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Putin to discuss key aspects of relations with EU in Brussels

23 February 2011 03:04 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will arrive in Brussels on a working visit on Wednesday, the government press service said, APA reports quoting RIA Novosti.
Putin is expected to discuss with his European partners a new Russia-EU partnership agreement and Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
During his two-day visit, the premier will hold talks with a dozen senior EU officials, including European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Council President Herman van Rompuy.
Russia’s EU envoy Vladimir Chizhov said Monday the discussion between Putin and his European partners could be possibly "unpleasant," adding that talks on the new partnership agreement will not be completed until Moscow gains membership of the 153-nation global trade body.
The previous Russia-EU agreement expired in late 2007, but was automatically extended. Further negotiations were stalled over disagreements with Poland and then Lithuania in 2007-08. The Russian-Georgian war in August 2008 led EU leaders to freeze talks, which were resumed in December that year.
The Russian government is still holding talks with 12 WTO countries on the supplies of meat products to the Russian market. Chief negotiator Maxim Medvedkov said earlier that talks could be completed in May-June 2011.
Another important issue for discussion on Wednesday will be energy cooperation between Russia and the European Union.
Alexei Miller, who heads Russia’s energy giant Gazprom, said on Monday Russia and the EU could sign a "road map" of natural gas supplies until 2050.
Miller also said Gazprom will seek "clarifications" over the EU’s ’third package’ aimed at liberalizing energy market, which will come into force in EU member states in March.
Gazprom, which supplies Europe with a quarter of its gas and also extracts and transports it, strongly opposes the package, saying it will deprive the gas transportation system of investment.