Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-12-01-Speech-3-105"
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"en.20041201.12.3-105"2
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".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, Mr Nicolaï, although much has, of course already been said, I should like to start by stressing once again that the EU’s enlargement has made Russia a much more important partner for us, as it is the European Union’s big neighbour, and we want it to be a strategic partner. We must be able to discuss all issues with Russia, both with regard to where we want to make progress, but also with regard to international issues, even if we sometimes have differences of opinion. At the summit on 25 November, it became clear that we could talk in a very good, business-like atmosphere, and the discussions were also very detailed.
Thirdly, we reached an agreement on an Institute for European Studies in Moscow.
You will all be aware that the situation in Ukraine was a priority at the working lunch, and we referred very clearly to our position, which we set out earlier. I can say that we agreed that the situation can be resolved only by peaceful means and within the framework of the Ukrainian constitution. We said that the Ukrainian people had a right to decide its own future and the future of the country.
Despite all the differences of opinion on this issue, we should not forget how much also connects us with Russia, this large country and our partner, and we must therefore do everything in our power to eliminate differences, to make progress and to find joint solutions.
Mr Nicolaï has already mentioned that we, of course, want to have the four large areas together as a package. This package was the focus of our negotiations. In addition, as he also quite rightly noted, we discussed international issues, with Ukraine taking up a large part of the time.
The Commission saw it as particularly important to maintain the quality and integrity of this package as regards the four common areas. We did not want the individual parts to be negotiated separately. This was what we had agreed on, and this will remain the framework in future. Whilst wishing to express my thanks to the Presidency of the Council, the Commission also played a large role in enabling us to continue with this position. I am confident that intensive further negotiations will allow us to reach an overall agreement on this package in May.
Some of the package’s contents have already been mentioned. In the common economic area, the conditions must be created for a strengthening of economic relations. This means that trade and investment must be promoted, existing obstacles must be eliminated and, above all, that legal and administrative provisions must increasingly comply or be made compatible. We have also decided – and I believe that this is an important point – to initiate a dialogue between the European Union and Russia on energy, and, above all, to utilise successful cooperation in this area as an engine for other areas.
We also raised such issues as the investment climate in Russia and, in this connection, the situation of YUKOS. Above all, we stressed the need for transparency, stability and predictability. We have also decided, as Mr Nicolaï mentioned, that the common economic area will particularly deal with environmental issues. This will make it possible for us to take a common approach to the challenges of environmental policy, and we have of course welcomed Russia’s ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. This will make it possible for us to step up our bilateral cooperation, but above all cooperation in international forums on climate protection.
In the second area, the area for freedom, security and law, we decided to continue our intensive discussions, during which equal account must be taken of the aspects of security, on the one hand, and freedom and law on the other. It is important for us that it should be in this area that we anchor the basic questions of protection for fundamental rights, of the principle of the rule of law and of human rights. We agreed that it is in this area that we wish to deal with issues relating to easier travel and issues of asylum and return. In addition, this area will continue to deal with issues such as terrorism, organised crime, corruption and trafficking in human beings. In addition, we offered to step up our cooperation in the fight against drugs, for example with third countries such as Afghanistan, or also with the United Nations, which plays an important role in this respect.
Turning to Chechnya, we made an offer to Russia to assist in the reconstruction of the country, as soon as the security situation makes this possible. With regard to the area of external security, this should make it possible for us to implement genuine cooperation on all issues relating to conflicts in our common neighbourhood, so that we can promote common care for stability and security in the region. It did of course become clear that we still need to convince Russia that cooperation on issues of common security is in both our interests; we also discussed the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the fight against terrorism and civil protection as part of closer cooperation. We also, finally, want to extend our cooperation in the field of research, education and culture. Our goal in this field is again to promote contacts between our societies and, above all, to continue to promote innovation.
Of course we discussed a number of individual questions, of which I would particularly like to draw attention to three; firstly, on the Commission’s suggestion we decided to set up this new forum in which we wish to discuss all issues relating to regional cooperation. In addition, we want to set up a new sub-committee in the framework of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, where we will also be able to discuss issues relating to Kaliningrad. In our opinion, it is important to discuss not only issues relating to transit, but also, and above all, issues relating to economic and social development.
Secondly, we agreed to hold regular consultations on human rights issues, including the issues of minorities and fundamental rights, which Mr Nicolaï has already mentioned."@en1
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