BELGIUM: Russian anger at an EU visa regime and energy law block progress at talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and European Union leaders

Record ID: 861060

  • Title: BELGIUM: Russian anger at an EU visa regime and energy law block progress at talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and European Union leaders
  • Date: 21st December 2012
  • Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (DECEMBER 21, 2012) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF EUROPEAN COUNCIL CHRISTMAS TREE AND EU FLAG
  • Embargoed: 5th January 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Belgium
  • City:
  • Country: Belgium
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA5ZZO8J1GD4ARVQF9PNI7QWA4M
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: President Vladimir Putin and the head of the European Commission ended inconclusive summit talks on Friday (December 21) with an exchange between the visiting Russian leader and President Jose Manuel Barroso at the end of their news conference.
    Putin was on his first visit to Brussels since his re-election as president in May and on the agenda were Syria, a visa-free regime and trade disputes over energy.
    In his opening remarks, Putin complained about a lack of agreement on travel visas, saying Russia was being unfairly treated compared with other nations.

    "I have a long list of states here with me which have a visa-free regime with the European Union. You can see Venezuela, Guatemala, Honduras, Mauritius, Mexico, you name it, everyone is on the list, 40 states in total, that are located thousands of miles away from you, from Brussels," he said.
    Relations between the 27-nation bloc and Russia, its main external supplier of energy, have long been poisoned by rows over gas pipelines.
    At an early stage, it was clear Friday's summit -- the 30th in a long series of EU-Russia talks -- was unlikely to deliver progress on the core issue of energy.
    After arriving at the talks early on Friday, Putin referred to EU energy law, designed to liberalise the EU energy market, as "counterproductive".

    "To put it very mildly we are puzzled by the fact that this decision is given retroactive force which I think is counterproductive," Putin told EU leaders.
    Addressing a final news conference, Barroso delivered a long lecture to Putin, saying the European Union was "respecting all international agreements and also the principles and rule of law".
    But Putin summoned back the audience to make sure he had the last word.
    Referring to the Commission president as "my long-time friend", he said Barosso "took pains to explain his position- maybe because he felt he was wrong".
    Europe relies on Russia, which sits on the world's biggest gas reserves, to cover around a quarter of its natural gas needs.
    Over the last decade, a series of disputes between Moscow and its ex-Soviet neighbours -- Ukraine and Belarus -- have disrupted its gas exports.
    The disruption increased the EU's resolve to diversify supply away from Russia and liberalise the European market with law that seeks to ensure dominant suppliers, such as Russia's Gazprom, do not also control the distribution network.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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