| Author (Person) | Bower, Helen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher | ProQuest Information and Learning | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series Title | In Focus | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series Details | 31.5.02 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publication Date | 31/05/2002 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content Type | News, Overview, Topic Guide | In Focus | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The ninth EU-Russia summit took place in Moscow on 29 May 2002 against a background of increasingly good relations between Russia and the West. In the month preceding the summit Russian signed a treaty with the United States on nuclear arms reduction and also deepened its ties with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) by the establishment of a Nato-Russia Council. The EU-Russia summit focussed on taking EU-Russia relations a step forward through bilateral co-operation in several areas such as foreign affairs, energy and trade. One of the most notable outcomes of the summit was the European Union's decision to designate Russia's economy as "free market", paving the way for Russia to gain better access to world markets and eventually membership of the World Trade Organisation. Background Since 1997 when a Partnership and Co-operation agreement (PCA) between the EU and Russia entered into force, relations between the two countries have become increasingly stronger with two summits held every year and an annual co-operation council. European Sources Online's previous In Focus The eighth EU-Russia summit took place in Brussels on 3 October 2001. Following the terrorist attacks in the United States on 11 September 2001 international terrorism and national security were high on the agenda. The leaders agreed to active the relevant clauses in the PCA to enhance bilateral co-operation in the field of international terrorism and two declarations were annexed to the summit joint statement, one on combating international terrorism and the other on strengthening the political and security dialogue. Nato-Russian Council and Ninth EU-Russia Summit The ninth EU-Russia summit took place just a day after the inaugural meeting in Rome of the Nato-Russia Council. The new council, which was agreed in principle at Reykjavik, Iceland on 14 May 2002, replaces the Permanent Joint Council, or '19+1', established in 1997 where NATO's 19 ambassadors met regularly with Russia. However, Russia has often felt that it has little say at these meetings because the agenda and decisions were agreed in advance among the NATO members. Under the new NATO-Russia Council, decisions will be open for debate among the 20 ambassadors, and Russia, like its NATO counterparts, will have veto powers. The first list of issues for co-operation includes assessment of the terrorist threat, non-proliferation, arms control, theatre missile defence, military to military co-operation and civil emergencies. Speaking at the inaugural meeting, Nato Secretary General, Lord Robertson, said,
The significance of the summit was also expressed by President George W. Bush who told the opening session,
The sense of increasingly good relations between Russia and west was carried over to the EU-Russia summit the next day which had a number of positive results. First and foremost, the European Union decided to designate Russia's economy as "free market". The decision is in response to the progress Russia has made towards market relations although many still believe that Russia still falls short of a genuine market economy. However, the gesture means that Russian exports, such as steel, are less likely to face anti-dumping measures in the future and it should also improve the progress of Russian negotiations to join the World Trade Organisation. President George W. Bush has said that he will also review the US view of the Russian economy. In other areas, there was a clear demonstration of increasing co-operation between the two countries. In the joint statement which followed the summit the leaders recognised the development of environmental co-operation between the two through the Northern Dimension framework and agreed to make the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership Fund operational as soon as possible. They also recognised the deepening of the relationship in terms of space research which will be further strengthened by the signing of a new agreement between the Russian government and the European Space Agency on "Co-operation and Partnership in Exploration and the Use of Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes'. The two sides also discussed a range of international affairs. They issued a separate joint statement on the situation in the Middle East and the deterioration in Indio-Pakistani relations as well as discussing in detail the situation both in the Balkans and in Afghanistan. It was agreed that the Moscow summit represented "an important milestone in the development and strengthening of the strategic partnership between Russia and the European Union in the 21st Century". However, one stumbling block centred on the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, June 2002 and its future following Poland and Lithuania's accession to the European Union. Russia feels that its citizens should be able to continue travelling between Kaliningrad and the main republic without needing visas normally required for EU countries but this has met with stiff opposition from the EU and President Putin claims "no understanding". The issue is becoming more urgent as a visa regime is set to be introduced for Kaliningrad citizens in the middle of 2003 but there seems to be no solution on the horizon. President Putin said,
The issue, a high priority for the Spanish Presidency, will now be discussed again at the Council of Ministers meeting in Luxembourg in June when a compromise will be sought. Despite the dispute over Kaliningrad, the EU-Russia summit was generally heralded as successful and symbolises the end of a historic month for the Russia-EuroAtlantic relationship which has seen the strengthening of relationships between Russia and the US, Nato and the European Union. Further information within European Sources Online:
ther information can be seen in these external links: EU Institutions Further and subsequent information on the subject of this In Focus can be found by an 'Advanced Search' in European Sources Online by inserting 'Russia' in the keyword field. Helen Bower The ninth EU-Russia summit took place in Moscow on 29 May 2002 against a background of increasingly good relations between Russia and the West. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Countries / Regions | Russia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
