EU looks to sharpen its tools in Russia's back yard

Brussels - The European Union's foreign ministers are to seek ways of boosting their influence in the former USSR following August's war between Russia and Georgia when they meet in the French city of Avignon on Friday. And while the informal discussions are scheduled to focus on EU relations with Georgia and Russia, officials say that they are likely to range far wider, taking in issues such as energy security and relations with states such as Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus. 'The EU considers that it is more necessary than ever to support regional cooperation and step up its relations with its eastern neighbours,' EU leaders concluded at an emergency summit on Monday - a meeting held in response to the Georgian war. The foreign ministers of the EU's 27 member states meet informally every six months to discuss broad policy issues without the pressure to reach formal decisions. Friday's meeting is to 'review the whole range of the EU's relationship' with Russia and Georgia in order to see where it could 'reinforce' its current policies, sources in the French government, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. But it is also likely to discuss how the EU can promote democratic reforms and reconciliation in parts of the former USSR where Russia and the West are grappling more and more openly for influence. Diplomats say that could include talks on how to handle Belarus, where the authoritarian regime of President Alexander Lukashenko in the summer released the country's last political prisoners in what was seen in Brussels as a step towards greater freedom. Ukraine also looks set to feature prominently ahead of an EU- Ukraine summit scheduled for Tuesday. The ministers are also likely to discuss how the EU can use its relations with Moscow's former satellites to boost its own energy security by creating supply routes which do not go through Russia, officials in Brussels said. That follows a call from EU leaders Monday that 'recent events illustrate the need for Europe to intensify its efforts with regard to the security of energy supplies.' However, the ministers are not expected to propose a sudden leap towards membership for countries such as Georgia and Ukraine, officials said. Rather, they are likely to discuss how they can improve their use of current diplomatic agreements, partnerships and financial incentives to tighten their links with their eastern neighbours without giving up on their long-standing calls for reform. They are also expected to discuss EU relations with the United States and the EU's role in the Middle East peace process.