RIA NOVOSTI INTERVIEW WITH ALEXANDER YAKOVENKO, AN OFFICIAL FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN, ON RUSSIA-EU RELATIONS

Question: What is the significance, for further development of our relations with the European Union, of the forthcoming Russia-EU summit?

Yakovenko: The regular Russia-EU high-level meeting, the 9th, will be held in Moscow on May 29. It is seen by us as a major political event, as one following the general line of Russian foreign policy aimed at creating steady ties and achieving constructive cooperation with a united Europe, an important stage in the establishment of our strategic partnership with the European Union.

We expect that the upcoming Russia-EU summit will impart a new and substantive impulse to our political dialogue. We see its task in achieving concrete results, including on joint initiatives to form a common European space of security, which in our view must presuppose a balanced and non-discriminatory system of collaboration between all basic European and Euroatlantic organisations and countries.

Adequate practical cooperation with the EU in foreign policy, security and defence, in line with decisions of last year's Moscow and Brussels Russia-EU summits, is assuming greater relevance. It is important that accords reached in this area should be based on pragmatism, on due account taken of the interests of each side and should be fulfilled undeviatingly.

We see one of the key tasks of the summit in more specific and meaningful concerted action with the EU in shaping European policy on security and defence.

Significantly, the Moscow high-level meeting with the European Union leadership will be preceded by Russia summits with the US and NATO. So it is quite natural that one of the main elements of the agenda of the meeting with the EU should be issues of strategic stability and a modern system of security on the Euroatlantic space.

Question: How is Russia-EU partnership in international affairs shaping up?

Yakovenko: On many international issues our positions with the EU are close or coincide. Russia and the European Union share a common desire to look for joint answers to new global threats and challenges, in settling crisis situations, in particular in the Balkans, the Middle East and Afghanistan. We are set to deepen our discussion with the EU in international organisations, above all the UN and OSCE.

There is mutual interest in expanding joint efforts in law enforcement and strengthening our cooperation in anti-terrorist activity in accordance with the principles laid down in the joint final statement of the European-EU summit of October 3, 2001 and the decisions of the Council of Europe meeting in Laeken in December of last year. A meeting of justice and interior ministers of Russia and EU countries on the "2 plus 30" formula (on April 25 of this year in Luxembourg) marked a new substantive step on the road to forming a common law enforcement space on the European continent.

Question: What are the priorities of current Russia-EU dialogue?

Yakovenko: In the course of the meeting there will be a detailed discussion of key issues of economic cooperation with the EU. It is planned to consider progress in two strategic areas of our cooperation -- development of the concept for a common European economic space and development of an energy partnership between Russia and Europe. Russian and EU leaders will approve reports on these questions prepared for the summit.

As regards the common European economic space, work done over the eighteen months since the idea was first initiated will be summed up. When discussing topics for Russia-EU energy dialogue the accent will be put on the need for concrete mechanisms ensuring advance in main agreed directions -- infrastructure projects of mutual interest, physical safety of transport networks, pilot energy-saving projects in Russia, a centre for energy technologies, trade in electric power, nuclear safety, and legal protection of long-term energy supplies.

When considering trade and economic problems, special attention will be paid to a search for ways of solving a number of urgent and long ripe questions.

This applies above all to recognising the market status of Russia's economy.

More specific will be examination of the progress in negotiations on Russia's joining the WTO, which is one of the central elements of Russian economic reforms. In effect Russia is the only major trading power outside this international organisation. We look to European Union support for Russia's accession to the WTO on non-discriminatory conditions.

Further deepening of collaboration between Russia and European Union in nature protection, including cooperation in enhancing nuclear and radiation safety, remains a subject for discussion.

A major part of Russia-EU dialogue is an assessment of the state and possibilities for further cooperation in science and technology, as well as space exploration. The need for cooperation in this area is dictated by the fact that it is difficult alone to lead world research and technological progress. This makes integration of our potentials in mutual interests desirable.

Russia is interested in cushioning the effects for Russian air carriers of restrictions on flights by noisy aircraft into the EU. This is already bringing substantial damage, on the one hand, to Russian air carriers and, on the other, to companies dealing with the tourist business.

It is our hope that possible solutions to air noise problems will not be limited to the tourist season of 2002 but will ensure conditions for accelerated modernisation of the Russian air fleet in general.

Question: How are problems connected with the European Union's enlargement so unfavourable for Russia being addressed?

Yakovenko: The effects of EU enlargement on Russia and the need for early laying to rest the existing Russian concerns are given special attention.

The most substantial is the comprehensive solution of life support problems for the Kaliningrad region in the context of an upcoming enlargement of the European Union. Key features here are unimpeded transport transit to Russia's mainland, non-visa travel by people across Lithuania, energy supplies, and fisheries.

Unfortunately, we have to state that no shifts from the EU are seen concerning these questions. Despite declarations on the strategic nature of the partnership and the EU wish to take every step not to worsen the condition of the Kaliningrad region after the EU's enlargement, we do not see any practical moves in this direction. Held on May 15 of this year, a special meeting of the Russia-EU Cooperation Committee, regrettably, only confirmed this.