EU and Russia urged to forge closer relations

A major conference of European and Russian politicians has called for closer bilateral relations and cooperation between the EU and Russia.

The gathering came after last week's annual EU-Russia summit and heard that Russia's formal accession to the WTO, finally approved last Friday in Geneva, has presented an opportunity to put the EU's relationship with Russia on a new footing.

Speakers at the international event claimed that Russia's membership was likely to bring benefits to all parties involved, including Russian consumers, Russian industry and other WTO member states, through increased competition and standardised regulation.

Such stability in Russia would help ensure a conducive framework for doing business, said Sven-Olav Carlsson, deputy head of Russia division with the European external action service.

He said, "Our partnership is already comprehensive, established and mature. We have achieved a lot but there is much more we can do, especially cooperation surrounding foreign policy and internal security.

"Russia is not only a strategic partner, it is a global partner and it is a neighbour. Russia's accession to the WTO is important to all her partners, especially the EU.

"But there is a feeling we must strengthen and further our relations."

Riccardo Migliori, vice president of the PA OSCE, said, "Putin's return to the presidency will bring stability and certainty and will help to address the economic and political disintegration in Europe.

"The European economy is going through a difficult period. And we understand that the European economy can't be separated from Russia. Putin has played his role in modern history by preventing a collapse of Russia and we hope, that he will play his role to stop a collapse of the eurozone."

Migliori said, "Europe and Russia are distant neighbours, as if Russia was in Europe but not part of it. Therefore the only option when it comes to developing relations with Russia is to reduce this gap, otherwise we shall relegate Europe to the footnote of history.

"We are pan-European in business, energy and culture, exemplified by Europe's dependency on Russian energy, but we are not at a political level. This must be the objective now.

"Unless we want to hand Russia over to China, we must seek something between closer ties and integration. Europe would like to have Russia as a close friend than a threat."

Anthony Salvia, director of the American Institute of Ukraine, also called for a "pan-European entente".

He said, "Under Putin, and his effective stewardship of the nation, the economy of Russia is growing, with the country seeing an increase in pensions, a reduction of poverty. There is an inherent importance of Russia to Europe. Without an expansive of cooperation with Russia there can be no European and US security."

The panel concluded that in light of the eurozone crisis the EU ‘needs to seek greater integration with Russia, its key neighbour and ally.'

Alexander Babakov, deputy speaker of the Russian state Duma, told the conference, "We welcome membership of the WTO as a positive step to improving bilateral relations, especially in the field of business, with our neighbours and global community.

"It has been the stated aim of the government to continue to seek closer ties and integration with CIS countries, the EU, and the world at large. I have no doubt that the newly elected President in 2012 will be committed to this cause yet further."

The conference, entitled 'relations between the EU and Russia - economic cooperation after the 2012 presidential election', was organised by a Russian think tank, the Institute of International Integration Studies and a Spanish media holding, Mediasiete.