- Sputnik International
Russia
The latest news and stories from Russia. Stay tuned for updates and breaking news on defense, politics, economy and more.

Medvedev arrives in Far East for Russia-EU summit

© RIA Novosti . Alexey Danichev / Go to the mediabankMedvedev arrives in Far East for Russia-EU summit
Medvedev arrives in Far East for Russia-EU summit  - Sputnik International
Subscribe
President Dmitry Medvedev arrived in the Russian Far East city of Khabarovsk on Thursday for a Russia-EU summit set to focus on natural gas supplies and problems over relations with Georgia.

KHABAROVSK, May 21 (RIA Novosti) - President Dmitry Medvedev arrived in the Russian Far East city of Khabarovsk on Thursday for a Russia-EU summit set to focus on natural gas supplies and problems over relations with Georgia.

Participants will meet for an informal dinner in the evening, ahead of Friday's summit.

Presidential aide Sergei Prikhodko told reporters on Wednesday that Russian gas supplies to the EU via Ukraine in the wake of the January cutoff over a payment dispute would be high on the agenda.

Medvedev "will be interested in the EU's position, and plans for collective and individual action from our European partners, on the continuing threat to Europe resulting from our difficult relations with Ukraine in the gas sphere," he said.

"We want to convey our concerns over the continuing danger of the agreements reached with the Ukrainian prime minister being broken off," he said.

Earlier this week, Ukraine's president called the natural gas contracts signed with Russia earlier this year "unprofessional", and said they are likely to be reviewed in the near future, as Ukraine is unable to meet its obligations under the current terms.

The gas contracts are one of a range of issues standing between President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minsiter Yulia Tymoshenko.

Under the terms of the gas deal signed by Tymoshenko, Ukraine pays Russia European "market prices" for gas, but transit fees remain fixed. The president called the deal a "time bomb", warning that it will inevitably result in a buildup of debt to Russia's Gazprom, and a new dispute by the end of the year.

On the Georgia issue, Prikhodko said Russia would raise objections over some EU members' support for President Mikhail Saakashvili. Moscow has refused to negotiate with Saakashvili since Georgia's attack on South Ossetia last August, in which a large number of Russian citizens were killed.

"There are things we need to ask them: what will happen with this long-term, blind support for comrade Saakashvili? What do they think about this? All the more considering that the opposition movement in Georgia has clearly demonstrated the level of mistrust of his policies, both domestic and foreign," he said.

"Is the EU ready take responsibility for its foreign policy, or will it only ask us about Iran, and other problems? And on this issue, is Europe ready to apply the same standards to such inadmissible acts?"

He said that Russia does not want a confrontation with the EU, but serious discussions on the issue.

 

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала