15/05/2006 (Agence Europe) - On 15 May, the “General Affairs/External Relations” Council made preparations for the EU-Russia Summit which will be held in Sochi, on the Black Sea, on 25 May and which will be devoted largely to energy, the four EU-Russia common areas (economic; freedom, security and justice; external security; research, education and culture) and the new, more ambitious, agreement replacing the partnership and cooperation agreement due to expire in 2007. Among the international political issues will be the Middle East, Iran, nuclear non-proliferation, the Western Balkans and the “frozen conflicts” of Transnistria, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, as well as the human rights situation in Chechnya. EUROPE will return to this in greater detail.