On 5 February Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier will leave together with EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana and EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner on a trip that will take them first to Moscow. Within the framework of the EU’s so-called Trio Presidency Portuguese Foreign Minister Luis Amado will also join them for the Moscow part of their trip.
The delegation will be received in Moscow by the Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, Sergei E. Lavrov. The purpose of the meeting is to take stock of the current state of EU-Russian relations and consider the priorities for the year ahead 2007. The main focus will be the implementation of the four so-called “Common Spaces”: the Common Economic Space, the Common Space of Freedom, Security and Justice, the Common Space of Cooperation in the Field of External Security and the Common Space on Research, Education and Culture. The objectives defined for the various sectors as well as the concrete measures for achieving them together constitute an important instrument for intensifying the EU-Russian partnership.
Another major focus of the meeting will be foreign policy. The European Union and Russia are key international actors committed to working together to address issues on the current international agenda. Kosovo, the Middle East and Iran are just some of the topics that will be discussed at the Moscow meeting.
On Tuesday, 6 February, the EU Troika will travel on to Kiev, where the European delegation will hold talks with acting Foreign Minister Volodymyr Ohrysko. Meetings are also scheduled with Ukraine President Victor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych.
