http://au.news.yahoo.com/070419/2/136ar.html
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Friday April 20, 09:07 AM
<b>EU-Russia trust 'at post-Cold War low'</b>
The level of trust between the European Union and Russia has reached its lowest level since the collapse of communism, EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said in a speech prepared to be delivered on Friday.
Mandelson, a central figure in Russia's bid to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and in a row over <b>Moscow's ban on Polish meat imports</b>, urged both sides to take a long-term view.
"But relations between the EU and Russia are going through a difficult period," Mandelson said in the speech he is due to deliver at a conference on Russia in Bologna, Italy.
"Indeed, they contain <b>a level of misunderstanding or even mistrust we have not seen since the end of the Cold War."</b>
Mandelson said Russia and the EU suspected each other of double standards, including on the core issue of gas and oil supplies.
"Both believe the other is using the energy weapon as an instrument of politics," he said, adding EU countries too often gave Moscow mixed messages from Europe.
<b>EU countries have criticised Moscow for shutting off supplies of oil and gas during disputes with neighbouring customers like Ukraine. They fear Russia is using its vast energy resources as a political weapon.</b>
(Let's get this straight.
Who has the gas and oil? Russia.
Who desperately wants it? Europa.
Who then deserves to determine the asking price? Oooh, I don't know, could it be.... Russia? And to think that even I, who was dozing off during much of economics class, know the answer to <i>that</i> question.
See also bottom of post.)
<b>EU leaders have also expressed concerns about the unexplained murders of dissidents and journalists critical of the Kremlin and the recent heavy-handed behaviour of police during anti-government demonstrations in Russia.
"On the key issues - pluralism, rule of law, freedom of speech, economic freedoms - <i>I am sure that EU policies are correct</i> and that we should say so," Mandelson said.</b>
(I was wondering when they'd bring up 'big bad wolf Russia is awake again'. Failing to convince people that the country should have the right to determine prices for its own energy resources, the 'impartial' media has to resort to conjuring up that sinister image of Rossiya prepared earlier - 'unexplained murders of dissidents' and the other stuff - to gain our sympathy. Well, not mine.)
<b>He urged Russia to move towards the transparent rule of law and stem the state's growing influence over the economy.</b>
(Finally, they're hinting at what is actually bothering them.)
"Effective engagement is surely as much about understanding how you will be perceived as choosing what to say. <b>Unless we recognise our different perceptions of what has happened since the end of the Soviet Union we risk getting the EU-Russia relationship badly wrong," Mandelson said.</b>
(Here's what happened: Russia has finally started recovering after the devastations of war and communism, and is now asserting itself. Better get used to it.)
<b>Mandelson said the EU needed guarantees that Russia will not cut off oil and gas supplies, and both sides would benefit from rules for energy investments on both sides of the borders.</b>
(No. Russia gives discounts for friends, like it did to Ukraine before it broke off to join against Russia.
EU is desperate. Beggars can't be choosers. There are no guarantees. Be a <i>trustworthy</i> friend to Russia and I'm sure it will return the favour, like it still does to Belarus/Witrusland. Doesn't take a genius to figure that out.)
Russia also needed to diversify its economy to avoid being "trapped in the false strength of a petro-state" and its attempts to join the WTO was essential in that sense.
"Russia needs to be in the WTO and we have a duty to assist this which is why I am frustrated by our continuing bilateral disagreement on a number of issues," Mandelson said.
The EU is hoping to negotiate a new sweeping cooperation and trade pact with Russia but Poland is blocking the process due to Russia's 16-month ban on Polish meat imports.
Senior EU and Russian officials are due to meet on Saturday to seek a solution to the meat row.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Again: it's Russia's own energy resources. The country can do what it likes with it.
Russia was selling it to Ukraine for far far cheaper than its price for Europe. Then, when Ukraine aligned with Europe against Russia, Russia increased the price for Ukraine, bringing this on par/close to prices for Europe. Ukraine went crying to Europe. Europe made sure the media blazoned the news into my tv-set and bothered me <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif' /><!--endemo--> with it on late night BBC. BBC and local news went gaga over how '(1) Russia's energy prices have become unreasonable and (2) its neighbours like Ukraine fear the formerly totalitarian country is turning into a dictatorship once more.'
Note how those two are actually unrelated accusations, but the news makes it seem like (1) is but <i>a</i> consequence of (2) and that therefore Putin is 'evil' and 'must be' deposed and replaced. It's in the media's interest to tie the two together and in the west's interest that you believe it.
For goodness sake. If the news wants me to support the west in this, please *have a good reason*. Tell us that Russia stole the energy from Ukraine and now has the audacity to <i>sell</i> it back to Ukraine at a very high price. That would be a <i>total lie</i>, of course, but at least it will sound like Russia is behaving badly.
Else the whole thing merely reminds me of a primary school playground: the US-and-Europe clique stole Russia's friend Ukraine who has now turned against her old friend and is yet crying that it's no longer invited to Russia's birthday party. Get over it, pigtails.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Friday April 20, 09:07 AM
<b>EU-Russia trust 'at post-Cold War low'</b>
The level of trust between the European Union and Russia has reached its lowest level since the collapse of communism, EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said in a speech prepared to be delivered on Friday.
Mandelson, a central figure in Russia's bid to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and in a row over <b>Moscow's ban on Polish meat imports</b>, urged both sides to take a long-term view.
"But relations between the EU and Russia are going through a difficult period," Mandelson said in the speech he is due to deliver at a conference on Russia in Bologna, Italy.
"Indeed, they contain <b>a level of misunderstanding or even mistrust we have not seen since the end of the Cold War."</b>
Mandelson said Russia and the EU suspected each other of double standards, including on the core issue of gas and oil supplies.
"Both believe the other is using the energy weapon as an instrument of politics," he said, adding EU countries too often gave Moscow mixed messages from Europe.
<b>EU countries have criticised Moscow for shutting off supplies of oil and gas during disputes with neighbouring customers like Ukraine. They fear Russia is using its vast energy resources as a political weapon.</b>
(Let's get this straight.
Who has the gas and oil? Russia.
Who desperately wants it? Europa.
Who then deserves to determine the asking price? Oooh, I don't know, could it be.... Russia? And to think that even I, who was dozing off during much of economics class, know the answer to <i>that</i> question.
See also bottom of post.)
<b>EU leaders have also expressed concerns about the unexplained murders of dissidents and journalists critical of the Kremlin and the recent heavy-handed behaviour of police during anti-government demonstrations in Russia.
"On the key issues - pluralism, rule of law, freedom of speech, economic freedoms - <i>I am sure that EU policies are correct</i> and that we should say so," Mandelson said.</b>
(I was wondering when they'd bring up 'big bad wolf Russia is awake again'. Failing to convince people that the country should have the right to determine prices for its own energy resources, the 'impartial' media has to resort to conjuring up that sinister image of Rossiya prepared earlier - 'unexplained murders of dissidents' and the other stuff - to gain our sympathy. Well, not mine.)
<b>He urged Russia to move towards the transparent rule of law and stem the state's growing influence over the economy.</b>
(Finally, they're hinting at what is actually bothering them.)
"Effective engagement is surely as much about understanding how you will be perceived as choosing what to say. <b>Unless we recognise our different perceptions of what has happened since the end of the Soviet Union we risk getting the EU-Russia relationship badly wrong," Mandelson said.</b>
(Here's what happened: Russia has finally started recovering after the devastations of war and communism, and is now asserting itself. Better get used to it.)
<b>Mandelson said the EU needed guarantees that Russia will not cut off oil and gas supplies, and both sides would benefit from rules for energy investments on both sides of the borders.</b>
(No. Russia gives discounts for friends, like it did to Ukraine before it broke off to join against Russia.
EU is desperate. Beggars can't be choosers. There are no guarantees. Be a <i>trustworthy</i> friend to Russia and I'm sure it will return the favour, like it still does to Belarus/Witrusland. Doesn't take a genius to figure that out.)
Russia also needed to diversify its economy to avoid being "trapped in the false strength of a petro-state" and its attempts to join the WTO was essential in that sense.
"Russia needs to be in the WTO and we have a duty to assist this which is why I am frustrated by our continuing bilateral disagreement on a number of issues," Mandelson said.
The EU is hoping to negotiate a new sweeping cooperation and trade pact with Russia but Poland is blocking the process due to Russia's 16-month ban on Polish meat imports.
Senior EU and Russian officials are due to meet on Saturday to seek a solution to the meat row.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Again: it's Russia's own energy resources. The country can do what it likes with it.
Russia was selling it to Ukraine for far far cheaper than its price for Europe. Then, when Ukraine aligned with Europe against Russia, Russia increased the price for Ukraine, bringing this on par/close to prices for Europe. Ukraine went crying to Europe. Europe made sure the media blazoned the news into my tv-set and bothered me <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif' /><!--endemo--> with it on late night BBC. BBC and local news went gaga over how '(1) Russia's energy prices have become unreasonable and (2) its neighbours like Ukraine fear the formerly totalitarian country is turning into a dictatorship once more.'
Note how those two are actually unrelated accusations, but the news makes it seem like (1) is but <i>a</i> consequence of (2) and that therefore Putin is 'evil' and 'must be' deposed and replaced. It's in the media's interest to tie the two together and in the west's interest that you believe it.
For goodness sake. If the news wants me to support the west in this, please *have a good reason*. Tell us that Russia stole the energy from Ukraine and now has the audacity to <i>sell</i> it back to Ukraine at a very high price. That would be a <i>total lie</i>, of course, but at least it will sound like Russia is behaving badly.
Else the whole thing merely reminds me of a primary school playground: the US-and-Europe clique stole Russia's friend Ukraine who has now turned against her old friend and is yet crying that it's no longer invited to Russia's birthday party. Get over it, pigtails.