The events in Abkhazia and another aggravation of relations between Russia and Georgia have become a certain obstacle for talks about the new big EU-Russia partnership agreement. Two years were lost due to the veto put by Warsaw who fought against “sanitary” ban put on export of Polish meat and other agricultural products to Russia. Now everything being arranged with the Polish, it’s Lithuania who makes a refuse. Besides the old dissatisfaction with the sealing off the oil pipe from Russia to oil processing plant in Mazheikyay, it has attracted attention to the Russian policy towards Georgia. Last Thursday the Lithuanian ambassador in the EU blocked the recommendation to “lift the gate” for the talks.     

However, Brussels expects the mandate for talks to be arranged at the meeting of foreign ministers of the EU on Tuesday.  

“There is a consensus inside the EU that the talks must start as soon as possible about the new agreement replacing the previous one signed in 1994” said the EU representative for general foreign policy and safety issues Javier Solana to a Novaya Gazeta correspondent. “It’s clear that both the EU and Russia are interested in that. After Russia has withdrawn the ban on import of meat and other products from Poland, it remains to arrange a few practical questions. This being done at the moment, I m sure we shall be able to start the talks in the nearest future”.  

A high ranking representative of Slovenia chairing in the EU at the moment reported anonymously on Friday that the EU diplomats would try to have convinced Lithuania by Tuesday. However, the demarche by Vilnius must be noted, as it is practiced in the diplomatic service.   

“Not only Lithuania, but also all the EU countries are concerned with the state of ‘frozen conflicts’ including that in Georgia. We shall try to find a proper form for expressing our concern and getting the green light from Vilnius” stressed the Slovenian diplomat.   

The formal decision by the EU Council will not contain new requirements to Russia regarding settling the “frozen conflicts”. As for the talks about the fundamental agreement, this topic is going to be given much attention. The above mentioned official said all the EU countries are interested in prompt giving a mandate to Brussels for starting the talks in the end of June at the summit in Khanty-Mansiysk. The Europe needs this agreement as the legal basis for dealing with Moscow not only about energy issues – the biggest European concern – but also about “the near abroad”, human rights and many other matters.     

As for the recent events in Georgia, this topic will be formulated exactly like this on the agenda of the lunch of the EU Council and will be discussed on Tuesday.