EU, Russia Vow to Strengthen Ties

Sabina Castelfranco
Rome
06 Nov 2003, 19:27 UTC

Russian President Vladimir Putin and European Union leaders have vowed
to strengthen ties and work together for stability and security in Europe.

The summit went smoothly, and EU and Russian officials agreed on

strengthening dialogue and cooperation. They signed two joint declarations
in which the two sides said they will make greater efforts in political and
AP security matters.
Vladmir Putin (l) is
welcomed by EU
Commission President
The declarations also said that negotiations to bring Russia into the World
Romano Prodi Trade Organization could be completed successfully by the end of 2004.
They also confirmed the will to examine the conditions for visa-free travel.

Talks at the summit also focused on the consequences of EU enlargement for Russia. The meeting
was the last before eight of Moscow's former satellite countries join the European Union in May
2004.

The EU security policy chief, Javier Solana, said there will be 25 union members and a new
constitution when the next summit is held.

"Both things are going to give, without any doubt, an important push about the relation between the
European Union and the Russian Federation - more members, a new constitution, markets wider,
more wish to cooperate among ourselves," he said. "Therefore, the next summit will be even more
important than this one."

The Russian leader defended his country's actions in Chechnya, and blamed international terrorists
for the continuing violence there. He said those who criticize the Russian military in Chechnya have
a double standard of denouncing terrorists in some countries, but not in Chechnya.

Mr. Putin also rejected criticism that the Kremlin's treatment of the oil company Yukos and the
arrest of its former chief, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, was politically motivated. He said the fraud and
tax evasion charges against Mr. Khodorkovsky were "guided by the fact that we want to put our
house in order, to make everybody live according to the law and to combat corruption."

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who hosted the meeting as rotating president of the European
Union, said the discussions with Mr. Putin also included international terrorism, and both sides
agreed on the need to restore sovereignty to the Iraqi people as soon as possible.