Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-05-31
CONTENTS
[01] Progress with EU-Russia relations the focus of St.Petersburg summit on
[01] Progress with EU-Russia relations the focus of St.Petersburg summit on
Saturday
30/05/2003 23:36:57
ST. PETERSBURG (ANA - V. Mourtis) -- The entire breadth of EU-Russia
relations will be the key agenda point at the EU-Russia Summit here on
Saturday under the chairmanship of Greek Prime Minister and European
Council president-in-office Costas Simitis.
Talking to reporters here on Friday, Simitis said the Greek presidency
had decided to advance efforts to upgrade bilateral EU-Russia
relations, a decision shared by all European partners.
Simitis added there were three areas in which efforts for EU-Russia
cooperation had not been successful: Political dialogue on foreign
policy and security and defence policy, economic cooperation, and
cooperation in justice and home affairs, and that now a fourth area was
added for cooperation in research, technology and culture.
Energy policy issues will also be reviewed, since, as the Greek premier
said, the EU was in search of additional energy suppliers and to that
end it would increase investments in Russia for development of energy
resources in a long range, which would ensure energy sources as well as
stable prices.
Asked about the ''soft points'' that were the cause of failure in
progress with EU-Russia relations, Simits said discussions in the past
had been taking place on a general level, adding that the agreements
should be more specific, that better coordination was required and
meetings should not be restricted to a foreign ministers level.
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