Brussels, 08/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - Addressing the Round Table of EU and Russian industrialists, meeting on Tuesday evening on the sidelines of the summit (see yesterday's EUROPE), European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek described Russia as “one of the EU's most important strategic partners”. Russian President Dmitri Medvedev's modernisation agenda is “a step in the right direction, but it must be accompanied by a strong civil society component and genuine progress in democratic reform,” Buzek said. If Russian society is to be free, Russia must first ensure an “independent and fair judiciary”. On energy, Buzek called for the principles of the Energy Charter, which Russia has yet to ratify, and of the transit protocol to be enshrined in the new EU-Russia partnership agreement which is currently being negotiated. (H.B./transl.rt)