BELGIUM: Poland seen vetoing mandate for EU-Russia talks

Diplomats say Poland looks set to block EU efforts on Monday (November 13) to define the negotiating mandate for a new cooperation pact with Russia two weeks ahead of a summit between the bloc and Moscow. Talks on the pact are due to be launched at the talks on November 24 with President Vladimir Putin. But envoys said Poland would prevent EU foreign ministers from giving the European Commission on Monday a mandate to negotiate for the bloc. The European Union said on Friday (November 10) it hoped Poland will lift its objections to a new cooperation agreement with Russia that threaten to cloud the upcoming summit between the bloc and Moscow. Poland and Lithuania blocked, this week, the adoption of the 25-nation EU's common stance in negotiations on a wide-ranging agreement with Russia. Poland, the biggest of 10, mostly ex-communist countries that joined the EU in 2004, has seen its relations with Russia deteriorate in recent years, with Moscow banning imports on the majority of Polish foods. "We are of course fully aware of the difficulties that Poland has concerning the Russian ban on certain Polish meat and plant product exports and we sympathise with them. And the Commission is doing all it can and using all opportunities to try and help find a solution," EU Commission spokeswoman Emma Udwin said. Many Polish officials are also worried about the stability of energy supplies from Russia on which the country depends. They would like EU assurances that it will seek to prevent Moscow from a possible use of its energy for political pressure. Current EU president Finland said it was optimistic that a mandate for negotiations with Russia would be agreed at a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers on Monday. "While we would continue to press for ratification by Russia of the energy charter treaty we would in the mean time attempt to integrate into the new agreement as much as we can of the principles behind that agreement. And that is the position that has been taken by the Commission in the proposals it has made for negotiating directives that are currently before the council. So of course we hope that it will be possible for Poland to lift its reserves. The discussions are not yet over," Udwin said. EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson and Consumer Commissioner Markos Kyprianou had met Polish officials to discuss their concerns in recent weeks. The "partnership and cooperation agreement" with Russia is to replace an expiring pact with Russia and define relations in the areas such as energy, trade, investment and human rights. Poland would like Russia to sign an "energy charter" with the EU that would provide increased security of energy supplies and better access of investors in Russia's energy sector. Putin has rejected the charter, preferring to deal bilaterally with EU member states on energy issues. He has complained EU countries protect excessively their energy markets against Russian investment. Russia supplies 25 percent of the EU's energy and there are few alternative sources, causing concern among many politicians. U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney accused Russia this year of energy blackmail after Gazprom cut off supplies to Ukraine, also in a row over higher prices. Deliveries to Western Europe were briefly disrupted because the pipelines cut across Ukraine, jolting Western confidence in Russia's reliability as a supplier. State-owned Gazprom has threatened to cut gas supplies to Georgia unless it agrees to pay in 2007 to pay 230 US dollars per 1,000 cubic metres of gas instead of the 110 US dollars it pays now.

ITN Source | November 11, 2006

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