Europe’s bridge to Putin’s Russia

Diplomats dealing with the EU's policy towards the Union's eastern neighbours are already looking on with trepidation, as the Finnish government is planning a packed schedule, including all-day meetings to discuss issues relating to Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan during its six-month EU presidency.

The first foreign policy item on the agenda is likely to be the preparations for the upcoming G8 summit in St Petersburg (15-17 July) that will deal with energy and foreign policy issues. But the main focus of the presidency in foreign policy terms is likely to be agreeing a mandate for talks on a new agreement with Russia. The current partnership and co-operation agreement can be annulled from 31 December. It is likely to continue to be enforced, to allow negotiations to begin in early 2007.

Preparations for these discussions are likely to be tough, with member states holding vastly different ideas on how relations with Russia should develop. Russia will be pressing for a greater say in EU decision-making, particularly in the area of security and defence operations, a suggestion that terrifies some member states. But the Finns hope they will be ideally placed to forge a deal - close to Russia, with historical differences a thing of the past.

After six months of Austria focusing on the Balkans, the Finns will not be able to shift the focus entirely toward the east. The Balkans will be an important foreign policy priority, with Finland tasked with gathering consensus on the final status of Kosovo, which is expected to be determined before the end of the year. Some skill will also be needed as the Finns try to make sure that the reform process in Serbia, already slowed, does not grind to a halt. Work on the Balkans will be helped by the presidency's close ties to Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn. Rehn was formerly the president of Finland's Centre Party, now led by Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen.

The Finnish foreign ministry will also try to develop recent proposals to help the Council of Ministers and the European Commission work better together in conducting foreign policy and to improve the coherence between the Union's domestic policies and its foreign action.

Another major event during the Finnish presidency will be the United Nations General Assembly in September which comes at a time when UN members are struggling to agree on far-reaching reforms. The Finnish presidency will seek to get the EU member states to agree on a common position to be presented in New York.

Diplomats dealing with the EU's policy towards the Union's eastern neighbours are already looking on with trepidation, as the Finnish government is planning a packed schedule, including all-day meetings to discuss issues relating to Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan during its six-month EU presidency.

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