"Many practical tasks on the Russia-EU rapprochement agenda may be tacked in Kaliningrad even today. We are sure on that point. The task, however, demands reciprocal political goodwill and at least minimum resources," emphasizes Mr. Yastrzhembsky.
Russia and the European Union had their latest summitry in The Hague, December last. Proceeding from its resolution, we can refer to an essential institutional basis emerging to blueprint and implement an all-round approach to regional problems with due account for all involved parties' interests, the statement goes on.
Russia regards its exclave as tool to promote its rapid rapprochement with the European Union. Russia's medium-term strategies concerning the EU define Kaliningrad as "tentative pilot area of Russian-European partnership", points out the presidential assistant.
"To establish several united environments-economic, foreign security, freedom, law and order, research, education and culture-is the most topical issue of bilateral contacts for now.
"We have made considerable progress for today to draft a strategic program of partnership in all those fields. The program is to be adopted at the nearest [Russia-EU] summit, Moscow, May 2005," adds Mr. Yastrzhembsky.
The roundtable has gathered in Vilnius more than fifty spokesmen of Russian and European government structures, and independent experts.
Their debates concern opportunities to use the "Kaliningrad factor" for promotion of Russia-EU economic integration, practical patterns to set up a united economic environment and get it going, and issues of the Kaliningrad Region's economic partnership with the neighboring European Union countries. Last but not least come blueprints to step up that partnership.
