Lisbon, 02/07/2007 (Agence Europe) - “We need stable relations with Russia”, Portugal's prime minister, José Socrates, said on Saturday. He was “convinced that there is political motivation on both sides” for strategic cooperation. In a “pragmatic and realistic” manner, the Portuguese presidency will seek to move forward along the road towards a partnership and cooperation agreement (PCA), which has been deadlocked due to Russia's embargo on Polish meat. “The history of Russia will continue to be intertwined with that of Europe”, he told the press, recommending that one should “not only emphasise our differences but also what brings us together”. The role of the presidency will be to “calm the tension rather than throw oil on the fire”, Mr Socrates added. Saying he wanted relations based on “détente”, he refused to make a “moral judgement” on relations with Moscow, as he believes this kind of attitude maintains the “risk of confrontation”. (ab)