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| Russia, EU Start Regular Summit |
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[ 作者: 加入时间:2007-05-18 17:21:50 来自:
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Leaders from Russia and the European Union (EU) started a biannual summit at the Volga resort in southern Russia's Samara Region on Friday. They are expected to discuss hot topics but prospects for any breakthrough are poor.
Russian President Vladimir Putin joined European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country is holding the current EU presidency, in front of the summit building located on the west wing of the Zhiguli Mountains before the official meeting started on Friday morning.
EU Foreign policy chief Javier Solana was reportedly delayed to attend the summit due to a ceremony.
At the summit, Putin said that "We are ready for an open and honest dialogue, without any forbidden subjects, that would allow us to move our relationship forward."
Merkel said that the meeting offers a chance for the EU and Russia "to decide on specific steps to advance our relations and resolve the outstanding issues."
"There are many areas in which we could cooperate," she said.
Barroso said that the EU and Russia "are committed to strengthening our strategic partnership," but added that "this objective is underpinned by all the commitments to common values, which we signed up to: democracy, human rights and the rule of law."
He mentioned the areas in which efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation has been devoted into and will yield fruits, including a rule on easing visa restrictions, and progress in the scientific, educational and cultural sectors.
He also asked the two powers to further cooperation to tackle global challenges like energy and climate protection.
A new Russia-EU partnership agreement was expected to be discussed during the conference, which has been blocked by EU members Poland and Lithuania due to trade and energy disputes with Russia.
The energy issue will also top the summit agenda, while Europe and the United States are striving to increase gas and oil imports from Central Asia to diversify energy supply sources. But the pipelines in the region are increasingly dominated by Russia.
The summit is also expected to focus on Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). The EU has voiced supports for Russia's accession to the international trade body.
Senior officials, including Russian Foreign Minister Serge Lavrov, Barroso and Solana will also discuss international issues such as Kosovo, Iran and the Middle East.
A United Nation draft resolution on Kosovo, backed by the EU and the United States, was rejected by Russia. The resolution supports an internationally-monitored independence of the Serbian province but Russia called for more talks between the majority Albanians, who want independence, and the minority Serbs who do not.
Russia-EU relations grew more complicated due to a U.S. plan to deploy interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar station in the Czech Republic.
Poland and the United States held the first round of talks early this week, which was described as "useful initial discussions" by U.S. officials.
Russia has repeatedly voiced opposition to the deployment plan, saying its target will not be Iran, as the United States claims, but Moscow.
In return, Putin has suggested postponing participation in a military control treaty on the European continent, which will also be a topic of discussion during the summit.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice failed to soften Russia's position after Tuesday's meeting with Putin and Lavrov.
A recent row between Russia and Estonia, a new EU member, over the relocation of a bronze statue of a Soviet World War II soldier from a central square to a cemetery in the Estonian capital Tallin has also overshadowed Russia-EU ties.
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