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Learning English - Words in the News 10 November, 2008 - Published 14:23 GMT EU's new deal with Russia | ||||||||||||
Britain and Sweden have backed the resumption of talks between the European Union and Moscow on a new wide-ranging agreement, which were put on ice in September after Russia's war in Georgia. Oana Lungescu reports from Brussels: Ten weeks after the EU made clear its concern over Georgia by delaying talks on a new deal with Russia, most countries in the bloc seem ready to go back to the negotiating table. Britain and Sweden, two of Moscow's most vocal critics, argued this didn't amount to turning the page on the conflict in Georgia. The British foreign secretary David Miliband said the issues covered by the new agreement - including energy, trade and human rights - would be in the EU's interests as well as Russia's. MILIBAND: That's not the view of Lithuania, backed by Poland. They insist that Russia has failed to keep its commitments and shouldn't be rewarded. But under EU rules, they don't have a veto on talks that were simply postponed, not suspended. If the foreign ministers give a green light today, talks on the new agreement could resume in time for the EU-Russia summit in Nice later this week. For despite the shadow cast by the conflict in Georgia, Russia remains the EU's biggest energy supplier and its third largest trading partner, while the EU is the biggest investor in Russia. Oana Lungescu, BBC News, Brussels to go back to the negotiating table most vocal critics turning the page on to engage properly with going about it hard-headed the view of Lithuania a veto on give a green light the shadow cast |
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