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Lavrov: EU expands spheres of influence

The EU Eastern Partnership

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accuses the European Union of expanding its “sphere of influence” on post-Soviet territory and that the quest for hydrocarbons is the driving force.

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Talking at the Brussel Forum on Sunday, Minister Lavrov said the new Eastern Partnership is an attempt to “expand the union’s sphere of influence” towards the East.

“We are accused of having spheres of influence. But what is the Eastern Partnership, if not an attempt to extend the EU’s sphere of influence, including to Belarus,” the minister said on Saturday at the Brussels Forum, EUobserver.com reports.

Lavrov said Russia has special relations with eastern European countries because of “hundreds of years of common history” and Russia’s open labour market.

Sweden, the co-author of the Eastern Partnership project together with Poland, rejected Mr Lavrov’s position as “completely unacceptable”, EUobserver reports.

“The Eastern Partnership is not about spheres of influence. The difference is that these countries themselves opted to join,” Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt told the news site at the Brussels Forum.

The EU’s Eastern Partnership will offer new association agreements including deep and comprehensive free trade agreements with those countries willing and able to enter into a deeper engagement, gradual integration in the EU economy, the Europa.eu informs. It is also to help facilitate easier travel to the EU through gradual visa liberalisation, accompanied by measures to tackle illegal immigration.

In addition, the EU’s Eastern Partnership will promote democracy and good governance; strengthen energy security; promote sector reform and environment protection; encourage people to people contacts; support economic and social development; offer additional funding for projects to reduce socio-economic imbalances and increase stability.