EU, Russia Set to Work--Turkish Daily News

[Gloria]

http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/article.php?enewsid=12415


EU, Russia set to work
Wednesday, May 4, 2005


BRUSSELS - The Associated Press

EU and Russian representatives set to work on Tuesday to complete a long-delayed economic and security partnership accord that Russian President Vladimir Putin will sign with European Union leaders May 10 in Moscow.

"The EU is ready to work in partnership with Russia to achieve our common goals," European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said on Tuesday as final negotiations began.

Officials sounded confident a deal could be reached today enabling the partnership to be signed, even though politically touchy areas may be left fuzzy, to be fine-tuned later.

These include visa requirements for Russians and - a closely related issue in the EU's view - Moscow's readiness to take back Russians now illegally in Western Europe. The EU also wants Moscow to promise not to pressure ex-soviet republics into pledging loyalty to Russia.

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