Russia calls for ‘one pair of hands’ to steer Kaliningrad

Date: 14/02/02

By David Cronin

POLICY makers must do more to solve the problems that Russia's Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad poses for enlargement, Moscow's ambassador to the EU claims.

Vasily Likachev argues that one senior figure should be given responsibility for the region rather than the EU's foreign policy chief and several commissioners, as is the case now.

'It is necessary to concentrate activity in one body and one pair of hands,' he said.

However, Likachev said he was pleased by the recommendation of a new European Parliament report calling for the establishment of an EU-Russia task force on Kaliningrad.

The Parliament's report, drafted by German Socialist Magdalene Hoff, calls for the Commission and Council of Ministers to clarify what visa regime will apply to Kaliningrad's 950,000 people when Lithuania and Poland join the EU.

Hoff warns that if they are denied the possibility to travel and move goods across the borders, this could have the 'effect of disheartening people and harming the economy'.

She also says the EU has contributed 'albeit unintentionally to the gap currently existing between Kaliningrad and its neighbours' because the latter receive considerably greater aid under pre-accession funds than the enclave gets from the TACIS programme for the former Soviet Union.

'There is an urgent need to put a stop to the economic and social collapse of Kaliningrad,' Hoff warns.

'Otherwise, a dangerous hot spot would emerge in the midst of the EU's Baltic region, forming a permanent source of unpredictability, instability, environmental degradation and crime.'

Kaliningrad has been plagued by pollution and poverty for years.

Hoff says that foreign investment into the region in 1995-2001 stood at around 80 million euro, which she describes as inadequate.

Tax breaks offered to companies willing to invest there have largely failed.

Lithuania's chief negotiator with the EU, Petras Austrevicius, said he would favour 'flexible visa arrangements' between his country and Kaliningrad.

This would include a reduced fee for those wishing to apply for multiple-entry visas.

He is seeking a fresh investment plan for the enclave and believes Lithuania's EU entry presents a 'window of opportunity' for the region if it can spur a process of economic regeneration there.

Austrevicius said he expects a visa regime deal to be reached outside the talks on bringing Vilnius into line with the Union's justice and home affairs regulations.

His government hopes to close discussions on that pre-accession 'chapter' by the end of April.

Policy makers must do more to solve the problems that Russia's Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad poses for enlargement, argues Moscow's ambassador to the EU, Vasily Likachev.