No joint declaration at Russia-EU summit amid divisions

Moscow, May 18 (UNI) In a break with the previous practice Russia-EU summit at the Volzhsky Utyos resort in Samara city today ended with no joint declaration as deep differences over many issues remained.

The summit was overshadowed by Moscow's disputes with the three EU members - over a ban on Poland's meat, the removal of a Soviet-era war memorial from the centre of Estonian capital Tallinn, and Lithuania's demands that Russian oil supplies be resumed via the Druzhba pipeline.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a press conference that Russia was not dramatizing the delay in talks on a new cooperation agreement with the European Union, and believed the 27-nation bloc should first resolve its internal problems.

"The strengthening of the Russia-EU partnership's legal basis was a difficult issue. But we are not dramatizing the situation, and we are aware that before the talks begin the EU should resolve its internal problems," he said.

The current Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between Russia and the EU was signed in June 24, 1994 in Corfu, Greece. The document came into force on December 1, 1997 and expires this year.

Commenting on the new PCA prospects, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, said the EU was interested in starting talks on a new cooperation agreement despite a number of issues that hampered the negotiation process.

"We want negotiations on a new partnership and cooperation agreement to be resumed. and we have no doubts that this should happen," Ms Merkel said.

UNI