Putin Event Marks A Date For EUAustralia …
- October 26th, 2007
- Posted by 7thmin
The convening of a summit in Portugal this month (26.10.07) among European leaders and the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, marks an anniversary for this news service – EUAustralia Online.
KEEPING WATCH ON PRESIDENT PUTIN
The online service commenced one year ago this month, with a report dated 13.10.06 on the summit at Lahti, in Finland, where Putin met the European Heads of Government; (EUAustralia Online: “EU to tackle Putin on gas flows”).
Then, as now, the security of energy supplies to Europe were high on the agenda; the EU side were anxious to impress that interruptions to the pipeline flow of gas or petroleum, which had occurred, in Winter, could not be tolerated.
Short interruptions did happen again, connected with disputes between Russia and its immediate neighbours, Belarus or Ukraine; but President Putin has issued repeated assurances that the supply is secure.
This time he was expected to divulge details of an “early warning” system to advise of any threat to the flow, in a timely way.
Other agenda items in October 2007 include human rights, with the European leaders under public pressure to demand restoration of full legal rights to citizens in Russia and relaxation of controls on the mass media.
Mr Putin will be under pressure also to agree to the extradition to England of a man accused of the poisoning murder of the Russian dissident there, Alexander Litvinenko, late last year; something he has already refused to do.
The two sides had been in deadlock over the renewal of the co-operation agreement between Russia and the EU, coming due, because of resistance from Poland – a blockage now expected to be cleared by the election of a new Polish government last Sunday.
Mr Putin is constitutionally bound to give up the Presidency next year, at the end of his second term, but he has said he plans to stay in a position of power, possibly as Prime Minister.
Along with the Russian President, this week’s summit, at Mafra, is being attended by executive members of the European Union headed by the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso; the EU High Representative Javier Solana, and the Portugese Prime Minister, Jose Socrates, as President of the European Council.
EUAUSTRALIA IS WATCHING
EUAustralia Online keeps watch on the main events, and all matters in Europe of interest to Australia.
In the last year it has ranged across international sports events of many kinds, developments in trade and industry, cultural happenings, six European summits including the 50th anniversary event at Berlin, several elections including the voting-in of a new President of France, decision-making over climate change, the 2007 NATO summit on Afghanistan, and 90th anniversary celebrations of the Battle of Passchendaele.
EUAustralia receives a warm response; site visits now exceed 8000 per calendar month; visitors stay for up to eight minutes, to peruse new batches of postings each time they arrive. This is posting #397.
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Reference:
European Council – Presidency, “José Sócrates convenes on 26 October, in Mafra, with Vladimir Putin, for the 20th EU/Russia summit”, 23.10.07. http://www.eu2007.pt/ (26.10.07)
Oana Lungescu, “Disputes set for EU-Russia summit”, Mafra, BBC, 25.10.07. www.bbc.com/ (26.10.07)