2nd Session of Russian-Greek Working Group on Bilateral Relations

On Wednesday, Athens will host the second session of the Russian-Greek Working Group on interaction during Greece's chairmanship in the European Union.

The Greek part of the Working Group will be headed by Dimitrios Kondoumas, General Director of EU Affairs of Greece's foreign ministry, reported a source in the Greek embassy to Moscow. The Russian delegation will be headed by Russia's deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Chizhov.

The first session of the group, which was set up in accordance with an agreement reached between the foreign ministers of Russia and Greece, was held in Moscow on Nov. 29th. The sides discussed prospects for cooperation between Russia and the Greek chairmanship in the light of decisions made during the Nov.11, 2002 Russia-EU summit in Brussels.

The priority of Russian-Greek relations during the period of Greece's chairmanship is to realize the Brussels agreement on the problem of the Kaliningrad region /a Russian enclave on the Baltic Sea which will be cut off from the rest of Russia by the Schengen zone once Poland and Lithuania join the EU/.

During the second session, the sides are expected to exchange opinions on the main lines of long- and medium-term cooperation between Russia and the EU. By the middle of 2003, Greece will prepare a new medium-term strategy of the European Union in respect of Russia.

According to RIA Novosti's information, the session will precede an upcoming meeting of the EU Three at the level of foreign ministers. The meeting, which will be held in Athens, will also be attended by Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov.