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EU-Russia summit amid thorny ties Ties tense for EU-Russia summit
(about 15 hours later)
EU leaders have arrived in Russia's Far East, where they will hold discussions on trade and energy, and try to rebuild the relationship with Russia. European Union and Russian leaders are due to begin talks near Russia's far eastern city of Khabarovsk on trade and energy issues.
Russia and the EU are each other's biggest trading partner, but political tensions remain high.Russia and the EU are each other's biggest trading partner, but political tensions remain high.
Russia recently accused the EU of creating new dividing lines in Europe by offering closer ties to six former Soviet republics. Moscow recently accused the 27-member bloc of creating new dividing lines in Europe by offering closer ties to six former Soviet republics.
And Russia's control of gas supplies to Europe remains a bone of contention.And Russia's control of gas supplies to Europe remains a bone of contention.
So no breakthroughs are therefore expected at the twice-yearly summit, this time being held in the city of Khabarovsk, says the BBC's Oana Lungescu. No-one expects any breakthroughs at the summit, the BBC's Richard Galpin in Moscow says.
European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso arrived at the city's airport at around 1900 local time (0800 GMT), shortly after foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Czech President Vaclav Klaus. He says that perhaps the biggest hope is for an agreement to resume negotiations on a new partnership deal which first began almost a year ago.
The Russian delegation is led by President Dmitry Medvedev. Growing concern
Little trust European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso, foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Czech President Vaclav Klaus are leading the EU team in Khabarovsk.
The choice of Khabarovsk has raised some eyebrows, our correspondent says. The Russian delegation is headed by President Dmitry Medvedev.
A 10-hour flight from Brussels, but just 30km from China, it gives EU leaders not only a chance to see just how vast Russia is, but also that Moscow has alternative partners in the Far East, she says. A year ago - when Mr Medvedev became Russia's new leader - there was hope that relations with the EU might gradually improve, our correspondent says.
EU officials say that in dealing with Moscow, there are no easy issues and little trust, she reports. Instead, he says, they have got steadily worse.
There is growing concern in Brussels about Russia's recent increase of customs duties on a wide range of European imports, including steel, starch and TV screens - despite its pledge to fight protectionism along with its G20 partners. Relations plummeted after last year's brief war between Russia and Georgia.
The EU is also speeding up efforts to find alternative energy supplies, after Russia turned off the gas to millions of Europeans last winter due to a price row with Ukraine. Since then there has been another gas dispute between Russia and Ukraine which led to gas supplies to many European countries being cut off for two weeks in mid-winter.
President Medvedev will push for a new energy charter and a new European security treaty, but neither idea is likely to get more than a polite reception from the EU, our correspondent says. There is also a growing battle over energy pipelines as the EU tries to find alternatives to its growing dependency on Russian gas.
There is also concern in the EU about Russia's recent increase of customs duties on a wide range of European imports, including steel, starch and TV screens - despite its pledge to fight protectionism along with its G20 partners.