Russian gas deal: EU foreign ministers said they were confident of agreeing a new partnership deal with Russia to boost economic links and secure energy supplies in talks at the weekend.
At a meeting held just 10 miles from the Russia border with Finland, ministers signalled that negotiations on the deal should begin in November and be completed in 2007.
The proposed deal would cover a range of issues such as trade, human rights, democracy, immigration and energy. It would replace an existing partnership and co-operation agreement with Russia which is due to expire at the end of 2007.
"It seems quite clear we can finalise the [ negotiating] mandate - there were no substantial differences," said Finnish foreign minister Erkki Tuomioja, who is prioritising Europe's relations with Russia during Finland's six-month EU presidency.
Russian president Vladimir Putin will attend an EU leaders meeting in Finland next month and Finland will also host an EU-Russia summit in November to finalise the negotiating mandate.
Mr Putin's visit follows several months of tension between the EU and Russia over its role as an oil and gas supplier to EU states and concerns over its commitment to democratic principles, such as a free media and non-governmental organisations.
Several former communist states in central Europe, which are sceptical of Russia's intentions, are also urging a tough line during the negotiations.
Polish foreign minister Anna Fotyga said Warsaw was concerned about energy security. "We are too much dependent on one source of energy, on one direction of energy," she said.
Cyril Svoboda, foreign minister of the Czech Republic, called the mandate "more or less" acceptable, but urged a "very strong and tough" negotiating stance. In particular, the EU wants Russia to give a long-term commitment to supply gas to the union.
This year its supply to the EU was cut off temporarily during a dispute with Ukraine, which hosts crucial gas pipelines linking Russia to Europe. The cut in supplies caused gas shortages in several EU states.
"Russia is a strategic partner. Russia is a very important neighbour, and Russia is sometimes also an ally," said EU external relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner. "But it is also a more and more assertive player on the world stage, so we have to get this relationship right," she said. "What we want is a relationship based on reciprocity and on the same principles and rules."
Russia's role in the Middle East peace talks and ongoing disputes in Georgia, Moldova and Azerbaijan were also discussed by ministers at the meeting.
The venue of the two-day meeting, the small town of Lappeenranta was deliberately chosen because of its close proximity to Russia, just 16 kilometres from the Finnish-Russian border.