EU, Russian leaders meet to discuss energy security (1st Lead)

Feb 6, 2009, 10:25 GMT

Moscow - European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso began talks Friday in Moscow with Russian President Dimitry Medvedev with the focus on energy security issues in the wake of the damaging Russian-Ukrainian gas cutoff dispute last month.

The Interfax agency cited Medvedev as saying that an important issue is future energy security. In order to avoid new crises, an internationally-bidning energy charter was needed, he said/

Friday's summit was initially to be held last August, but was postponed because of Russia's war with Georgia - a conflict that further antagonized the EU's ties with Moscow.

But European diplomats emphasized the need to get relations with Moscow back on track ahead of the talks.

'It is urgent to get this relationship to work to our best advantage,' Barroso said in a statement from the commission late Thursday.

'The continuing financial and economic crisis as well as the new security and energy challenges we face underline our interdependence,' he said.

Barroso, accompanied by several EU commissioners on the fence- mending visit, was due later Friday to meet Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

The European Union said it would continue to back Russia's bid to join the World Trade Organisation, which it views as a rung on the ladder towards normalizing trade relations with its largest neighbour.

The EU is by far Russia's largest trading partner, whilst the bloc is dependent on Russia for over a quarter of its gas and oil supplies.

The talks will see Barroso and nine EU commissioners meet their Russian counterparts, including Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and President Dmitry Medvedev, a spokeswoman for the EU's delegation in Moscow said.

But despite the softer rhetoric on both sides a host of smaller trade issues crowd the schedule for meetings and observers are sceptical on the chances of any significant progress on reaching a new EU-Russia partnership pact.

Moscow and Brussels have been back and forth on a new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement to govern their relations for over two years now - allowing the old pact to expire last year.

Among the issues cluttering the agenda are more stringent visa regulations by Moscow and battles over tariffs levied by each side. Only this week, Moscow angered EU member states by imposing a toll on some foreign trucks.