Germany wants to bind Russia to EU [Considering revamp of the bloc's policy towards the east]

EUobserver.com ^ | 01.09.2006 | Honor Mahony

[wolf78]

Germany wants to bind Russia to EU

01.09.2006 - 09:41 CET | By Honor Mahony

Germany is considering a revamp of the bloc's policy towards the east with Berlin looking at how Russia can be "irreversibly" bound to the EU.

It wants to push the new policy when it takes over the presidency of the EU in January - the six-month stint at the helm of the bloc allows the country to promote particular themes.

"The goal must be to make the political, economic and cultural ties between the EU and Russia – its anchor in a wider Europe – irreversible", says a foreign ministry paper seen by German daily Handelsblatt.

The ministry paper also refers to the "window of opportunity" brought about by having a Finnish presidency followed by a German presidency as both countries want to foster contacts with Moscow.

"A complete European peace regime and the resolution of important security and political problems from the Balkans to the Middle East can only be attained with Russia and not without it," the paper says.

Germany's foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier is set to raise this idea when he meets his counterparts in Finland today for informal discussions.

[wolf78]

For those of you interested in European politics.

[FreedomNeocon]

Guess it comes down to your PoV on the Ruskies.

Are they a bunch of jerks because they are a hard luck case?

Do they want to me a responsible nation, but have to sell weapons to terrorists just because they have no other income?

Or has the cold war just matured into more than just a military exercise?

[pierrem15]

Wonder what the EU will do if Lithuania shuts the railroads going to Kaliningrad for 'repairs' because the Russians won't ship oil to Lithuania's oil company because it was sold to a Polish company instead of a Russian one.

[1rudeboy]

Bring pressure on the Lithuanians to cave, most likely.

[pierrem15]

Yup. They view all the eastern European countries essentially as colonies who should be grateful they were admitted to the EU at all, and who should defer to the 'better judgment' of their superiors in France and Germany (i.e., yield to their economic interests).

You would think the EU would inquire as to how a former German Chancellor wound up as a paid sock-puppet for the Kremlin. But I guess they would find such an inquiry raising uncomfortable questions about the perks of EU officials and their ties to the semi-publicly owned industries of Europe.

[Lukasz]

Well, I cannot say that I’m surprised that the main task of German presidency will be attracting Russia. German politicians overestimating their supposed influence on Russian establishment and in the same time seems to accept that Russia will be never or at least not in this century truly democratic. Characteristic thing in this policy is that Germany encourage Russia to trade only with themselves and never try to appeal to Russia (or support such initiatives pushed by others) through EU agenda to force them to respect contracts signed with its former satellites. Such attitude is clear sign for Russians that they are allowed to behave in this manner.

I want to point out that frozen conflicts in Trandsniestr, South Ossetia, Abkhazia or Karabah are not in the agenda as usual to not provoke/offend Russia.

[Michael81Dus]

I may remind you that Chancellor Merkel met with Russian oppositionals right after she met Putin in Moscow earlier this year. The Chancellor - unlike her predecessor - clearly addresses issues on human rights, not only with Russia, but also with China and, yes, the United States (Gitmo).

[Lukasz]

Putin know very well that such gestures are just for MSM and there is no deeper consequences of that. I simply have no idea how Germany can talk with Russia in the name of whole EU if cares only about bilateral relations.