EU resolves expansion problems with Russia

Five days before its historic eastward expansion, the European Union resolved lingering disputes with Russia about the EU absorbing former Soviet satellites and republics.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and EU officials signed an accord extending the EU-Russia partnership accord to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta, which join on May 1.

It removes final Russian misgivings about the EU embracing former allies.

Under the deal, the EU drops customs duties on cargo shipments between Russia and Kaliningrad, which becomes a Russian Baltic Sea enclave in the EU.

It also lowers trade tariffs, raises Russian steel quotas, eases the impact of anti-dumping duties and leaves intact existing contracts for the supply of nuclear materials with the new EU states.

The EU also pledged to guarantee language rights for Russian speakers in Estonia and Latvia in a joint declaration issued after Lavrov held talks with Brian Cowen, Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Minister Cowen was holding talks as Ireland holds the EU presidency, in Luxembourg.

“The EU and the Russian Federation welcome EU membership (for the newcomers) as a firm guarantee for the protection of human rights and the protection of persons belonging to minorities,” the declaration said.

Officials from both sides hailed the extension of the EU-Russia accord to the new EU members as an important stepping stone to ever closer relations.

The EU will now focus on a May 21 EU-Russia summit to launch closer co-operation in four key areas: economic matters, justice and home affairs, external security and education.