Brussels, 23/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - European Commission President José Manuel Barroso and the college of commissioners will meet 12 members of the Russian government led by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Brussels on 24 February. These executive-to-executive talks will cover the full range of EU-Russia relations, from support to Russia's modernisation process to trade and energy matters, from deeper technological cooperation to international affairs.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Barroso said he was looking forward to the meeting. In particular, he expected “further impulses to our partnership for modernisation”. “We should also use the positive momentum to walk the home stretch of Russia's WTO accession and make substantial headway on the new agreement between the EU and Russia, including on trade, investment and energy matters”, he added.
The partnership for modernisation provides operational support to Russia's modernisation process including the strengthening of the rule of law. The Commission says in a press release that the executive-to-executive meeting “will give further guidance to the partnership and ensure that it is speedily implemented in all its facets”.
The Commission notes, too that last autumn's conclusion of the bilateral negotiations on Russia's WTO accession provided “significant momentum for the multilateral process” and that accession “can be concluded in 2011”. The executive-to-executive talks should maintain this dynamic and discuss ways to overcome the final issues. In the same vein, the meeting is also expected to give “renewed impetus to the ongoing negotiations on a new EU-Russia agreement”.
The Commission and the Russian government will also take stock of the ongoing joint work on common steps towards a possible visa-free travel regime. In addition, the talks will cover various international issues of common concern and discuss closer cooperation in our common neighbourhood. (O.L./transl.rt)