The Hindu : "E.U.'s Russia policy ineffective"

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 25, 2004

International

International

"E.U.'s Russia policy ineffective"

By Batuk Gathani

BRUSSELS, FEB. 24. The European Union (E.U.) and Russia are confronting the dilemma of national identities, nearly a decade and half after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.

A leaked memo, to be circulated to the E.U.'s Council of Ministers, admits that the Union's strategy towards Russia "is ineffective". The more powerful and prosperous member states in the Union are engaged in a serious competition to `cultivate' Russia. The leaders of the four frontline states — Germany, France, Italy and Britain — have gone out of their way to establish close "bilateral rapport" with the Russian President, Vladimir Putin's administration in Moscow. This undermines the E.U.'s quest to evolve a joint strategy on Russia.

The six-page memo states "flawed management of relations (Euro-Russian) puts at risk progress on concrete issues of mutual interest".

In the list of European priorities, trade, investment and economic relations with Russia are rated much higher than those with emerging economic powers such as China, Brazil and India. The Europeans remain fascinated by Russia's huge natural and mineral resources, and above all, investment possibilities. Germany has a high trade and investment profile in Russia followed by France and Britain. Italy too is trying to catch up fast. Although the 15 member states have agreed on a "common strategy" on Russia, this has not been given a concrete shape.

Russia has been expressing doubts about accepting the permanent extension of the E.U.'s Partnership and Co-Operation Agreement (PCA). The Russian quandary is that the eight former communist ruled states that will join the E.U. on May 1, will be able to export to the country at a lower tariff level and sustaining the PCA would cost the country euro 300 million-trade loss. Although informally Russia has expressed its willingness to extend the PCA, European officials are not so sure. A Russian official was quoted as saying that Russia would demand `tougher' terms to sustain the PCA and this may trigger a crisis on both sides of the Euro-Russian trade front. The Russian establishment is annoyed by European politicians constantly harping on "human rights abuses" in Chechnya, where Islamist radicals are leading a secessionist campaign. Russian officials say their operations in the rebel province is a part of the global war on terrorism as the Chechnya rebels are known to have close links with the Al-Qaeda movement of Osama bin Laden. The Putin regime has developed a "healthy working relationship" with the Bush administration in the United States, but with the E.U., Moscow is often confronted with "areas of darkness" — as one Russian mediaperson put it. On its part, the E.U. has failed to evolve a "consensus approach" to Russia, mainly because the major member states are competing with one another to woo Russia on their own terms with high trade, investment and economic potentials at stake.

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