Brussels, 08/11/2002 (Agence Europe) - Finding an agreement to the issue of transit form and to Kaliningrad will probably be the main subject of discussions at the tenth EU/Russia Summit, which will take place in Brussels on 11 November. Participants will include President of the European Council, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, President of the Council of the EU, Per Stig Moeller, Russian President, Vladimir Putin and his Special Representative for Kaliningrad, Dimitry Rogozine, CFSP High Representative, Javier Solana, President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, as well as Commissioners Chris Patten (External Relation), Loyola de Palacio (transport and Energy) and Pascal Lamy (Trade). The two parties will discuss their respective internal developments (enlargement of the EU, Convention and reforms carried out by Russia, as well as the following issues:
Kaliningrad: Community sources declared that there were good chances of reaching n agreement on the question of transit from and to Kaliningrad after EU enlargement. This agreement is founded on the European Commission proposal and European Council conclusion of 24-25 October (see EUROPE 26 October p 6): 1) Document Facilitating Transport (DFT) will be available from 1 July 2003 for all transit between Kaliningrad and Russia that passes through Lithuania (see EUROPE 19 September p 7); 2) the decision to carry out a feasibility study for express high-speed trains which won't need visas, will not be made without the agreement of Lithuania. (3) the idea of introducing a visa-free system between Russia and the EU is something that can be imagined in the longer term but will only happen if "everything is concluded in concrete terms at the level of cooperation in justice and home affairs and if Russia signs re-entry agreements with Lithuania and the EU", a Community source states. Furthermore, following the conclusions of the General Affairs Council on 21 and 22 October, a facilitation rail transport document (FRTD) could be created. This document, more easy to issue than the FTD, would be issued for one return journey for rail travel only. On the basis of a list provided by the Russian authorities of all those persons who have bought a train ticket, the Lithuanian authorities would issue the FRTD to travellers not having the right to stop in Lithuania.
Chechnya: "The EU will repeat its concern for respect of human rights and its understanding for the fight against terrorism", a Community source stated, repeating: "a political solution to the conflict must be found" in Chechnya. (Demonstrations will take place in Brussels on this occasion).
Justice and Home Affairs: The EU hopes to strengthen its customs cooperation and step up the fight against organised crime, with Russia. It hopes to be able to adopt an action plan with Russia providing for: (1) exchange of information on individuals or groups suspected of terrorism; (2) increased cooperation within international organisations to sign and ratify conventions on the fight against terrorism; and (3) increased financial means to fund the fight against terrorism. Furthermore, the EU envisages rapidly concluding a cooperation agreement between Europol and Russia, and the opening of negotiations for a re-entry agreement between the EU and Russia before the end of the year. Also, both parties envisage a separate declaration on this issue.
Energy: the EU and Russia will welcomes the opening, last week, of the Energy Technology Centre in Moscow (see EUROPE of 7 November, p.11) and turn to their energy dialogue and especially the need to put in place favourable conditions for European industrialists wanting to invest in Russia. In addition, according to several sources, following technical meetings, it would seem that the Russians are prepared to not that there was no quantitative restrictions to the import of energy resources to the EU, despite nuclear energy (see EUROPE of 7 November, p.8).
Environment and nuclear safety: in Brussels, they will discuss Russia's ratification of the Kyoto Protocol and the question of the treatment of nuclear waste in Russia.
Trade: the EU and Russia will discuss the setting up of a common economic area, Russia's membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the formalisation of Russia's status as a market economy (see yesterday's bulletin, p.10), the "surcharge" imposed on EU companies to overfly Siberia, access to insurance markets and the price of energy.
Foreign and security policy: the EU and Russia will turn to the participation of Russian police in EU police missions in Bosnia-Herzegovina from 1 January 2003 ad different international issues like the Balkans, Iraq and the Middle East, on which they should adopt a separate declaration.