Brussels, 21/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov on Thursday called for talks on the future enclave of Kaliningrad following EU enlargement to be broadened, in a conversation with his Polish counterpart, Woldzimierz Cimoszewicz, in Warsaw, according to Reuters. Igor Ivanov is, moreover, said to have declared: "I insist, we do not want corridors. We want free movement for the population between the enclave and the rest of Russia".
Russia wants to engage in negotiations with Poland, Lithuania and the EU to find a solution to the problem of civil and military transit between Kaliningrad and the rest of the Russian territory after Poland and Lithuania's accession to the Union, normally scheduled for 2004 (see EUROPE of 25 April, p.10). On the Union side, the answer is that "it is a question of discussions that Russia needs to conduct bilaterally with these two countries (…) the Union need not discuss the Schengen acquis with Russia", while recognising the need to find a solution. Last Monday's General Affairs Council adopted conclusion on Kaliningrad, without debate, asking "Coreper and the Commission to pursue their efforts and explore possible options under the acquis to reach a satisfactory solution". This exercise must be conducted in close collaboration with Lithuania and Poland taking account of the legal and practical consequences of enlargement". Sources close to the issue said that at the Coreper meeting of 12 June, differences are said to have emerged between, on the one hand, Germany and the Netherlands wanting greater flexibility, and, on the other, Austria and Sweden wanting the strict respect of the Schengen acquis.