Brussels, 09/02/2005 (Agence Europe) - Following an interview with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, the President of the Council of the EU Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg Minister for Foreign Affairs, declared himself confident for the EU/Russia Summit on 10 May of being able to adopt the “road-map” on the four spaces which the Union and Russia decided to establish in order to step up their “strategic cooperation” (economy, internal security and justice, external security, research and education). In a communication, the minister acknowledges that there is little time remaining to finalise the negotiations, but states: “The clearly demonstrated will to go forward and overcome the obstacles (…) gives me cause for optimism”. The communication recalls that a series of meetings are planned to step up proceedings: - a ministerial Troika on 28 February in Luxembourg; - an EU/Russia Partnership Council at the level of Ministers for Justice on 17 March and Ministers for Foreign Affairs on 1 April; - a Troika of the political directors of the Ministries for Foreign Affairs on 29 April.
The communication specifies that with regard to human rights, Mr Lavrov confirmed that Russia would participate in regular consultations, which, according to Mr Asselborn, “should be held twice a year” (the first is planned for 1 March in Luxembourg). Mr Asselborn also expressed the EU's concern about the kidnapping in Chechnya of Makhmut Magomadov (a human rights expert who was working on a project co-financed by the EU's Initiative on Democracy and Human Rights) and expressed the hope that the Russian authorities would do everything possible to ensure that he is found.