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Russia alarmed over new EU pact Russia alarmed over new EU pact
(about 1 hour later)
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned the European Union not to turn a proposed partnership with former Soviet countries against Russia. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has warned the European Union not to turn a proposed partnership with former Soviet countries against Moscow.
He was speaking at the end of a Russia-EU summit held against a background of deep divisions over security, trade and energy supplies. Mr Medvedev was speaking at the end of a Russia-EU summit held against a background of deep divisions over security, trade and energy supplies.
A BBC correspondent in Moscow says the biggest concern at the summit was over Russian gas supplies to Europe. He also signalled a new gas crisis may lie ahead, suggesting Ukraine lacks the money to pay for gas Russia provides.
Deliveries were halted in January due to Moscow's price dispute with Ukraine. A row over prices severely affected supplies to Europe in January.
Russia's war with Georgia last year was also high on the agenda of the summit in the Russian far eastern city of Khabarovsk. The BBC's Richard Galpin in Moscow says divisions between Russia and the European Union seem to be growing ever wider, and this latest summit, held in the far east of Russia, made that abundantly clear, with little sign of progress on any significant topic.
'Anti-Russian bent''Anti-Russian bent'
"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."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.
"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."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.
Moscow has accused the 27-member bloc of creating new dividing lines in Europe by offering closer ties to six former Soviet republics.Moscow has accused the 27-member bloc of creating new dividing lines in Europe by offering closer ties to six former Soviet republics.
The EU last week launched the plan to forge close political and economic ties with the six countries in exchange for democratic reforms. The Eastern Partnership Initiative aims to forge close political and economic ties in exchange for democratic reforms.
The Eastern Partnership Initiative is intended to bolster stability in the region, but without the prospect of eventual EU membership. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine have signed up to the initiative, which seeks to bolster stability in the region.
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine have signed up to the initiative. However it does not offer the prospect of eventual EU membership.
Worsening ties Divisive issue
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". On the divisive issue of energy supplies, President Medvedev raised questions about whether Ukraine can afford billions of dollars to top up its gas stocks.
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. "We have doubts about Ukraine's ability to pay," he said.
Instead, he says, they have got steadily worse. He also proposed that Moscow and the EU should help Ukraine get a loan for gas payments.
Relations plummeted after last year's brief war between Russia and Georgia. Ukraine has denied there is any problem.
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. Russia supplies more than a quarter of EU gas needs. Its decision to cut all gas to Ukraine - a vital transit country - meant that many EU member states also lost their supplies of gas for two weeks in January.
There is also a growing battle over energy pipelines as the EU tries to find alternatives to its growing dependency on Russian gas. Speaking in Khabarovsk, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso warned there should be no more disruptions to gas supplies from Russia.