Reluctant Russia drags its feet on deal with Union

By Andrew Beatty

Date: 03/03/05

The EU and Russia this week reiterated hopes of finalising a deal on economic, justice, security and education co-operation by May, but diplomats claim Moscow is not keen on the agreement.

During a meeting in Luxembourg on Monday (28 February), which officials described as positive, foreign ministers expressed hopes that a Moscow summit on 10 May would see a deal on the so-called common spaces agreement.

But privately diplomats say that little progress has been made in talks since Russian President Vladimir Putin met with EU leaders last November in The Hague.

Brussels is keen to agree on the four common spaces as a package before the current bilateral framework expires and hopes a deal will end two years of often-awkward negotiations.

But, diplomats say, Russia appears satisfied with the current situation and is likely to press for the four spaces to be untied, while playing on EU divisions as a means of achieving the best possible deal.

"The problem is that they [Russia] don't really want the agreement," said one diplomat involved with the issue.

With EU-Russia disputes over Moldova, Kosovo, Georgia, Ukraine and the future of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe set to continue, the foundations of any agreement appear unsteady.

Fresh problems appear to be arising in negotiations.

At Monday's meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov indicated that a readmission agreement - allowing the EU to return Russian citizens without the correct papers - would not be possible until Russia was able to secure its southern borders with the Caucasus.

Brussels-based diplomats described the linkage variously as "quite strange" and "not surprising".

Some linked Lavrov's comments to EU discussions on launching a border-monitoring mission to Georgia, an issue which has split EU members.

Some EU members' unwillingness to back initiatives in Russia's 'near abroad' was described by a Brussels diplomat in strong words: "If you look around the [European] Council with infra-red goggles, you see a Russian veto."

Attitudes on all sides appear to be hardening, boding ill for an agreement.

In a recent article for a Russian journal, Lavrov described the EU's position as "evolving in a destructive direction under the influence of its new members".

Article discusses the prospects for the so-called Common Spaces agreement between Russia and the EU to be finalised at a Moscow summit on 10 May 2005. Author suggests that Russia is not interested in the deal on economic, justice, security and education co-operation in its suggested form and that with EU-Russia disputes over Moldova, Kosovo, Georgia, Ukraine and the future of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe set to continue, the foundations of any agreement appear unsteady.