Results of Russia-EU summit in Brussels

The latest Russia-EU summit seems to be more successful than the previous gatherings that saw only reiteration of intentions of the sides to continue talks on the same range of issues like modernization of an old partnership and cooperation accord. This time a work plan of activities on priorities of modernization was approved and a memorandum of understanding was signed stipulating conditions of Russia's accession to the WTO. Russia is expected not to raise export duties on timber, while the EU will withdraw all its objections to Russia's joining the WTO.

However it is hard not to feel deja vu: EU and Russian leaders already many times publicly declared on having overcome almost all difficulties and even signed memorandums that actually remained protocols of intentions. In fact this is testified to by the fact that Russia has not become a WTO member yet; as far as visas are concerned, it was again decided to start working out a concrete list of joint steps without achieving any feasible progress.

The fundamental problem is a deep-rooted distrust of partners of each other that over the past few years have decided to switch from cooperation on "general values" to interaction almost only on "general interests". To some extent Moscow's ability to make Brussels minimize criticism of Russia's domestic political situation and apply the principle of "political conditionality" at minimum can be considered an achievement of Russian diplomacy. Russia is indeed too large and important as a political and economic player for the EU to unilaterally apply its norms and values like it was in cases of Eastern European countries. But there is a reverse side of this process. Having excluded the value component from its relations with the EU and de facto having refused institutional convergence, it is very hard for Russia now to position itself as a reliable and close partner whose proposals on energy legislation, visas, investment programs, a new European security treaty and others deserve understanding and support.

By Stanislav Mitrakhovich, NESF leading expert