European Forum

Van Rompuy: “EU-Russia relations should develop fast forward”

On 1 June the two-day EU-Russia summit in Rostov-on-Don was closed by a concluding press conference of European Council President Herman van Rompuy in the presence of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. The summit was described as a successful and friendly event compared to prior summits and both partners agreed on important issues.

According to van Rompuy both Russia and the European Union find themselves in a defining time. Europe has shown to be capable of acting in a decisive manner as a reaction to the financial crisis and he warns "the European Union will continue to do so". He sees certain positive developments in Russia in the field of modernisation, diversification, democratisation and the development of a civil society. Nevertheless, in order for the partnership to bare fruits, the Russian modernisation has to become a reality and the country must avoid protectionism.

Some of the main agreements were made on the possibilities of visa free travel, the Partnership for Modernisation and a bilateral agreement on the protection of classified information. Nevertheless, van Rompuy criticised Russia for the precarious situation of human activists and journalists in its country. Also, the impunity in Chechnya and the rest of the North Caucasus is a dangerous situation for which Russia should seek a solution. Van Rompuy and Medvedev agreed on other international affairs. They welcomed the new START-treaty and both showed concern for the development of nuclear weapons in Iran and the tragic event in Israel on 31 May.

The overall mood was optimistic. Van Rompuy wishes for a more constructive role for Russia and sees the country as a real strategic partner for the EU. He asks not for a reset of EU-Russia relations, but hopes for a ‘fast forward’.

Sources: http://vloghvr.consilium.europa.eu/?p=1576