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EU support grows for Russia talks EU to end freeze on Russia talks
(about 6 hours later)
European Union foreign ministers are hoping to persuade Poland and Lithuania that the EU should resume partnership talks with Russia. European Union foreign ministers have decided to resume partnership talks with Russia, despite failing to reach unanimous agreement.
"We need and want to work with Russia," the British and Swedish governments said in a joint statement as EU foreign ministers met in Brussels on Monday. Lithuania, the former Soviet republic, remains unconvinced, saying the decision is a "mistake".
The EU suspended talks over Russia's military action in Georgia, but most members now want them to restart. The EU suspended talks over Russia's intervention in Georgia, and Lithuania argues it has still not fully met the terms of the truce and withdrawn.
However, Poland and Lithuania say Russia has not complied with a truce. But the 26 other EU members agreed it was time to re-engage with Moscow.
An EU-brokered ceasefire called on Russian and Georgian troops to return to positions held before the war in early August. "We have found a good way to proceed," said EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, after the foreign ministers met in Brussels.
However, Russia still has more troops in Georgia's breakaway South Ossetia region than it had before the conflict. "We think it is time to resume the talks."
'Pragmatic' move'Pragmatic' move
In their statement, Britain and Sweden agreed that Russia had not completely fulfilled the truce terms. It followed a statement by the British and Swedish governments - who have been among the sternest critics of Russia in the EU - saying: "We need and want to work with Russia."
The two countries, among the sternest critics of Russia in the EU, said a resumption of talks would not mean a return to "business as usual".The two countries, among the sternest critics of Russia in the EU, said a resumption of talks would not mean a return to "business as usual".
But, they said, negotiations were "a pragmatic way of pursuing our interests across a range of important issues, like energy, climate change and trade."But, they said, negotiations were "a pragmatic way of pursuing our interests across a range of important issues, like energy, climate change and trade."
A decision to resume talks could be announced as soon as Friday, at an EU-Russia summit in Nice. However, they agreed that Russia had not completely fulfilled the terms of an the EU-brokered ceasefire, which called on Russian and Georgian troops to return to positions held before the war in early August.
"I think there is a possibility," that the talks could resume soon, said the EU's foreign policy chief Javier Solana as he arrived for the talks in Brussels, adding: "I hope very much that will be the case." Russia still has more troops in Georgia's breakaway South Ossetia region than it had before the conflict.
Lithuania and Poland acknowledged that they could not veto the partnership talks, which will cover political, economic and trade relations. But the EU is understood to want their agreement. Lithuania maintained that the talks should remain frozen.
Both countries remain suspicious of Russia, not least since Russian President Dmitry Medvedev last week threatened to deploy missiles in its Kaliningrad enclave between the two countries. "We think this is a mistake. History will show who was right and who was not," Lithuanian Deputy Foreign Minister Zygimantas Pavilionis told the AFP news agency.
But Lithuania acknowledged that it could not veto the partnership talks, which will cover political, economic and trade relations.
Talks on the new agreement are now expected to resume some time after an EU-Russia summit in Nice on Friday.