Moscow - European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso
has called on Russia to offer more 'reliability' in international
relations, after talks on Friday in Moscow with the Russian prime
minister and president.
The top-level talks were the first between the European Union and
Russia since the crisis in January which saw Moscow cut gas supplies
to Ukraine. Russia must do everything to restore Europe's confidence,
Barroso said.
But the talks on energy security were also overshadowed by a row
over Moscow's record on human rights.
Barroso pressed Russia to respect human rights and the
constitution, after the murders on a Moscow street of a journalist
and human rights lawyer last month.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin bristled visibly after criticism of
Russia's human rights record, accusing Brussels of having its own
shortcomings in this field, citing problems with migration, the state
of some European prisons and the plight of Russian minorities in the
Balkans.
'We don't act as if we're prefect,' Barroso said.
Friday's talks, with a delegation of nine EU commissioners, had
been originally scheduled for last August but postponed after the
conflict between Russia and Georgia.
The EU and Russia are attempting to agree a long-delayed
Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev urged Barroso to develop new
ways of preventing energy conflicts such as that with Ukraine in
January.
'The existing mechanisms have failed - by which I mean the Energy
Charter,' the Russian president said.
Barroso agreed it was necessary to create conditions under which
such crises are not repeated. Partly in a response to rows such as
Moscow's blockade of gas exports through Ukraine, some European
states are planning the Nabucco gas pipeline, which bypasses Russia.
Putin hailed the visit as a good opportunity to discuss important
issues. 'We are ready to compromise and engage with our partners,' he
said. 'We understand and respect their interests, but also require
that the interests of Russia are respected.'
Putin criticized the fact that Russian gas experts no longer have
access to Ukrainian gas storage and control stations. Both Barroso
and Putin agreed on the use of international observers, which would
go towards 'reliability and credibility', according to Barroso.
The European Commission president welcomed Russia's initiative to
put forward concrete proposals to curb the current global financial
crisis at the forthcoming G20 summit in London in April.
But he warned Moscow not to fall into protectionism in its own
domestic markets, however great the temptation.
EU Enterprise and Industry Commissioner Gunter Verheugen
criticized Russia for introducing a toll on shipments from Europe. A
new road tax on EU trucks was 'discriminatory and infringes the
principle of fair market conditions,' Verheugen told Deutsche Presse-
Agentur dpa in Moscow.
The timing of the Russian trip, and the unusual size of the EU
delegation, have been controversial within the EU commission, but
Barroso justified this on Friday saying it showed the 'great breadth
and diversity of issues in relations between Russia and the EU.'
However, critics have charged that it could give the impression
Brussels was backing down on its recent criticisms of Russia, such as
when during the Russia-Ukraine gas stand-off, Barroso accused the two
countries of holding Western consumers 'hostage.'
The EU has said it would continue to back Russia's bid to join the
World Trade Organization, which it views as a rung on the ladder
towards normalizing trade relations with its largest neighbour.
The EU is by far Russia's largest trading partner, whilst the bloc
is dependent on Russia for over a quarter of its gas and oil
supplies.
Moscow and Brussels have been back and forth on a new Partnership
and Cooperation Agreement to govern their relations for over two
years now - allowing the old pact to expire last year.
USA
Your Talkback on this Story