Russia, Eu For Serious, Mutually Beneficial Cooperation

Russia is ready for serious, practical and mutually beneficial cooperation with the European Union and its member-countries during Spain's chairmanship in this organisation, said Vasily Likhachev, the Russian Permanent Representative in the European Communities. The European Union is also in favour of strategic partnership with Russia. Russia-EU cooperation is extensive and politically precise. It implies the forecasting and planning of relations on the vital trends, such as common European economic space, the problems of the Kaliningrad region (Russia's western region, semi-enclave), trade issues and the support for Russia's joining the WTO. At the December 14-15 summit the EU leaders came out for regulating Russia-EU cooperation in combating terrorism and organised crime for the first time. "These decisions reflect the atmosphere of mutual understanding in the bilateral dialogue between Russia and the European Union and the sides' willingness to cooperate in the promotion of European and world relations," Likhachev said.