Brussels, 05/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - The EU hopes the momentum gained by Russia's membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) will enable it to develop relations with that country with regard to strategic partnership and modernisation.
Meeting in Saint Petersburg on 4 June, European and Russian leaders confirmed their joint commitment to develop the EU-Russia strategic partnership, said Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, after the 29th bilateral summit. In his final remarks to the press, he said: “The results of the two last years are remarkable - the Russian WTO-accession, the Partnership for Modernisation, and the common steps towards visa free travel. The EU-Russia relationship is enjoying its best dynamics for years”. He toned this down by saying: “However, there is still much we need to do in order to untap what is potentially possible. Strong political will and hard work will therefore be needed even in the coming years”. Europeans and Russians confirmed on Monday that the new partnership agreement between the EU and Russia, which is to replace the current partnership and cooperation agreement in force since 2007, will provide the “best base” for consolidating bilateral relations. According to Van Rompuy, the agreement should be “ambitious and comprehensive” and include trade and investment, as well as “energy provisions”, as Commission President José Manuel Barroso pointed out. At the opening of the summit, their Russian host, the president newly elected for his third term of office, Vladimir Putin, had nonetheless coldly called for a “pragmatic, business-like approach without any ideological or other stereotypes”.
Despite the economic interdependency between the EU and Russia - the former being highly dependent on its neighbour's hydrocarbons, and the latter importing a large range of European products - several disagreements, regarding access to the Russian market and energy supplies and human rights, have slowed down discussions on a new economic pact over the past four years. The EU is waiting for Moscow to make an effort on rule of law and on fighting corruption, and also for an investment framework that is more auspicious for business. Russia continues to denounce the new European legislation on the internal energy market intended to prevent its energy giant, Gazprom, from controlling the gas pipelines, and continues to call, albeit in vain for now, for abolition of the visa requirement for Russians wishing to travel to the EU. “True partnership is impossible when there is a visa barrier”, said Putin as he opened the summit.
On this last point, Moscow will have to continue its wait. Addressing President Putin who, before the press, called on the EU to step up its efforts to establish a visa-free regime with Russia, Van Rompuy simply reiterated that visa-free travel “remains our common goal”, before going on to welcome the work being done on implementing the 40 “common steps” towards visa-free travel as agreed at the previous summit.
On human rights, Putin was compelled to ride out further pointed comments. Herman Van Rompuy, who proposed that the Russian side should be in Brussels on 29 June for the next round table of EU-Russia consultation on this, said: “It is welcome that Russia shows readiness for public debate on human rights, as exemplified by the recent hearing in the Russian State Duma. This is a recognition that human rights are a matter of direct concern to all. And that is why these issues together with the rule of law and preservation of political rights need to be addressed”.
On the energy chapter, although the Russian president heard Barroso welcome the progress made in EU/Russia dialogue, he was reminded by the president of the European Commission that “a reliable, transparent and rules-based energy framework remains a key priority for the EU”. In an interview with the national TV channel, TV Channel Russia 24, broadcast on Monday, Putin had again voiced his anger against the third European legislative package for liberalisation of the internal energy market, believing it was “unacceptable” to apply the EU's third energy package to contracts between Russia and the EU signed before the package was approved.
Finally, European and Russian leaders on Monday could not conceal their different views on international issues, especially on Syria, a question that President Putin carefully avoided during the press conference. “On Syria, let me first say that the situation is appalling. The Syrian regime should immediately cease all forms of violence and provide its full support to the UN Supervision Mission (UNMIS)”, Van Rompuy said for his part. Russia, which has twice placed a veto on the UN Security Council's draft resolutions condemning the crackdown on opponents to the Bashar al-Assad regime, nonetheless agreed with the EU that “the Annan Plan as a whole provides the best opportunity to break the cycle of violence in Syria, avoiding a civil war, and in finding a peaceful lasting solution”. (EH/transl.jl)