Bijeenkomst van de permanente partnerschapsraad (ppc) EU-Rusland (en)

The EU-Russia Permanent Partnership Council (Foreign Affairs) will meet in Saint Petersburg on 28 October 2008.

Relations between the EU and Russia are characterised by regular political dialogue covering all the major international current affairs issues such as Iran, the Middle East Peace Process, non-proliferation, terrorism, Kosovo and the frozen conflicts in the Community of Independent States.

The Permanent Partnership Council (PPC) on foreign affairs generally meets twice a year in troika format at ministerial level. The aim of this Council is to conduct dialogue and prepare the next EU-Russia Summit, particularly in the context of the Georgian crisis of August 2008 and the conclusions of the Extraordinary European Council meeting on 1 September and the European Council on 15 and 16 September.

In the margin of the EU-Russia Permanent Partnership Council on foreign affairs, there will be a ministerial meeting on the Northern Dimension between the EU, Russia, Norway and Iceland. It will be the first time that the four partners will meet in Russia at ministerial level since the launch of the renewed Northern Dimension in Helsinki in November 2006. This policy helps to strengthen regional cooperation among the 27 EU Member States, Russia, Norway and Iceland and to develop partnerships in areas of common interest. After the adoption of two partnerships, one on the environment and the other on public health and social welfare, the ministers may decide to launch a new partnership on transport and logistics.