European Union-Russia Summit

The two-day 23rd European Union-Russia Summit was recently held in Khabarovsk. At the end of the summit, the two sides failed to bridge differences as bickering over energy supplies continues. However, the Summit has raised two questions. First, how did they manage to hold it without more squabbles? Second, where do they go next?

Major Issues
The EU and Russia discussed ways out of the world economic crisis, energy security, a new structure of European security, and protectionism. The two sides also compared their approaches to major international problems — Iran, Afghanistan, West Asia and Pakistan. Everything seemed to be quite functional, although the discussion was not entirely smooth.

On the uphill road to the Khabarovsk Summit, the EU and Russia seemed to bury all vestiges of cooperation and partnership. Since last August, Moscow and Brussels have been divided by the Caucasian war, Georgia, and the recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. These events were followed by Russia’s gas transit crisis with Ukraine and the shutdown of gas supplies to Europe. Later, the EU signed an agreement with Kiev on refurbishing Ukraine’s gas pipelines without Russia’s participation. Russia took inexpiable offence as if this had come as a bolt from the blue.

The launch of the Eastern Partnership project in April was the last straw. Russia considers this project, and not without grounds, to be an attempt to create another cordon around Russian borders. The project involves Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, and Azerbaijan. These events were intertwined with spy extraditions, mutual accusations of protectionism, and scandals over kidnapped and returned children.

No Joint Communique
Brussels and Moscow did not plan to draft a final communique. Indeed, what results could have been expected after all this? Russia did not even manage to show “its grandeur” to the Europeans. EU top officials — European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, EU foreign policy envoy Javier Solana, and Czech President Vaclav Klaus (the Czech Republic now chairs the EU) — arrived in Khabarovsk without much hope.

At present, they are not even talking in real earnest about the need to sign a new agreement on partnership and cooperation to replace the one which expired in 2007 and has been regularly extended since then. The sides’ positions on the agreement continue to be different. Russia wants it to be general, whereas the EU insists on regulating everything to the minutest detail.

Hope for Next Summit
Nevertheless, it was clear even before the Khabarovsk Summit that Russia will not achieve its main goal there, which was to try and persuade Europe to sign a new agreement on energy security to replace the Energy Charter.

The summits are held regularly — in spring and summer in Russia, and in fall-winter in the country which chairs the EU. There is every indication that the next Summit will be even more of an ordeal than this one.