Brussels, 07/04/2000 (Agence Europe) - The situation in Chechnya, the outcome of the EU Troika visit to Moscow this Friday, preparations for the EU/Russia Summit on 17 May and a series of bilateral commercial problems should dominate the meeting of the EU/Russia Cooperation Council (and the dinner to follow) to be held in Luxembourg on Monday evening 10 April between the EU foreign ministers and their Russian colleague Ivanov.
The "General Affairs" Council will define the definitive position of the Fifteen over the attitude of the Russian forces in Chechnya the same day, taking account of the briefing Council President Gama and the High Representative for Cfsp, Javier Solana, will give ministers regarding their talks on Friday with Russian President Putin in Moscow.
- Other than Chechnya, the Council's agenda for the Cooperation Council also provides for:
- An exchange of views on Russia's political guidelines following the presidential elections and President Putin's official swearing in;
- Developments in the EU's enlargement process towards Eastern and Central Europe (a subject over which Moscow continues to have specific fears, although Russia confirms that it is not against the actual principle of an enlarged Europe);
- Developments in EU/Russia relations in the framework of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA). Under this chapter, the two parties should turn to certain commercial aspects of the agreement, including the conflict between them on Russia export duties for scrap to the EU and countermeasures (import restrictions on steel products from Russia) decided by the EU but not yet implemented. Other trade problems on the agenda include problems of access to the Russian market for alcohol, the protection of intellectual property, excessive duties to pay by European airline companies to fly over Siberia, etc.;
- Progress in implementing the new EU Common Strategy for Russia. Russia should at the same time brief EU ministers on the implementation of its own strategy towards the EU.
