ON RUSSIA-EU COOPERATION COUNCIL MEETING

Unofficial translation from Russian

PRESS RELEASE

The sixth meeting of the Russia-EU Cooperation Council was held in Luxembourg on April 15 at foreign ministers' level to discuss a set of topical questions relating to cooperation between Russia and the European Union both in the political and in the economic fields.

The meeting's keynote was preparations for the Russia-European Union summit with the participation of the heads of state and government of all the EU countries in St. Petersburg on May 31, 2003.

Primary attention was devoted to reviewing the state of, and prospects for the deepening of the Russia-EU partnership and discussing steps to raise the efficiency in the functioning of cooperation mechanisms and structures. In this context the sides positively assessed the state of the political dialogue and the formation of cooperation mechanisms in the field of foreign policy and security. The development of a concept of the formation of a common European economic space, and the dialogue in the energy sector are successfully advancing.

The Russian side noted the necessity of the earliest solution of a number of trade-and-economic questions, which will contribute to further advance in the development of partner relations with the European Union. Among them - the practical consolidation of the EU recognition of the market status of the Russian economy and the accession of Russia to the WTO on nondiscriminatory terms.

A thorough discussion of the upcoming enlargement of the European Union and its consequences for the entire range of Russian relations with the EU and the countries now joining it took place.

The sides reaffirmed a mutual keen interest in developing coordination in the law enforcement field and strengthening the base for cooperation in the struggle against international terrorism. The ultimate aim here could be the formation of a common law enforcement space.

A discussion of a number of most important international problems also took place, including the situation around Iraq and in the Middle East as a whole, political settlement and economic reconstruction in Afghanistan, and the safeguarding of stability in the Balkans, on which the similarity of the approaches of Russia and the European Union was reaffirmed.

April 16, 2003