Moscow, 19/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - Chris Patten, European Commissioner for External Relations, in a speech delivered on 18 January at the Diplomatic Academy in Moscow (see details on his visit in EUROPE of 17 January, page 7), voiced concern about the situation in the Caucasus. In addition to Chechnya, he mentioned Georgia, asserting that the way Russia "appears to be using the visa regime and its monopoly of gas supplies in its relations with Georgia" is bound to raise anxieties. The EU and the international community will work positively and resolutely with Russia to help bring the conflicts in the Caucasus to an end, he stated.
Mentioning the economy, Mr Patten noted that, if Russia wants to encourage Western investors, it has to understand that, "once in the market", they should be treated like any other Russian company". Mr Patten, who also insisted on further progress in judicial and administative reform, mentioned the "sword of Damocles" of nuclear safety, saying the European nuclear industry needs to be mobilised to secure progress on the Multilateral Nuclear Environment Programme, but that it would only do so "if its interests are adequately protected". "Yes, there are problems of sovereignty and there are financial and legal issues too", but they need to be cut through, he affirmed.