The EU seeks to issue a mandate to the European Commission for talks on a treaty governing trade and political cooperation with Russia, to replace the Partnership and Cooperation agreement that expired in 2007. The talks were previously blocked by Poland over Moscow's embargo on Polish meat.
Poland signaled its readiness to lift its veto after the two countries resolved the meat dispute and took steps to improve relations under the new Polish government late last year. Russia resumed Polish meat imports in December 2007.
Lithuania, however, could block the EU's efforts to sign the treaty with Russia. The ex-Soviet Baltic state demands the talks address its concerns over Russian energy supplies and seek Moscow's commitment to resolve the "frozen" post-Soviet conflicts in Georgia and Moldova.
Russia, which supplies over a quarter of Europe's natural gas, is hoping for a simplified document, without binding obligations relating to its energy exports to the EU. It has repeatedly dismissed accusations of using energy as a political tool and insists it is a reliable supplier.
Russia's foreign minister was upbeat on Monday about chances for talks to be resumed soon, saying Russia and the EU could announce the resumption of work on the treaty at a summit in western Siberia in June.
"If what we expect happens, then, as our colleagues from the EU have been hinting, we could restart talks soon and make a corresponding announcement at a summit in Khanty-Mansiisk," Sergei Lavrov said.
Lavrov is to meet with Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, whose country holds the EU presidency, EU external relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner and foreign policy chief Javier Solana on Tuesday night after the summit.
