Russians, EU to seek new pact

Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev and top EU officials have announced the start of talks on a new strategic partnership agreement. The start of negotiations has been long delayed, amid strained ties under Medvedev's predecessor, Vladimir Putin. Russians, EU to seek new pact But, at a meeting with EU officials in the Siberian city of Khanty-Mansiysk, Medvedev said he was looking for a "new impulse" to relations with the EU. The talks will formally begin on 4 July in Brussels, he said. They will primarily focus on trade - Russia is the EU's third biggest trading partner and half of all Russian exports go to the EU. Objections lifted The new agreement is meant to replace the previous 10-year deal, which expired in 2007, but will continue to govern relations until the new text comes into force. Talks had been stalled since late 2006, when Warsaw objected to a Russian ban on meat imports from Poland. After that Lithuania held up progress, saying it wanted discussions on Russia's support for separatists in Georgia and Moldova. It dropped its objections in May, allowing talks to go ahead. EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said he was looking forward to a "productive and constructive summit" on Friday in Siberia. EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said initial impressions after a dinner with Medvedev on Thursday were positive. "We are now in a phase of retuning our relationship because there are new personalities," she said before the formal summit meeting. "We do see this - I think sincere - wish to work together in a much closer way." Energy focus Late on Thursday, Russia's ambassador to Brussels, Vladimir Chizhov, spoke of "opening a new chapter in the relationship between Russia and the EU". The host city is at the heart of Russia's oil boom and more than 4,000km (2,500 miles) from Brussels. Energy supplies are a key issue, with the EU getting about a quarter of its natural gas from Russia. The European Commission says it wants the new partnership agreement to establish "a level playing field for energy relations". Russia's previous gas rows with its former Soviet neighbors - especially Ukraine - have made Europe nervous, the BBC reports from Moscow. According to the Commission, the summit talks will also cover financial market stability, the rise of sovereign wealth funds, climate change, energy security and the current food crisis. Cloud overhead Previous talks were delayed for 18 months because of the vetoes imposed by Eastern European members of the EU bloc. The latest country to overshadow talks is Finland - a major Russian trading partner - which announced on Thursday that it was considering retaliation for Russian moves to increase export duties on raw timber. The country said Russia's measures - which it says are designed to bolster the country's paper-processing industry - would cost up to 16,000 jobs in Finland. Finland's prime minister is reported to have written to Barroso, saying that his country expected the matter of wood duties to be at the top of the summit's agenda.

Russians, EU to seek new pact

But, at a meeting with EU officials in the Siberian city of Khanty-Mansiysk, Medvedev said he was looking for a "new impulse" to relations with the EU.

The talks will formally begin on 4 July in Brussels, he said.

They will primarily focus on trade - Russia is the EU's third biggest trading partner and half of all Russian exports go to the EU.

Objections lifted

The new agreement is meant to replace the previous 10-year deal, which expired in 2007, but will continue to govern relations until the new text comes into force.

Talks had been stalled since late 2006, when Warsaw objected to a Russian ban on meat imports from Poland.

After that Lithuania held up progress, saying it wanted discussions on Russia's support for separatists in Georgia and Moldova.

It dropped its objections in May, allowing talks to go ahead.

EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said he was looking forward to a "productive and constructive summit" on Friday in Siberia.

EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said initial impressions after a dinner with Medvedev on Thursday were positive.

"We are now in a phase of retuning our relationship because there are new personalities," she said before the formal summit meeting.

"We do see this - I think sincere - wish to work together in a much closer way."

Energy focus

Late on Thursday, Russia's ambassador to Brussels, Vladimir Chizhov, spoke of "opening a new chapter in the relationship between Russia and the EU".

The host city is at the heart of Russia's oil boom and more than 4,000km (2,500 miles) from Brussels.

Energy supplies are a key issue, with the EU getting about a quarter of its natural gas from Russia.

The European Commission says it wants the new partnership agreement to establish "a level playing field for energy relations".

Russia's previous gas rows with its former Soviet neighbors - especially Ukraine - have made Europe nervous, the BBC reports from Moscow.

According to the Commission, the summit talks will also cover financial market stability, the rise of sovereign wealth funds, climate change, energy security and the current food crisis.

Cloud overhead

Previous talks were delayed for 18 months because of the vetoes imposed by Eastern European members of the EU bloc.

The latest country to overshadow talks is Finland - a major Russian trading partner - which announced on Thursday that it was considering retaliation for Russian moves to increase export duties on raw timber.

The country said Russia's measures - which it says are designed to bolster the country's paper-processing industry - would cost up to 16,000 jobs in Finland.

Finland's prime minister is reported to have written to Barroso, saying that his country expected the matter of wood duties to be at the top of the summit's agenda.