by Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, the EU and Russia reiterated their joint desire to enhance their relations as “strategic partners”. “The EU and Russia are really strategic partners who try to find solutions to common problems,” European Council President Herman Van Rompuy told press after the meeting. “Our strategic partnership is not an empty phrase. As friends we discuss all issues - those on which we converge and also those on which our positions diverge,” stated Commission President José Manuel Barroso. Dmitri Medvedev highlighted the importance of close cooperation between the EU and Russia, for example, in tackling the global economic and financial crisis or climate change. On this last point, he gave assurances that Russia would like to see the international negotiations taking place in Cancún result in a “legally binding agreement”. After a period of drought and forest fires around Moscow last summer, even the most sceptical in Russia have had to accept that climate change is a real danger which requires immediate, effective action, the Russian president said.
At the final press conference, Medvedev was also asked about the euro area crisis. “Of course,” he said, Russia was “concerned” by recent developments and was keeping a close eye on the situation in Greece, Spain, Portugal, Ireland and elsewhere. Moscow believes, however, that the EU has taken “sound, reasonable and coordinated steps” to address the problems.
The most concrete result of the summit relates to Russia's accession to the WTO. On Tuesday, the two parties signed a memorandum of understanding, formalising the bilateral EU-Russia agreement concluded on 24 November on Russia's accession to the WTO (see EUROPE 10264). It is now a “realistic” possibility that Russia will be able to join in 2011, something that will “enhance trade rules and investment in Russia,” according to Barroso. “This is a real turning point. The difficult bilateral issues between us have been resolved,” he said. Now the multilateral section of negotiations has to be finalised in Geneva. Van Rompuy declined to set a date for Russian accession but hoped it would be “as soon as possible”.
Visas. EU and Russian leaders noted the progress made at the last meeting of justice ministers in the EU-Russia Permanent Partnership Council on 19 November, when agreement was reached on a joint approach and methodology for identifying the next steps to be taken on the way to possible removal of visa requirements (see EUROPE 10260). The summit provided experts with the encouragement needed for them to continue discussions on these “common steps”, without proposing a date for the abolition of visas. “We are not saying that we will have a visa-free regime soon but the process is underway,” Barroso said. He also stressed that stringent conditions will have to be met by Russia. “It will not be automatic,” he warned.
Partnership for modernisation. The new partnership launched, on Medvedev's initiative, at the last summit in Rostov in June would have “tangible consequences for our societies and our citizens” because it would have an impact on the economy and technological changes and also on strengthening the rule of law and the modernisation of our societies, Van Rompuy argued. Medvedev confirmed to press that he felt that the partnership for modernisation must not be restricted to “technological changes” but should also cover reform of political institutions. Alongside this deeper cooperation with the EU, Russia intends to pursue and improve its good bilateral relations with EU member states and to conclude separate agreements, as it had recently done with Italy and Poland, Medvedev said. These bilateral relations will “complement” EU-Russian relations perfectly, he stated. This is also true for energy cooperation with Europe which Russia wants to keep “multi-faceted” and “pragmatic”.
Human rights. The issue was raised by Van Rompuy during discussions. The EU and its citizens were “concerned” by the situation facing human rights activists in Russia and especially in the Northern Caucasus region, he said. The EU welcomes Medvedev commitments in this area but called on the Russian president to “translate his statements into action,” Van Rompuy said.
Joint neighbourhood. Transnistria, Nagorny-Karabakh and Georgia were all discussed, among other issues. All these conflicts represent a threat to the stability and security “both for the EU and Russia,” Van Rompuy suggested, highlighting that the EU was “actively engaged” in trying to find lasting peaceful solutions. On Georgia, Van Rompuy argued for a “meaningful OSCE presence” on the ground. He also made it clear that Russia had to comply with the agreements concluded in the summer of 2008 which brought the war to an end. (H.B./transl.rt)