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EU, Russia summit seeks a new era under Medvedev

EU leaders will hold a summit today for the first time with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to launch talks on a new “strategic partnership,” including sensitive subjects like energy and Georgia.

Ahead of the first summit with the successor to former Russian president Vladimir Putin, during whose term there was a sharp deterioration in EU-Russia ties, the European Commission hoped to build “the foundation for a more constructive and forward-looking relationship.”

The EU’s executive arm said it was “encouraged” by the declarations of the new Russian leader, who took over last month.

“The signs are very positive, on modernization of the economy, reduced state control ... the importance of media freedom and the role of civil society,” the commission said.

However, Brussels mindful that Putin handpicked Medvedev needs “to find out how he intends to implement these policies.”

Moscow’s EU ambassador, Vladimir Chizhov, also spoke of “opening a new chapter in the relationship between Russia and the EU,” to be represented by commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa as EU president and foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

Though the strategic talks will be launched at the two-day summit in Siberia and start in earnest on July 4, no one is talking about a date to finish them.
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