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Moscow expects no breakthrough in Russia-EU summit: diplomat

12 December 2011 18:48 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Russia did not expect the upcoming summit with the European Union (EU) to change the bilateral relationship dramatically, Russia’s permanent EU envoy Vladimir Chizhov said Monday, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Speaking during a tele-conference with Brussels, Chizhov acknowledged that, in recent months, talks between Russia and EU had been suspended because a new broad agreement between Moscow and EU could be signed only after Russia’s formal accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Dec. 16.

The official said Russia did not expect any favors from the WTO and EU but required equal treatment.

He complained the EU had been "politically reluctant" to ease its visa regime for Russian citizens, although Moscow, in his words, was ready to ease entry requirements for EU nationals.

The 28th Russia-EU summit has been scheduled for Dec. 14-15 in Brussels.

Chizhov said the summit would discuss Russia-EU bilateral ties, global affairs amid the second wave of the financial crisis, and current international politics, especially the situation in the Middle East, North Africa and Kosovo.