Russian and European experts to discuss implications of EU expansion for Russia

High-ranking experts from Russia and the European Union will discuss implications of EU expansion for Russia at their meeting in Moscow on Monday, a spokesperson for the European Commission's office in Moscow announced.

The annual meeting of the Cooperation Committee will be held in the context of the 1994 EU-Russia Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.

"The agenda of the one-day meeting will focus on the upcoming expansion of the European Union and its impact on Russia. The participants are to discuss relevant legal and institutional issues, application of common customs tariffs, trade protection measures, as well as agreements on steel, aluminum, agriculture and nuclear materials," the spokesperson said. In addition, the parties will pay due attention to the issues pertaining to the Kaliningrad Region (Russia's enclave in the Baltics).

Other items on the agenda include such issues as establishment of a common economic environment, trade, investment, Russia's accession to the WTO, power industry development and environmental protection. The two parties will also discuss EU-Russia cooperation in law enforcement, science and engineering.

The meeting will be co-chaired by Deputy Economic Development and Trade Minister Maksim Medvedkov, on the Russian side, and Hugues Mingarelli, European Commission Director for Russia, on the EU side.