European Union and Russian leaders meet at Lahti summit

Leaders of the European Union and Russia are meeting today, Friday, at an unofficial EU summit in the southern Finnish city of Lahti.
      Leaders of the EU countries will first have their own gathering. They will be joined at dinner by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was invited by Finland, the holder of the EU Presidency.
     
Finland plans to raise issues such as energy, as well as problems that Russia is having with democracy and human rights.
      Finland will be represented at the meeting by Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) and President Tarja Halonen.
      At the dinner, Vanhanen plans to voice the joint opinion of the EU on the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya and on the situation in Georgia.
      Also to speak on human rights will be European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.
     
The EU is not quite as unanimous on another key topic of the summit - energy cooperation with Russia. Prime Minister Vanhanen feels that discussions in Lahti could bring pressure on the EU to establish a more unified line.
      Relations between the EU and Russia have been strained by a charter on the energy market, which Russia has refused to ratify. Vanhanen does not expect Russia to join the charter, but he feels that the principles enshrined in it could be included in the new partnership agreement between Russia and the EU, which is to be negotiated next year.
     
The arrival of guests already on Thursday began to affect traffic in the afternoon. More delays on the Lahti motorway were expected Friday morning and afternoon, and later in the evening, when the guests and their motorcades start heading back toward Helsinki.
      Attending the summit will be 30 delegations, and each motorcade will have 3-10 cars as well as a varying number of police cars and motorcycles.
     
Traffic within Lahti will also be affected, and several demonstrations linked with the summit are also expected.
      Police had been informed of six planned demonstrations by Thursday. Two of them are expressions of opinion by one person, while two larger ones are expected to attract 200 people.

More on this subject:
 FRIDAY NIGHT: Lahti informal EU summit culminates in "frank and open exchange of ideas" with President Putin, mainly on energy questions

Previously in HS International Edition:
  Riot barriers set up as Lahti prepares to receive high-profile visitors (19.10.2006)
  Lahti EU summit will affect traffic even in the Helsinki area (18.10.2006)
  PM Vanhanen not worried about Putin´s participation in EU summit (17.10.2006)

Links:
  EU Presidency website: