RIA NOVOSTI INTERVIEW WITH RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIAL SPOKESMAN ALEXANDER YAKOVENKO, AHEAD OF THE VISIT TO MOSCOW BY SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION JAVIER SOLANA

Question: It has been reported that Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union Javier Solana will be in Moscow on April 30. What do you expect from this visit?

Anwer: We hope that negotiations between Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union, High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) Javier Solana will give an impetus to Russia-EU political dialogue and interaction within the framework of the European Security and Defence Policy.

The parties will focus on the implementation of the decisions taken at the Russia-EU summits in Moscow and Brussels, filling with content of the next Russia-EU summit to be held in St. Petersburg on May 31, 2003, Russia-EU co-operation for fighting terrorism, the observance of human rights in the Baltic states, the results of the European Council in Athens, the New Neighbourhood EU initiative. A number of international problems: Iraq, Middle East, the Balkans, Afghanistan will also be discussed.

Q: How promising is, according to you, the EU-Russia co-operation in the issues of European security and fighting terrorism?

A: We link the prospects of boosting political dialogue with the EU to the need to achieve specific results, which implies joint initiatives aimed at the formation of a common European security area supposing a balanced and non-discriminatory system of interaction between all major European and Euro-Atlantic organisations and countries. In this context, we favour parallel development of dialogue with the EU and NATO. The logic of creation of a common European security area dictates the need of co-ordinating actions in the security and defence area. The security of the EU is inseparable from ours, and vice versa. Therefore, we aim at speeding up military-political co-operation with the European Union, considering it one of the priority directions. Moscow attentively follows the progress of the CFSP and the discussion in the EU Convent of ways to institutionalise the security component of European integration.

The appropriate practical filling of our co-operation in the fight against terrorism became even more relevant following the EU-Russia Brussels summit. It implies primarily the enhancement of joint international actions in this sphere and bringing to justice the culprits, plotters and sponsors of acts of terror.

It is crucial that agreements in the spheres of foreign policy, security and defence, the fight on terror should be based on pragmatism, consider either party's interests and be strictly observed.

Q: What is the progress of Russia-EU interaction related to the actual international problems?

A: The standpoints of Russia and the European Union on the basic international problems are close or coincide. Both Russia and the European Union are interested in looking for joint response to the new threats and challenges, in the settlement of crisis situations, especially bringing back the political settlement around Iraq under the UN aegis, peace settlement in the Middle East and in the Balkans. But we are concerned about the differences amongst the European countries on Iraq. As an EU strategic partner, Russia is interested in the strengthening of the European structures.

We are going to deepen our dialogue with the EU in international organisations, first of all, with the UN and the OSCE.

We are promoting the Russia-EU joint initiative for fighting the narcotic threat coming from Afghanistan with a view to its possible launch at the St Petersburg summit.