Interview: Russia 'advantaged' in negotiations over EU pact[fr][de] 

The EU diplomat said relations with Moscow are "still marked by lack of confidence" and attitudes are "somewhat tough", sometimes on the side of the EU or its member states but also in Russia. 

The summit, to be held in the city of Hanti-Mansiisk in Siberia on 26-27 June, is expected to give the green light to negotiations on a new bilateral treaty between the EU and Russia, replacing an outdated Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) dating from 1997. Speaking about future cooperation with his Russian counterpart, Ambassador Vladimir Chizhov, Landaburu expressed his hope that much would be possible on the basis of equality between people. 

Asked if equality is possible in a situation in which Moscow speaks with one voice while the Union speaks with 27, Landaburu answered: "From this point of view, [the Russians] have an advantage, beyond any doubt. To be frank, I would prefer to be at the place of Mr. Chizhov." 

Landaburu believes the Union's diversity and superiority in economic terms carries weight as well as the size of its population, insisting that he does not feel to be in a position of inferiority whatsoever. 

Landaburu admitted that the declaration of independence by Kosovo and its subsequent recognition by a majority of EU countries had negatively affected the climate of the Union's relations with Moscow. He said Russia did not accept the EU's arguments about the specific nature of the Kosovo case and thus the need for "specific treatment for this territory". But he spoke positively about the fact that the Union and Russia are discussing the Kosovo issue within the framework of the structures of dialogue. 

The Commission official sees a different Russian approach with regard to Ukraine's EU and NATO ambitions. Russia protested vigorously against Kiev's ambition to upgrade its relations with the North Atlantic alliance over the Bucharest summit in April, but regarding Ukraine's EU membership ambitions, the attitude of Moscow is "not the same," he said. 

Landaburu does not believe new regional initiatives – on the Mediterranean, launched by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and on the Eastern dimension, launched by Poland and Sweden – are undermining the Commission's policies with the EU's neighbours. "A policy can always be improved if it is good," he said, placing the new initiatives in the perspective of an improved European Neighborhood Policy. He also hinted that Sarkozy's initiative had already moved in the direction of the Commission's action.

To read the full interview in French, please click here.