November 24, 2006 - 15:03 AMT
Russia-EU Relations Cannot Be Reduced to Problem of 'Frozen' Conflicts
Relations between Russia and the European Union are not just about certain economic sectors or about certain political issues such the 'frozen' conflicts in the post-Soviet area, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Russkaya Mysl newspaper. "Our cooperation is far broader and concerns almost every area of our peoples' lives. We need to focus on new positive goals and constantly open up new avenues of cooperation for all Europeans, create new opportunities for their joint business and humanitarian initiatives and projects. It is my conviction that we need to talk about creating the legal foundation for long-term strategic partnership and cooperation. At the upcoming summit in Helsinki we will discuss a range of issues related to creating precisely this kind of legal foundation for our relations. Overall, we are committed to a businesslike and constructive dialogue on all areas of relations between Russia and the EU," Vladimir Putin said.