Roundup: EU, Russia Gear up for New Strategic Partnership

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, November 13, 2002

Roundup: EU, Russia Gear up for New Strategic Partnership

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Leaders of the European Union (EU)and Russia struck a last-minute compromise deal on the knotty issue of Kaliningrad in Brussels on Monday, removing the last major obstacle for the EU's imminent historic enlargement, and expanding the potential for a deepening strategic partnership.

The agreement, reached after "acute and constructive" talks as Russian President Vladimir Putin put it at a press conference, ensures the EU's 2004 schedule for the incorporation of 10 centraland eastern European countries stays on track.

The end of the Cold War provided a historic opportunity for thedevelopment of EU-Russian relations at political, economic and security levels. The increase in exchanges helped to reduce the intensity of hostility and promoted mutual trust.

The EU and Russia signed the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement in 1994 as a foundation for bilateral ties. With the establishment of the High-Level Group in 2001, relations entered anew phase.

Political trust guaranteed a big increase in economic cooperation. In the post-Cold War years, both parties adjusted their focus from security to economic development and achieved remarkable progress.

Over the past decade, bilateral trade volume rocketed to 75 billion euros (74 billion US dollars). Currently, the EU is Russia's largest trading partner and Russia is the EU's fifth largest. When the 10 candidate countries gain EU membership in 2004, Russiawill conduct most of its foreign trade with the EU.

For geopolitical reasons, EU-Russia trade will surely rise to new heights. At the one-day summit on Monday, EU and Russian leaders also signed an agreement on energy cooperation, opening anew chapter for their economic prosperity.

However, security cannot be ignored even when economic matters are stressed. In the eyes of the EU, Russia's participation in theoverall security of the European continent is indispensible. Meanwhile, Moscow has also been trying to enlist EU help in building its security landscape. They share the view that they should be united to offset the increasing unilateralism from across the Atlantic.

After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, both Brussels and Moscow realized terrorism was their common enemy and emphasized the need to cooperate in combating terrorism. In the joint statement after the summit meeting, the leaders reiterated their commitment to concerted efforts against terrorist acts by resorting to all meansat their disposal.

This enhanced cooperation, however, does not mean their cooperation is always as smooth as hoped for. There are also real and potential threats to their cooperation.

As a legacy of the Cold War, a lack of mutual trust still haunts both parties. The enlargement of the EU will further pressure Russia's traditional strategic space and Russia's huge nuclear arsenal has always been of grave concern to the EU.

Moreover, they have different views on the issue of Chechnya. The issue of Kaliningrad also has the potential to derail bilateral relations. It is one of a few issues grating on sensitive nerves in both Brussels and Moscow. But these potential obstacles can be removed if handled with care.

The overall relations between the EU and Russia are moving forward and will continue to do so because of their respective roles in the new world situation and their complementary economies.They know for sure that cooperation, instead of hostility, is the only way out for both of them.

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