Author: Nahapetian Samvel

Ukraine willing to send peacekeepers to Nagorno-Karabakh
BAKU. May 19 (Interfax) – Ukraine is willing to send its troops to
Nagorno-Karabakh to help settle the conflict in that region, said
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Borys Tarasyuk.
“We are prepared to provide assistance in deploying peacekeeping
forces and are willing to send our contingent [to Nagorno-Karabakh]
if need be,” Tarasyuk said at a meeting with Baku parliamentary
speaker Murtuz Alasgarov in Baku on Thursday.

PROSPECTS OF DEVELOPMENT OF relations BETWEEN AZERBAIJAN AND UKRAINE DISCUSSED
Azer Tag
[May 18, 2005, 23:27:11]
On May 18, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov
has met Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Boris Tarasyuk who is
visiting the country with official visit.
Mr. E. Mammadyarov, having welcomed the Ukrainian colleague, has
emphasized that strategic cooperation between two states is constructed
on sincere friendly relations, and that between two countries there
are no unresolved questions.
Minister B. Tarasyuk, shared his views of the colleague, informed
that has been received by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev,
and noted, that the carried out negotiations have made on him deep
impression.
Minister E. Mamedyarov in detail informed the visitor on opening
ceremony of the Azerbaijan part of the BTC MEP on May 25, and also
the work spent for realization of the gas main Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum
and the Baku-Tbilsii-Kars railway.
At the meeting, the parties had exchange of views on opportunities
of establishment of new business relations, activity of the
intergovernmental commission, cooperation in the field of power supply,
a number of aspects of mutual relations. Besides, opportunities of
increase in number of the Azerbaijan students in the Kiev Institute of
the International Relations, creation of opportunities for education
of citizens of Azerbaijan in the Ukrainian Diplomatic Academy and
other questions were discussed.
The parties also have discussed other problems representing mutual
interest, including reforms in the United Nations, prospects of OSCE
and the questions connected to activity of GUAM.
Ministers have discussed process of settlement of the
Armenia-Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
***
On the same day, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Boris Tarasyuk
has met at the Baku Slavic University with tutorial staff and student.

Warsaw summit a success despite Armenia reversal
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
DIPLOMACY
ANKARA – Turkish Daily News
A two-day summit of Council of Europe leaders proved to be a blow to
hopes for a meeting between the Turkish prime minister and the Armenian
president, as it witnessed tension between the two countries over the
issue of the alleged Armenian genocide instead of a much-anticipated
breakthrough.
Erdogan rebuked Armenian President Robert Kocharian yesterday for
raising the issue of the alleged genocide in his address to the
Council of Europe on Monday and said Turkey would reject outsiders’
“lobbying efforts” on the issue.
“We do not appreciate these efforts to lobby (in favor of the Armenian
claims), lobbying that has no basis on historical documents and facts,”
Erdogan said.
But despite reversal on the dialogue with Armenia, the Turkish
delegation took pride in successfully pushing for the inclusion
of a call for a fight against Islamophobia in the final statement
of the summit. “We strongly condemn all forms of intolerance and
discrimination, in particular those based on sex, race and religion,
including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia,” the leaders said in the
final statement.
The Turkish delegation also successfully worked against a Polish
proposal to refer to international humanitarian laws in the section
of the final statement dealing with international terrorism. Turkish
representatives even said it would not sign the statement if the
reference to international humanitarian laws was not withdrawn,
threatening to block approval of the text.

Speech by Robert Kocharian, President of Armenia
Abhaber
May 16, 2005
“Armenia is at the beginning of a complex road of European
integration. Till the end of this year we are going to fully complete
our post-accession obligations with the Council of Europe. This was a
difficult but a fruitful process of reforms, which was widely supported
by our society.
We look forward to deepen our interaction with the European Union
within the framework of “European neighborhood” policy. To us it is
an opportunity to continue the political and economic reforms, now
under EU auspices. We consider ourselves to be a part of Europe. Our
cultural heritage is a part of the European culture. We implement the
reforms because they ate deeply grounded in the needs of our state,
and not because we want to be commanded by anyone. Perhaps that is
why the efficiency of reforms in Armenia has been quite high.
In Armenia people believe in Europe with open borders, without
violence, without blockades, without refugees; in Europe where
human rights and the right of peoples for free choice are respected,
where the present is being build upon objective evaluation of the
past. In this context we see the perspective of settlement of the
conflict in Nagorno Karabagh. Namely, we look forward to find ways
of including the de facto established Republic of Nagorno Karabagh
into the European processes of integration. Our efforts aimed at
international recognition of the Armenian Genocide committed in
the Ottoman Turkey are also explained by our belief in European
values. This year we are commemorating the 90th year of those sad
events, and we appreciate support of those states which have recognized
and condemned that Genocide.
Our summit takes place as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of victory
in the World War II. It takes place in a country that among the first
suffered from that terrible war. It is very symbolic, since at the
same place where Europe was once, decades ago, broken into two parts
we today discuss its reintegration. The victory in the World War II
saved the world from fascism, but divided Europe. Today, fighting new
challenges and threats we shall not only win, but also make sure we
do not create new dividing lines, we shall do our best to create the
common European architecture of peace and stability.
First of all let me thank President Kwasniewski for the wonderful
organization of the summit. I am confident that this meeting of
heads of the Council of Europe member-states is extremely well-timed.
Europe is in the process of transformation and it creates an urgent
need for discussions and adequate measures aimed at reforming the
European structures and institutions.
Those changes are of fundamental character. “Eastern Europe”
and “Western Europe” are not any more political terms; they have
transformed themselves to regular geographic concepts. Meanwhile,
the word “Europe” is not anymore simply a geographical name of a
continent. It is a political term widely perceived as a unique model
of a community of nations. A European is perceived as a member of
that community.
In this framework the institutionalization of that process and the
psychological adaptation of the Europeans go hand in hand, most
probably due to the advancement of information technologies. And the
speed of that transformation is so high, that it easily fits within a
lifetime of one generation. I sometimes think that what this process
has its own logic and does not depend much on politicians.
All this offers questions which require consideration and response.
Namely:
– Has the European integration geographical and cultural boundaries
and where are they?
– How do the European Union enlargement and further
institutionalization affect the demand for other organizations,
including the Council of Europe? It is becoming more and more apparent
that for European Union member-states our club becomes less and
less attractive.
– What is the future of Europe’s relations with the rest of the world,
which has other suppositions and traditions?
– Are the processes currently underway in Europe going to transform
into a new ideology with the consequences to follow in form of a
global divide?
Answers to these questions very much depend on the European leaders
sitting at this table.

Blood Smeared on Velvet Revolutions
By MIRZA CETINKAYA
Zaman
05.17.2005 Tuesday – ISTANBUL 23:39
In order for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) to avert an
uncontrolled disintegration, the Mikhail Gorbachev-Eduard Shevardnadze
duo aside, there was also the West that could adjust the brakes and
control speed in the region. But the visibility range of the hurricane
sweeping through the local remnants of the Communist Party in the
former Soviet republics decreases to zero most of the time. Now who
will bump where? It is not that easy to make this prediction in this
part of the world. All eyes having turned to Belarus after US Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice’s compliments to Alexander Lukashenko,
calling him “The last real dictator in Europe,” the “battle ship”
play is now being staged in Central Asia once again.
The struggle between Uzbek leader Islam Kerimov and the groups
he refers to as “terrorist,” has entered a bloody phase. The
demonstrations that were triggered by the trial of 23 young businessmen
accused of plotting to overthrow government, were peaceful at
first. But troops opening fire at protesters, and at an unknown
armed group that raided a prison, turned the incidents into an armed
conflict. According to conflicting figures in the Andijan carnage, a
city in eastern Uzbekistan, almost 500 civilians lost their lives. On
the other hand, Karimov who gave the number of the dead as 10, and
“certainly most of them rebels,” holds Hizb ut-Tahrir he describes as
a terrorist group, responsible for the clashes. But the spokesperson
of the group in London, Imran Vahid, denied any involvement.
According to a claim also shared by Moscow and expressed by Kerimov,
those who raided the prison and the Andijan Governor’s Office came
from Afghanistan and “were very well-organized”. If they came from
Afghanistan, then they are linked to al-Qaeda. Consequently, they are
not appropriate for the velvet revolution. Then, they do not receive
support from the West. That is a clever approach. The fable of Ivan
Krilov is suitable here one again: “The wolf looking at a flock of
sheep from the hole where it is hiding, watches with saliva dripping
from the corner of its mouth, as the shepherd slaughters the fattest
sheep and cuts its meat into pieces. The wolf seeing the shepherd
dogs sunbathing indifferently says, ‘If I had done what the shepherd
is doing, you would raised an uproar’.” Linking the severe problems
over the years to Hizb ut-Tahrir, and providing cosmetic solutions may
cost Tashkent government dear. On the other hand, using force could
make Uzbek Interior Minister Zokir Alamtov introduce the country to
the example of Afghan leader Hafizullah Amin, who was only able to
rule for three months in 1979. Askar Akayev throwing in the towel so
easily resulted in the assumption that anyone who can bring spectators
of a soccer match together can start a revolution. Opponents who
saw Karimov use force will prefer to act more cautiously from now on.
When “truckloads” of dead bodies were brought to the square on
the outskirts of the Pamir Mountains, Armenian opposition close to
Mount Ararat took pains to act more prudently. Opposition leader Aram
Karapetian, who had made the first on a soft revolution in the capital,
Yerevan on May 14, said insistently that the time for a revolution will
be in direct proportion to the number of people they can gather in the
streets. Belarussian opposition leaders are cautious about the methods
used by Kiev and Tbilisi in preparation for a velvet revolution. It
seems that with regards to the colorful revolutions in which blood
has been smeared, more energy and strategy will be needed henceforward.
May 16, 2005 Moscow
05.17.2005 e-mail:[email protected]

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
05/16/2005
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) Armenian, Azeri Leaders Hold Crucial Karabagh Talks 2) Hariri Electoral List Offends Majority of Lebanon's Armenians 3) Catholicos Aram I President Khatami Meet 4) Iran and Armenia Agree to Build Power Stations on Arax River 1) Armenian, Azeri Leaders Hold Crucial Karabagh Talks YEREVAN (RFE/RL)--The presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan spoke for nearly three hours late Sunday and early Monday in closely watched talks on Mountainous Karabagh. Information about the meeting held on the sidelines of a Council of Europe summit in Warsaw was scarce. Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Robert Kocharian were reported to approve another series of talks between their foreign ministers who have reported progress towards a peaceful settlement in recent months. According to Azeri sources, Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov indicated that the two leaders discussed a timetable for Armenian withdrawal from occupied Azeri territories around Karabagh. However, an Armenian foreign ministry official in Yerevan told Agence France-Presse that he has no information about such a agreement. "We are discussing which district should be liberated and when," Mammadyarov told Azerbaijan's ATV channel, according to BBC Monitoring. "They [the Armenians] agree that all the districts should be returned, however, they are thinking of a timeframe. There are many issues involved such as the military issue, the return of refugees, the issue of land mines and the rehabilitation of the territories." Yet another Azeri TV station, ANS, reported the contrary, quoted Mammadyarov as saying that although Aliyev and Kocharian "did not make a significant breakthrough" they decided to continue the so-called "Prague process" of meetings of the two foreign ministers mediated by French, Russian and US diplomats. Armenia has not released any details of the Warsaw talks that began at 11 p.m. local time and continued into early hours of the morning. "The presidents did not find it necessary to issue any statements to the media after the meeting," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamlet Gasparian said. "There is nothing I can say about their agreements and discussions. The presidents will do that if they find it necessary." Gasparian said that Aliyev and Kocharian began the meeting in the presence of the Russian and French foreign ministers as well as the three co-chairs of the mediating Minsk Group, and then spoke for two hours in a tête-à-tête format. Speaking to journalists after meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan later on Monday, Aliyev said the two presidents "reviewed" their positions. "You know that our foreign ministers often meet and discuss different issues," he said. "We shall not issue a statement for the press today as it is early yet. I hope that the negotiations will produce results and the issues between us will be resolved." Kocharian did not elaborate, only saying, "I see the prospect for finding a settlement of the Mountainous Karabagh conflict in the context of respect for European values," he said without elaborating in a subsequent speech at the Warsaw summit. The Aliyev-Kocharian talks were preceded by Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian's meeting with the US, Russian and French co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. Gasparian declined to reveal its details. 2) Hariri Electoral List Offends Majority of Lebanon's Armenians BEIRUT (AFP/Aztagdaily)--Saad Hariri, son of the slain former premier Rafiq Hariri, on Sunday announced his electoral list for Beirut's three constituencies in the Lebanese general election due to begin May 29. Hariri announced 19 candidates for the city's 19 seats, of which 10 are Christian and the rest Muslim. These include candidates for the four Armenian seats, but exclude the two candidates put forth by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF), which has widespread support among Beirut's significant Armenian minority. "The list fails to consider the will of Lebanon's majority of Armenians," writes Beirut based Aztag Armenian newspaper "This deprivation of just rights counters the premise for creating national unity based on a balanced approach, to include the varies sectors of Lebanon's communities. Leading up to the release of the electoral list, ARF officials held several deliberations with key officials, including Hariri, so that the Armenian community of Lebanon would be properly represented. Calling the move "surprising and offensive" the paper also calls into question approaches to certain sectors of the Armenian community. Hariri's list includes Solange Gemayel, widow of slain president and Christian warlord Bashir Gemayel, who will be the only candidate for Beirut's Maronite Christian seat, and Shiite movement Hezbollah's Amin Sherri for one of the two Shiite seats. A key ally of Hariri's father and a former justice minister, Bahige Tabbara, is to stand for one of six Sunni seats. Other candidates on the Hariri list are the same as those who stood in the last elections in 2000 in support of his father. 3) Catholicos Aram I President Khatami Meet TEHRAN (Combined Ssources)--Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I, met with Iranian president Mohammad Khatami in Tehran on Saturday, and discussed current world and regional developments. President Khatami said Iran has consistently been tolerant of different religions, and that a peaceful coexistence is in place. The Catholicos described the that co-existence as "among the cherished values of the Islamic Republic of Iran." He said that religions are currently in danger and the followers of faiths must emphasize dialogue to strengthen the role of religion in human life. Referring to "hidden forces" that seek to disrupt Lebanon's stability, President Khatami praised the role of religious and ethnic leaders in preventing crises. "The Lebanese people must prove to the world they are able to safeguard stability and security in their country." The two leaders also discussed Iran's position on the Mountainous Karabagh conflict. Khatami said Iran promotes negotiations, and urges a peaceful resolution, emphasizing the issue must not be considered as a conflict between Muslim and Christians. "Territorial problem can be solved through discussions and logic." During his 14-day visit to Iran, His Holiness will tour the provinces of Isfahan, Markazi, West Azerbaijan and East Azerbaijan. Catholicos Aram I arrived in Iran on May 12 to conduct two weeks of official meetings. He presided over a special ceremony on May 13 in Tehran's "Ararat" sports' complex and dedicated the 10th anniversary of his enthronement and the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Seminary in Antelias, Lebanon. On this occasion His Holiness said: "I renew my vow to continue the mission of Antelias dedicated to the church, our nation and our homeland." Highlighting the Catholicosate's mission, he said that Antelias forms individuals, and enhances spiritual formation, and is also an expression of the will to build a homeland and a pioneer in the fight for justice. "Jubilees are nothing without man's readiness for devotion. The Catholicosate of Cilicia, with its brotherhood, seminary, dioceses and structure, flourished the lives of our church and nation during the last 75 years. One of the first victims of the Armenian Genocide, the Catholicosate of Cilicia prepared new manpower and formed spirits as a response to the inhumanness of the perpetrator and in place of the ruins and destruction," said His Holiness. The ambassador of Armenia to Iran, Iranian deputies, representatives of organizations and unions, as well as a large number of Iranian Armenians were present at the ceremony. 4) Iran and Armenia Agree to Build Power Stations on Arax River TEHRAN (Armenpress)--Iran and Armenia agreed on May 14 to build two power stations at the border of their two countries, IRNA reported. The decision was taken at the seventh meeting of the joint technical commission, and agreed to by Iran's Water and Energy Resources Company Ira deputy head for development projects Naser Ne'mati, and Armenian deputy minister of energy Karen Sarkisian. "Given the 40-km Iran-Armenia common border across the Arax river, the two sides decided to use the relevant hydroelectric potential," Ne'mati said. According to a report released by the Iran's Public Water and Energy Resources Company PR department, Ne'mati said that the first power station, with a production capacity of 130 MWs, will be established in Armenia by building an 18.3-km tunnel. "The second one with a capacity of 140 MWs will be constructed in Iran. A 17.5-km tunnel is required to be set up for the second power station," added the report. The preliminary studies on the first phase of the second project is currently underway. Five documents have already been signed and necessary talks on expediting the settlement of the current problems have been held. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2005 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets. --Boundary_(ID_KsdUyhdbK/5gncNUJC8BLg)--

AZG Armenian Daily #085, 12/05/2005
Interpol
‘CRIMINALS’ SEARCH REMAINS OUR PRIORITY’
Armenia became a full member of Interpol in 1993. The head of National
Central Bureau of Interpol (NCB), Vartan Yeghiazarian called a press
conference yesterday to present the works of the Bureau to journalists. He
complained that the mass media misinterprets the Bureau’s activities. “We
don’t have James Bonds, we do not investigate, we are simply contributing to
the work of investigative services of member states”, Mr. Yeghiazarian said.
Thanks to the operative actions of the Armenian Police, in 1998-2000
location of 976 criminals in Interpol member states was revealed, 769 of
which were detained and 265 extradited. In 2004, 431 people were under
investigation, 168 of which were discovered, 162 were detained. Today, there
are 265 criminals wanted. The website of the Interpol Armenian branch has
posted data of the 13 most important ones. From March of 2004, the NCB has
discovered 69 vehicles hijacked from abroad and 2 pieces of art from overall
36 in search were returned to their owners.
Mr. Yeghiazarian said that their organization is stressing the struggle
against terrorism, trafficking and drugs. “Though we are engaged in
investigation of all kinds of crimes, criminals’ search remains our
priority”, he emphasized. Though the local branch of Interpol exchanges
information with all 182 member states, relations with European countries
are more intensive. Mr. Yeghiazarian said that they face problems connected
with trafficking in Arab Unite Emirates (3 of 9 procurers were found and
extradited) and with numerous cases of prostitution in Turkey.
Mr. Yeghiazarian said that NCB will hold an important meeting in June where
they will discuss issues of connecting to I-24/7 new telephone system. The
new system will enable quick and high-quality connection with the general
secretariat and the member states.
By Gohar Gevorgian

Der Tagesspiegel
12 Mai 2005
Armenier – Bundestag will nicht von Völkermord sprechen
Berlin – Der Bundestag will in einer gemeinsamen Initiative aller
Fraktionen der Massaker vor 90 Jahren an den Armeniern gedenken,
dabei aber voraussichtlich den Begriff Völkermord vermeiden. Das
zeichnet sich ab, nachdem der Auswärtige Ausschuss sich am Mittwoch
erstmals mit einem Antrag der Union zum Thema befasste. Auch in ihm
wird das Wort Völkermord vermieden – auch aus Rücksicht auf die
Türkei, die sich durch die Debatten im deutschen Parlament ohnehin
provoziert sieht. Einzelne Abgeordnete, darunter Markus Meckel von
der SPD, wollen, dass der Begriff Völkermord auch im Beschlusstext
auftaucht, haben sich damit aber bisher nicht durchsetzen können.
Die Botschafterin Armeniens in Berlin, Karine Kazinian, appellierte
an die Abgeordneten des Bundestages, den Völkermord vor 90 Jahren
auch klar so zu benennen. Sie sagte dem Tagesspiegel: „Die
Abgeordneten wissen genauso gut wie ich, dass es ein Genozid war. Sie
sollten Herz und Verstand zusammennehmen und keine halben Schritte
machen – und die Dinge so benennen, wie sie waren.` Der türkische
Botschafter in Berlin, Ali Irtemcelik, hatte zuvor im Zusammenhang
mit dem Antrag der CDU/CSU vor „plumper Verleumdung der türkischen
Geschichte` gewarnt. Die Initiative im Bundestag „kann offensichtlich
keinem guten Zweck dienen`, schrieb Irtemcelik in einer harschen
Protestnote.Matthias Meisner

Hürriyetim
11 May 2005
Erdogan’s meeting with Bush set for June 8
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to the US for meetings with the
US administration has been set for June 8. PM Erdogan will depart Turkey on
June 7 and return on June 12, taking Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul along
with him. Gul will meet with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on June 8,
the same date Erodgan is to meet with US President George W. Bush.
Making his first visit to Washington from Ankara later this month will be
the Leader of the Turkish Parliament, Bulent Arinc. He has been invited by
Dennis Hastert, the leader of the House of Representatives, and will be
leave for the US on May 24.
Note:
TUSIAD-US
OCTOBER 13-22, 2000
“ARMENIAN RESOLUTION” WITHDRAWN
The speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives cancelled a vote on the
alleged Armenian genocide after President Bill Clinton sent a letter to him
warning of far-reaching repercussions should the measure be accepted. House
Speaker Dennis Hastert was persuaded by Clinton to take the voting of the
resolution off the agenda. “Because the president has raised grave national
security concerns, he has requested that the House not consider … the
Armenian Genocide Resolution,” Hastert said in a statement. Hastert’s
decision came hours after he received a letter from Clinton warning that
passage of the measure “at this time could have far-reaching negative
consequences for the United States.” At the top of U.S. concerns was the
current situation in the Middle East. “The president believes that passage
of this resolution may adversely impact the situation in the Middle East and
risk the lives of Americans,” Hastert said.

EU and Russia to sign cooperation pact
Mark Tran and agencies
,360 4,1480670,00.html
Tuesday May 10, 2005
The EU and Russia have moved closer to the creation of a single market
with an agreement covering the economy and external security, the
Russian foreign ministry said today. Agreement on a wide-ranging
treaty came a day after world leaders gathered in Moscow for an
elaborate parade to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the end of the
second world war.
The pact, which is due to be signed today, covers four key areas – the
economy; freedom, security and justice; external security; and
research, education and science – in which the EU and Russia promise
to speed up cooperation.
The agreement will be signed against a background of lingering
mistrust between the two powers, analysts said.”Many Russian leaders
now view the EUas a hostile power that is expanding into Russia’s
traditional sphere of influence,” according to a recent paper by
Charles Grant, the director of the Centre for European Research, a
London think tank.
“The EU, meanwhile, has become increasingly concerned about Russia’s
eroding democratic standards and weak regard for human rights.”
The EU, for example, criticised the Russian president, Vladimir Putin,
last November for interfering in the disputed Ukrainian election that
triggered the country’s “orange revolution”.
EU expansion eastwards to include a string of Baltic and east European
nations that were formerly part of the Soviet Union has also generated
tension. The accession to the EU of Latvia and Lithuania has sparked
resentment in Russia, which has accused the Baltic republics of
discriminating against Russian-speaking minorities. But the EU and
Russia have many reasons to improve relations. The EU is Moscow’s
largest trading partner with over half of Russia’s exports going to
the bloc, while Russia supplies the EU with around one fifth of its
oil and gas needs. Bilateral trade came to â=82¬97.3bn (£66.4bn) in
2004.
Until recently, European officials said they were far from a
partnership deal. On the eve of the signing ceremony, key disputes
remained but the EU insisted they would be ironed out in the months
ahead.
Russia’s demand for visa-free travel is one area of contention. The EU
will only agree to such a move if Moscow agrees to take back nationals
and others who have entered the EU illegally from Russia. The EU also
wants Russia to phase out Siberia overflight charges on western
European airlines.
The goal of the treaty is a single EU-Russian market with no barriers
to trade, combined with economic reforms and good economic governance
in Russia. Both parties are also seeking more cooperation on
investments, financial services, telecommunications, transport, energy
and the environment.
The EU is particularly interested in assisting Russia to end “frozen
conflicts” in the former Soviet region – Trans-Dniester in Moldova,
Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia, Nagorno-Karabakh in
Azerbaijan. It also wants to help Moscow address poverty and human
rights abuses in these areas, which the EUsees as sources of potential
instability.
The EU desire for better ties with Russia stems partly from its energy
needs. The natural gas monopoly Gazprom provides a quarter of
Europe’s gas, and the EU buys 85% of Russian oil exports.
Energy is expected to become an even bigger focus in negotiations
starting next month, when the UK – whose North Sea oil and gas fields
are dwindling – takes over the EU presidency.