Interfax's Interview

Mr. Franco, how would you describe the current state of relations between the EU and Russia. Do not you think they experience some cooling?

 First of all, the reality of relations and terms of economic exchanges, investment, people exchanges, student mobility and cooperation in the field of research are becoming better every year. The thing is that we can be happy and proud that it is indeed happening in this manner. It is more complicated if you move to the level of political contacts and to the manner of our general relations. Over the last year the relations between the EU and Russia have changed. Russia has perhaps not always sufficiently cared about its image and has given the wrong kind of messages and has not presented itself adequately.

 I do think that it was the wrong presentation. It relates also to a number of facts and events that have happened. For each of the events there might be a good explanations why they happened or why they should not have deteriorated or would not have an impact on the image. Nevertheless the lists of these events do raise a bit of concern. We started the last year with the gas crisis in Ukraine, we ended the year with a gas crisis, and it did not happen, in Belarus. There was an oil crisis with Belarus that did happen. There was a number of high-profile killings, that have an important echo in the EU. The murder of [journalist Anna] Politkovskaya, and the murder of [former officer of Russian security services Alexander] Litvinenko, but there have been other murders and high-profile killings.

 There is a deterioration of relations between Russia and Georgia. In particular, measures taken by Russia against Georgia and against Georgians living in Russia are not an acceptable way of cooperation in a civilized state, so to speak.

 Secondly, explanations were not or were poorly given. They resonated in the EU, if you like, in an atmosphere of some kind suspicion of Russia […]hurt the image of Russia in the western press and in western public opinion over the last year. What happened also had an impact at the political level. I mean politicians make their own analysis. But politicians are also sensitive to the messages they get from their constituencies. Sometimes it is difficult to find the right tone and the right way of handling these problems.

 Our politicians […] do indeed recognize the merits of Russia finding its way to a stable market-oriented economy and have realized remarkable macroeconomic reforms in the last years and do recognize that the economic and, also people to people relations, with the EU have grown over the last years. They are able, I would say, to make balanced judgments between the wrong and what is going well. The negative influences stemmed from negative facts, from the bad presentation that appeared.

There is an opinion here, in Russia, that there is a third power, which is interested, in a negative image of Russia and organizes these assassinations.

 It is not up to me to form a judgment on who is guilty or not guilty. We have to wait for the investigation to be concluded. I am also talking about the way it has been presented, and I have to say that unfortunately the way the authorities handled the investigation into the murder of the journalist. And the first press conference after the event was not very helpful. The authorities stated that the journalist did more damage to Russia by dying than she did by writing articles. If you want an example of a wrong or a bad explanation, I think this is the perfect example.

Some political experts believe that the EU and Russia will have many energy problems this year. Could you comment on the statements?

 Perhaps, I am more optimistic that the EU and Russia will find a solution to the energy problem, because we are interdependent. The EU is dependant on Russian supplies of gas; Russia is dependant on the EU as a client for its gas. We have no interest in a war over this. Our interest is to sit around a table and find the necessary arrangements to ensure the supply of gas from Russia to EU and, I would say, to ensure conditions for increased investment and production and transportation of gas from Russia to the EU to cope with the increasing demand.

Will the EU continue to insist this year that Russia ratify the Transit protocol to the Energy Charter?

 In the past the Russian authorities have said that Russia, who is a signatory of the energy charter, will continue to abide by the principles underlying the energy charter. The best we can do is to build on this constructive declaration and to see together how we can […] develop a kind of arrangement in the area.

When do you think the ‘Polish meat’ crisis could be settled?

 I am confident that the problem will be solved in the very near future. Ensuring the quality of the meat and the quality of documentation and certification of meat is the responsibility of Polish authorities. The finding of overall principles underlying the free movement of goods on the European market and for exports is the responsibility of the European Community. Russia has now accepted to work together with Poland and the commission to solve the problem and we would expect that this will happen in Poland starting from the February 5. Russian veterinary officials are slated to visit Poland.

What issues will be discussed at a Russia-EU3 meeting on February 5 in Moscow?

The Troika will discuss mainly international issues. I do not have the agenda here with me, but it is the usual list of current conflicts and other conflicts as well. It appears certain that it will discuss the Middle East peace process, Iran […].

What is the current state of affairs in the ratification of visa relaxation and readmission agreements between Russia and the EU?

The ratification process is underway in the European parliament, as well as in the Duma. Discussions in the European Parliament on the two agreements have been serious. If I am not mistaken there is a plenary meeting planned for mid-February [February 14], where the European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner and European Commission Vice President Franco Frattini will be present to discuss the issue with Euro-parliamentarians.

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