Brussels, 30/04/2004 (Agence Europe) - Agreement to cooperate to contribute to Europe's security by establishing a common space of interparliamentary cooperation on security questions was struck in Saint Petersburg on 16 April, between the Assembly of the WEU (Western European Union) and the Assembly of the CIS (Community of Independent States, of the former Eastern bloc), at an international conference on pan-European cooperation. Following the Moscow and Casablanca attacks, and then the Madrid bombing, the two assemblies want to step up multilateral cooperation to combat terrorism, noting that the struggle against terrorism should be led by the United Nations. The Secretary of the Russian Federation's Security Council, Igor Ivanov, confirmed information given in a WEU press release that Russia is prepared to participate in the building of a pan-European security area, without creating new demarcation lines.
Another aim of the signing of the agreement is to establish good neighbour and cooperation relations with all the Eastern European states the EU will soon be sharing borders with. It foresees mutual invitation to plenary sessions and conferences, joint committee meetings and the exchange of documents. The two assemblies are also considering the option of respectively inviting rapporteurs to meetings. Such technical exchanges do not only have a symbolic meaning, but are also highly practical in that they establish tangible contact with countries like Kazakhstan and Kirzighstan with which the EU must now develop relations, as it has been doing with Russia over the past decade.
At the conference, the President of the WEU Assembly, Armand De Decker, met with politicians of the region.