Prague, 08/01/2009 (Agence Europe) - The EU's resolve to deepen its relations with the neighbouring countries of Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus) and the South Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan) in the context of the new Eastern Partnership “is not directed against Russia”, the Czech EU Presidency reaffirmed on Thursday 8 January. Quite the contrary, Russia is a “great country, a great power with which the European Union must cooperate”, said Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, who is currently president of the EU Council. Russia and the EU are condemned to work closely together as they need each other, the minister explained to a group of European journalists in Prague. “Russia needs as much the help of the EU as the EU needs Russian gas”, he said. Unlike some comments in the press predicting tension between the Czech EU Presidency and Moscow, “relations between the Czechs and the Russians are very good - there is no hatred”, despite their shared and difficult past, Mr Schwarzenberg said. 'The only real problem” between Prague and Moscow concerns the project for deployment of the missile shield in the Czech Republic, he pointed out. Russia's very negative reaction can be explained less by the anti-missile radar itself, “which will not be a danger for Russia”, than by the fact that Moscow has always found it difficult to agree to its former satellite states being able to freely conduct their own foreign policy, Mr Schwarzenberg declared. (H.B./transl.jl)