Bijeenkomst partnerschapsraad EU-Rusland in Brussel, 3 november 2006 (en)

The Permanent Partnership Council of the EU and Russia between Foreign Ministers will convene in Brussels on 3 November. Finland will be represented by Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja as EU President. Russia is represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The meeting will focus on the preparations for the EU-Russia Summit in Helsinki on 24 November. The ministers will also discuss international agenda, including Georgia, Moldova, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Iran, the Middle East and Kosovo.

The Quadripartite meeting between the EU and the Council of Europe will take place after the Permanent Partnership Council on Friday, 3 November, in Brussels. Foreign Minister Tuomioja will represent the EU Presidency and Foreign Minister Lavrov the Russian Chair of the Council of Europe. Cooperation between the EU and the Council of Europe will be on the agenda of the meeting, more particularly the strengthening of cooperation in the fields of human rights, democracy and rule of law.

In Brussels, Foreign Minister Tuomioja will also meet with Mehmet Ali Talat, the leader of the Turkish Cypriot Community, to discuss current issues related to Cyprus.

Further information: Counsellor Päivi Laine, Unit for Russia, tel. +358 9 1605 5616, First Secretary Jouni Laaksonen, Unit for Human Rights Policy, tel. +358 9 1605 5323, and First Secretary Johanna Birkstedt, Unit for Central and South-Eastern Europe, tel. +358 9 1605 6098