MOSCOW, May 11 (RIA Novosti) - Brussels is setting ambitious goals to push the European Union into a leading position in the global economy, according to Chairman of the State Duma Committee for Foreign Affairs Konstantin Kosachev. He says the EU should be more interested in strengthening ties with Russia, which could ensure European economic growth, Izvestia, a daily, reported.

However, Kosachev said, Europe has not abandoned its competitive mentality, meaning it is still not ready for mutually beneficial cooperation, even though the EU is a global example of symbiosis.

This is not, he argues, because Russia could be a potential rival, but because of Russia's weakness, which the EU could use to its advantage without worrying about reciprocity.

In general, there is no "conflict of values" between Russia and the EU. The fact that Russia is not emulating the historical experience of other nations does not mean it is refusing to follow a similar path. However, the EU's recognition of Russia as a democratic state should not be for sale. Political tradeoffs, for example, Russia raising domestic prices on fuel-carriers if the EU ignores human rights violations and the lack of freedom of the press, are unacceptable, Kosachev said.

Moscow does not want the EU to ignore problems with democracy in the country because it doesn't want to hide those problems, it wants to solve them, meaning any constructive criticism is welcome, he said.

But, if criticism is used only as leverage in a deal, what Kosachev termed "moral and political concessions in exchange for material gains," then Russia is more likely to ignore external advice when solving internal problems, he said.