German anger over leaked EU-Russia summit details

Germany has criticised other EU member states for leaking to the press details about the preparations of the EU-Russia summit in advance of the meeting, which took place on 18 May in the Russian city of Samara.

The German ambassador to the EU has upbraided colleagues about "extensive" media coverage of their nominally confidential discussions, claiming the reports painted "a very negative picture" of Coreper - the committee of member states’ ambassadors to the EU.

The German presidency of the EU was responsible for preparing the summit with discussions taking place at ambassador and foreign minister level.

At a meeting of EU ambassadors on 16 May, Germany’s permanent representative Wilhelm Schönfelder complained that details of the previous week’s acrimonious discussions had been leaked to the English-speaking and German press.

On 10 May, Schönfelder had angrily challenged Poland and Lithuania’s decision to veto talks with Russia on a new comprehensive political agreement.

The EU and Russia were unable at the summit to begin discussions on the accord or to agree a new system of charges for European flights over Siberia.

At a foreign ministers meeting on 14 May, Poland’s Anna Fotyga said she was "completely dissatisfied" with German preparations for the summit, while other member states accused Germany of not doing enough to ensure the summit would achieve at least some of its goals.

Schönfelder hit back, claiming that Germany did not deserve such criticism. He pointed to the decision of Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier to travel to Moscow just days before the summit, in a last-ditch attempt to reach a compromise with Russia.

But Germany is being attacked for allowing discussions among ambassadors and foreign ministers to become ill-tempered and is struggling to salvage the reputation of its presidency after the EU-Russia summit achieved few of its stated goals.

Efforts are now underway to convince Russia to end the ban on Polish agricultural products, which would allow Poland to lift its veto on negotiating a new agreement with Russia.

A meeting between the Russian Minister for Agriculture Alexei Gordeyev and European Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou is being planned. But Poland’s decision to lift its veto may not be enough to set talks on motion.

According to Rainer Lindner, a researcher at the Berlin-based Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, Germany’s new stance toward Russia contributed to ill feeling around the summit too. Lindner said that because of a sense that Russian President Vladimir Putin "is not interested in good relations, only Russia’s interests", Germany also opted for an "interests-led approach".

Another row, over Russia’s membership of the World Trade Organization (WTO), could also make restarting talks more difficult.

The EU has warned Russia that its membership of the WTO will be called into question if it does not fulfil promises to reduce export duties and dual pricing for international and domestic rail cargo.

Russian Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref said that the new agreement would have to come after Russia joined the world trade body.

Germany has criticised other EU member states for leaking to the press details about the preparations of the EU-Russia summit in advance of the meeting, which took place on 18 May in the Russian city of Samara.

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