EU akkoord over Russisch lidmaatschap aan de

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The EU today (21 May) agreed a deal which paves the way for Russia to join the WTO.

Meeting in Moscow for the twice-yearly summit EU representatives announced that a deal had been struck ending six years of negotiations.

Council President Bertie Ahern welcomed the deal as means of increasing prosperity in Russia and the EU.

"This EU-Russia WTO agreement is a giant step forward for open markets and trade liberalisation in Europe", he said in a statement.

Following a rocky period in EU-Russia relations both sides are keen to present themselves as partners and prove that the relationship can still work.

"The tone and the quality of our discussions today give me great confidence that EU-Russia relations are reaching a new level of trust", Mr Ahern said.

A row over enlargement marred relations in recent months, with Moscow refusing to sign a deal extending relations to the 10 new member states and the EU responding with the threat of sanctions.

Geopolitical goals achieved

With one of Russia's main geopolitical goals achieved the EU is now looking for a trade off.

"We would like Russia to ratify the Kyoto Protocol at the earliest opportunity. The EU underlined that the WTO negotiations have given greater clarity on energy pricing, and this should facilitate the ratification of the Protocol", Mr Ahern said.

President Putin's envoy to Europe Sergei Yastrzhembsky earlier this week told the EUobserver that progress on WTO membership could facilitate progress on Russian ratification of the Kyoto Protocol.

At the summit, Vladimir Putin also announced that Russia was moving towards ratifying border agreements with Latvia and Estonia.

Previously Moscow had been unwilling to budge on the issue, however a deal last month in which the EU tacitly promised to safeguard the rights of Russian speaking minorities in those countries appears to have been enough to produce some movement.