Putin, EU likely to remain at odds

Disputes between Russia and the European Union are wide-ranging. Contentious topics will likely be under discussion at Friday's meeting in Brussels?between leaders of the two political powerhouses. ?

By Adrian Croft,?Reuters / December 20, 2012

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a news conference in Moscow Dec. 20.

Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP

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Russian President Vladimir Putin?and?European Union?leaders are likely to clash over issues ranging from?Syria?to trade, energy and human rights on Friday when Putin?holds his first talks in?Brussels?since his re-election as president in May.

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Relations between the 27-nation bloc and?Russia, its main external supplier of energy and a key trading partner, have been soured by rows over gas pipelines and brewing trade disputes over cars and pigs.

European leaders have taken issue with the jailing of members of punk band Pussy Riot, prosecutions of opposition figures and laws restricting protests and foreign-funded organisations since Putin?was re-elected.

EU foreign policy chief?Catherine Ashton?said in September such moves constituted "a trend that is of very serious concern to the?European Union".

Russian and EU officials expect no breakthroughs in Putin's talks with?European Commission?President Jose Manuel Barroso and?European Council?President?Herman Van Rompuy. Some commentators are surprised Putin?is bothering to make the trip.

"The last few EU-Russia?summits have achieved very little and for Putin?I think it is really a box-ticking exercise and I am almost surprised he is going at all," said?James Nixey, an expert on?Russia?at London's Chatham House think tank.

No meeting of minds is likely over?Syria?where?Russia?has been sharply at odds with Western powers over a conflict that has killed more than 40,000 people since an uprising against President?Bashar al-Assad?began in March 2011.

France?and other Western states have criticised?Russia?for vetoing three U.N. Security Council resolutions aimed at pressuring Assad.

Energy to top agenda?

Energy, long a source of conflict between?Brussels?and?Moscow, is set to dominate the?Brussels?talks.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/RsN2W3uE69c/Putin-EU-likely-to-remain-at-odds

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