Brussels, 24/05/2006 (Agence Europe) - On the eve of the EU/Russia Summit, which takes place on 25 May in Sotchi on the Black Sea, and which will certainly be dominated by discussions on energy, the Austrian Chancellor and current President of the European Council, Wolfgang Schüssel, warned against a political confrontation with Moscow on the issue of energy deliveries in Europe. In FT Deutschland on 24 May, he underlined the fact that, “Russia will remain an important energy provider to Europe. We would do well to cooperate with Russia”. The Austrian Chancellor is therefore distancing himself from those such as US Vice President Dick Cheney, who openly criticised Russia because it was using its strong energy position to impose “political blackmail”. However, according to Mr Schüssel it would not be wise for Russia to make energy deliveries into some kind of tool, “this is a weapon that can rapidly be turned against the party seeking to use it”. Mr Schüssel repeated that fact that Moscow ought to ratify the Energy Charter.
EU High Representative for CFSP, Javier Solana, also underlined the EU's aim of “closer cooperation with Russia in energy in order to make supplies secure and further stabilise our economic cooperation”. In an interview given to the RIA Novosti agency, Mr Solana indicated that “We think that these objectives involve transparency, openness, competitiveness and equal access to investment, markets and infrastructure, as well as environmental cooperation. The energy sector should become a factor for stability and integration on the European continent”. He also affirmed that Thursday would provide “a good opportunity for developing the partnership with Russia”.
One of the central themes will be the future of contractual relations between the EU and Russia, following the expiry of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) in 2007. Ten years after the agreement was made, the two sides now have the right to end the agreement but both Brussels and Moscow have agreed for it to remain in force until the next agreement enters into force. Negotiations on the more ambitious future agreement (which is also expected to aim for a conclusion of a free trade agreement after Russia joins the WTO) could start at the beginning of 2007, explained Commission sources on Tuesday.