Russian President Medvedev received support not only for reforms but also for Russia’s membership in the World Trade Organization during a meeting with European leaders, writes Deutsche Welle.
However, Brussels continues to reject Russian demands for visa abolition. After the summit, political observers note that the years of confrontation between the European Union and Russia are in the past, as the Russian president is no longer Vladimir Putin but Dmitry Medvedev. He has already announced multiple times not only reforms in the economy but also in Russian society itself. Now, only the results awaited by the European Union are still missing. Medvedev received praise from the two leading figures of the Union, Council President Herman van Rompuy and Commission President José Manuel Barroso. Van Rompuy believes that Russia is at a turning point. The goal of the Russian president to modernize the country’s economy and include society in that process is ‘an important development,’ said Rompuy, adding that the European Union wants to be a partner of Russia in modernization. Both the European Union and Russia have promised more intense cooperation, especially in times of crisis. However, at this milestone 25th summit, there were no tangible results. Russian hopes that the EU would abolish visas for citizens of the Russian Federation have not been fulfilled. Thus, Russians will still have to wait for visas to enter EU member states. (Deutsche Welle)
