Putin Urges EU to Prevent Negative Consequences from Expansion

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, June 01, 2003

Putin Urges EU to Prevent Negative Consequences from Expansion

Russian President Vladimir Putin urged here on Saturday the European Union (EU) to prevent negative consequences from its future expansion.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin urged here on Saturday the European Union (EU) to prevent negative consequences from its future expansion.

Addressing the Russia-EU summit, the first of its kind since the war on Iraq, Putin said "All of us should work to minimize the downsides linked to the future EU expansion. We realize that the threat exists."

"Maximum efforts must be made to take into consideration possible problems in the time remaining before May 2004," the president said.

While admitting that some lingering problems in relations between Russia and the EU have been becoming "more painful", Putin called for quick resolution to them.

The issues involve "the regime of trade in nuclear materials, anti-dumping and quota restrictions, mutual access to the markets of certain goods and services, groundless export subsidies in agriculture and the energy logjam," he said.

Putin also voiced skepticism over the Schengen accord, saying "ordinary Russians perceive the (arrangement) as a new Schengen wall".

Schengen rules require Russian citizens to gain visas to travel to most of Europe, and are of particular concern to Moscow with the upcoming expansion of the EU.

Putin proposed visa-free travel between Russia and the EU be worked out at the Russia-EU summit in Rome.

The Russian President also assured the participants that the process of political settlement in Chechnya has become irrevocable.

The Russia-EU summit came amid the celebrations marking St. Petersburg's 300th anniversary and was attended by 14 of the 15 current EU leaders and the leaders from 10 new EU membership hopefuls from central and eastern Europe.

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