Brussels, 07/12/2005 (Agence Europe) - The Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov and other members of his government (including the Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Trade Minister German Gref and Energy Minister, Viktor Khristenko) met the European Commission in Brussels on Wednesday, to discuss such points as the implementation of the road maps for the four "common areas" to be created over the next few years: an economic area; an area of liberty, security and justice; an area of external security; an area of research, culture and education. The Russian ministers first of all met the College of Commissioners, before bilateral meetings with their counterparts to discuss more specific issues.
Speaking to the press, President Barroso spoke of a "pragmatic and useful meeting". The EU is "very engaged" to implementing these four common areas, and to enjoy a "strong and strategic relationship" with Russia, he said. The current Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) is due to expire in 2007 (after a duration of 10 years), and the EU and Russia have decided to launch a consultation process on "institutional arrangements" for the post-2007 period. A reflection session on this subject will be held in Moscow, starting on 14 December, announced the Commission. Mikhail Fradkov said that he was "optimistic" about the four areas and prospects to "improve the legal basis of our relationship" once the PCA expires, and stressed that Russia shares the "same values" as the EU. Friction between Russia and Ukraine about the transit of Russian gas to the European markets was discussed, and Mr Fradkov told the press: "I hope that the EU will find additional arguments to convince the Ukrainians to let gas flow freely to Europe". Mr Barroso did not wish to "dramatise" the situation: "we hope this problem can be resolved by talks" between Moscow and Kiev, in order to ensure that supplies of gas to Europe will not be jeopardised, he explained.
Garry Kasparov speaks out against lack of democracy in Russia
Just as the Russian government was meeting the Commission (see above), the former world chess champion and president of the 2008 Free Choice Committee, Garry Kasparov, held a press conference with Belgian Green Bart Staes at the European Parliament in Brussels, to speak out against the absence of democracy and "mass violations" committed by certain state institutions, during recent electoral campaigns in Russia, to promote the "United Russia" grouping of President Putin. The situation has grown worse since 2003, which means that "there are no independent and free media", and that the Duma is in the process of adopting a new law allowing Putin to ban practically all NGOs, said Mr Kasparov. Unless things change, there are risks of a "further major electoral fraud" during the Parliamentary elections of 2007 and the presidential elections of 2008, Mr Kasparov warned. The EU's strategy to convince Russia to share its democratic values via a "strategic partnership" and increasingly close sectorial cooperation has not borne fruit, said Mr Kasparov, who went on to say: "I have not seen any results". On the contrary, the fact that the EU continues to deepen its relationship with Russia independently of obvious democratic deficits "makes it that much harder for those who are trying, in Russia, to convince the Russian citizens to act against these deficits", warned Mr Kasparov.