EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - An EU-Russia meeting designed to improve post-gas crisis ties went wrong on Friday (6 January), when European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso clashed with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin over human rights. A visibly angry Mr Putin during a press conference in Moscow censured the commission chief for having discussed "legal matters" with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in a bilateral meeting in his absence earlier the same day. Mr Barroso: the Moscow talks were intended to mend fences "We need to discuss the full range of problems - both in Russia and in Europe - in order to be able to solve them," Mr Putin said, accusing EU states of themselves mistreating Russian ethnic minorities, prisoners and migrants. "In [EU] public opinion there is some concern regarding some recent events that happened in Russia. Namely, the murder of some journalists and some rights activists," Mr Barroso replied in bullish tones. "Human rights and rule of law are much more important than diplomacy between two states."
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - An EU-Russia meeting designed to improve post-gas crisis ties went wrong on Friday (6 January), when European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso clashed with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin over human rights.
A visibly angry Mr Putin during a press conference in Moscow censured the commission chief for having discussed "legal matters" with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in a bilateral meeting in his absence earlier the same day.
Mr Barroso: the Moscow talks were intended to mend fences
"We need to discuss the full range of problems - both in Russia and in Europe - in order to be able to solve them," Mr Putin said, accusing EU states of themselves mistreating Russian ethnic minorities, prisoners and migrants.
"In [EU] public opinion there is some concern regarding some recent events that happened in Russia. Namely, the murder of some journalists and some rights activists," Mr Barroso replied in bullish tones. "Human rights and rule of law are much more important than diplomacy between two states."
What did he think he was trying to achieve ? Seriously was he drunk ? you can behave like a prick in front of tin pot potentates, but pissing off the the guy who has his hand on your gas-tap in the name of "improving" relations is pretty dumb. keep to the Fen Causeway
But pray, remind me, is it the individual or cumulative benefits of America's hand on the tap of irreplaceable HP and Apple computers, extraordinary rendition, Google and eBay, toxic tranch'd investments, Microsoft and Hollywood movies, the continuous blowback of her constant Geneva Protocol violations and a bloated NATO that you would miss? Never underestimate their intelligence, always underestimate their knowledge.
Frank Delaney ~ Ireland
We are dependent upon russia for a substantial portion of our energy, so a certain amount of public making nice is compulsory. Public dressing downs are the stuff of diplomatic nightmares and suggest a level of contempt and indifference that does not represent our actual trade relationship. keep to the Fen Causeway
