Russia-EU summit to focus on topical issues

Those taking part in the 13-th Russia-EU summit will discuss the establishment of common infrastructures, as well as efforts to introduce a visa-free regime, here today.

Talking to RIA Novosti, a Kremlin source noted that the next Russia-EU summit in the Hague (November 2004) was supposed to endorse four common infrastructures (i.e. economic, domestic-security, external-security and humanitarian).

The sides would be expected to endorse common infrastructure concepts, also drafting specific action plans, which are called road maps on a par with the Mideastern peace plan, the source added.

We hope everything will be ready by November, thus making it possible to facilitate the political endorsement of these infrastructures and road maps, the source added.

Talking to RIA Novosti, Alexander Yakovenko, who serves as the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokesman, noted that Moscow and Brussels agreed on specific principles for establishing common infrastructures.

Such infrastructures will be established on the basis of equality, mutually-advantageous partnership and consideration for each other's interests, Yakovenko went on to say.

The summit will mostly discuss each common infrastructure separately, with the concerned parties exchanging opinions on various jump-off positions and real-life opportunities for our subsequent movement. They will also single out various negative aspects, which hamper such movement. And, most importantly, they will impart a political impetus to the process of forming common infrastructures, the Foreign Ministry's spokesman stressed.

For his own part, a Kremlin source told RIA Novosti that the summit will define the format of specific operations, also appointing coordinators responsible for establishing each specific common infrastructure.

The sides will discuss subsequent and stage-by-stage efforts to introduce a visa-free regime between Russia and the EU, including prospects for concluding a special Russia-EU agreement, which would stipulate more lenient visa-issue regulations. This discussion will take place in the context of forging common Russia-EU infrastructures.

Moreover, the summit will continue to discuss the Kaliningrad issue. (The Kaliningrad region, which is Russia's Baltic enclave, was cut off from mainland Russia, after Poland and Lithuania joined the EU - Ed.) We'll have to negotiate a special agreement, which would regulate domestic Russian-freight transits between mainland Russia and Kaliningrad, the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokesman noted.

Those taking part in the summit will also discuss efforts to develop a high-speed and visa-free train, which would link Kaliningrad and mainland Russia, Kaliningrad-region power-supply issues, fishing-regime aspects and some other issues, he said in conclusion.