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Ties tense for EU-Russia summit Russia alarmed over new EU pact
(about 1 hour later)
European Union and Russian leaders are holding talks near Russia's far eastern city of Khabarovsk, discussing trade and energy issues. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned the European Union not to turn a proposed partnership with former Soviet countries against Russia.
Russia and the EU are each other's biggest trading partner, but political tensions remain high. He was speaking at the end of a Russia-EU summit held against a background of deep divisions over security, trade and energy supplies.
Moscow recently accused the 27-member bloc of creating new dividing lines in Europe by offering closer ties to six former Soviet republics. A BBC correspondent in Moscow says the biggest concern at the summit was over Russian gas supplies to Europe.
And Russia's control of gas supplies to Europe remains a bone of contention. Deliveries were halted in January due to Moscow's price dispute with Ukraine.
No-one expects any breakthroughs at the summit, the BBC's Richard Galpin in Moscow says. Russia's war with Georgia last year was also high on the agenda of the summit in the Russian far eastern city of Khabarovsk.
Perhaps the biggest hope is for an agreement to resume negotiations on a new partnership deal which first began almost a year ago, our correspondent says. 'Anti-Russian bent'
'Russia's greatness' "We would not want the Eastern Partnership to turn into partnership against Russia. There are various examples," Mr Mevedev told a news conference at the end of the summit.
European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso, foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Czech President Vaclav Klaus are leading the EU team in Khabarovsk. "I would simply not want this partnership to consolidate certain individual states, which are of an anti-Russian bent, with other European states," he said.
The Russian delegation is headed by President Dmitry Medvedev. Moscow has accused the 27-member bloc of creating new dividing lines in Europe by offering closer ties to six former Soviet republics.
"We need to come back to the financial and economic crisis, we need to talk about the state of affairs in the energy sector and a new security architecture," he said as the meeting opened. The EU last week launched the plan to forge close political and economic ties with the six countries in exchange for democratic reforms.
He said earlier that Khabarovsk - 6,000 km (3,700 miles) from Moscow but just 30 km from the Chinese border - had been chosen as the venue for the talks to allow the visitors to "appreciate Russia's greatness". The Eastern Partnership Initiative is intended to bolster stability in the region, but without the prospect of eventual EU membership.
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. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine have signed up to the initiative.
Worsening ties
President Medvedev said earlier that Khabarovsk - 6,000km (3,700 miles) from Moscow but just 30km from the Chinese border - had been chosen as the venue for the talks to allow the visitors to "appreciate Russia's greatness".
A year ago - when Mr Medvedev became Russia's new leader - there was hope that relations with the EU might gradually improve, the BBC's Richard Galpin in Moscow says.
Instead, he says, they have got steadily worse.Instead, he says, they have got steadily worse.
Relations plummeted after last year's brief war between Russia and Georgia.Relations plummeted after last year's brief war between Russia and Georgia.
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.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.
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 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.