Kremlin slams new EU members ahead of Russia-EU summit

Moscow, May 16 (UNI) Russian President Vladimir Putin's special envoy for relations with the European Union (EU) Sergei Yastrzhembsky today slammed new EU members for their anti-Russian "complexes".

"In some of the EU countries, the ruling elites have failed to meet general European standards of political culture," M R Yastrzhembsky said at a press conference here, ahead of the Russia-EU summit in the Russian city of Samara on May 17-18.

''They are young elites who have come into politics recently and have brought complexes not only into local relations but also into politics as a whole," he said, adding there was a need to '' reverse this negative trend." Mr Yastrzhembsky, however, pointed out one cannot speak of all countries that are new members of the European Union as of a single, monolithic power that was '' building machinations to prevent a more extensive partnership between Russia and the European Union.'' He cited Latvia's desire to join the Nord Stream project to build a pipeline to carry Russian natural gas to Europe, and Bulgaria's participation in the Burgas-Alexandroupolis gas pipeline project, where Russia and Greece are the other participants.

He categorically said the new Russian-EU partnership agreement will not be signed in 2007.

"Negotiations have not yet even been launched. But we are not over-dramatizing the situation," Mr Yastrzhembsky said stressing "There will be no legal pause." He said the existing Russia-EU Partnership and Cooperation Agreement will be extended for one year after December 1, 2007.

The presidential special envoy expressed the confidence that Russia and the European Union had no other choice but to remain partners, and they will manage to resolve all of today's problems.

"The potential we have reached in relations with the EU is truly great. Doubtlessly, it is our best card in our relations, including during periods when problems emerge in this relationship," he noted.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after his talks with the visiting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday, denied any crisis in Russia-EU relations.

'' The crisis claimed by journalists is for the most part artificial,'' Mr Lavrov told reporters.

''The sooner the European Union coordinates internal affairs, the more efficient Russia-EU dialogue will be,'' he said.

He also said during the talks, Russia and the United States failed to minimize their disagreements over Kosovo.

UNI