Madrid, 03/04/2002 (Agence Europe) - The EU/Russia Ministerial Troika (Foreign Affairs Ministers) met together on Tuesday in Madrid, under the presidency of Josep Piqué and the Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Igor Ivanov, to prepare the next EU/Russia Summit for 28 May in Moscow. The meeting enabled substantial progress to be made in a number of areas, according to Mr Ivanov, but no details were provided. The Russian Minister did, however, reiterate his wish that his country deepens the "strategic partnership" with the EU and creates a common economic, legal, energy and security area.
International political issues were also touched on in Madrid. Mr Ivanov declared that, "Russia and the European Union have a common interest in finding joint responses to new threats and new challenges to solve the crises in the middle East, Afghanistan and the Balkans". (On the subject of the Middle East, see page 5).