EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele said on February 5 that Russian pressure on the EU's eastern neighbors is unacceptable.
Fuele said Brussels expects Moscow not to interfere in Georgia and Moldova's efforts to sign Association Agreements with the European Union later this year.
Fuele briefed the European Parliament on last week's EU-Russia summit in Brussels.
He told EU lawmakers that Russian President Vladimir Putin during the meeting said that he had no problems with the Eastern Partnership in principle but that had raised a number of economic concerns which Fuele stated were “disputable.”
The commissioner also noted that Russia had failed to live up to human rights and trade commitments and pointed out that Moscow and its partners in the Customs Union were responsible for one-third of all protectionist measures introduced worldwide in 2013.
Russia put heavy pressure on Armenia as it flirted with closer ties to the European Union before Yerevan last year opted for cozier trade ties to Moscow.
Then Kyiv dropped negotiations on its Association Agreement with the European Union in the weeks ahead of a summit in Vilnius at which the Ukrainian side was widely expected to finalize the deal -- also under pressure from Russia, which subsequently pledged billions in aid.
Georgia and Moldova each initialed their Association Agreements at November's Lithuanian summit.
Fuele said Brussels expects Moscow not to interfere in Georgia and Moldova's efforts to sign Association Agreements with the European Union later this year.
Fuele briefed the European Parliament on last week's EU-Russia summit in Brussels.
He told EU lawmakers that Russian President Vladimir Putin during the meeting said that he had no problems with the Eastern Partnership in principle but that had raised a number of economic concerns which Fuele stated were “disputable.”
The commissioner also noted that Russia had failed to live up to human rights and trade commitments and pointed out that Moscow and its partners in the Customs Union were responsible for one-third of all protectionist measures introduced worldwide in 2013.
Russia put heavy pressure on Armenia as it flirted with closer ties to the European Union before Yerevan last year opted for cozier trade ties to Moscow.
Then Kyiv dropped negotiations on its Association Agreement with the European Union in the weeks ahead of a summit in Vilnius at which the Ukrainian side was widely expected to finalize the deal -- also under pressure from Russia, which subsequently pledged billions in aid.
Georgia and Moldova each initialed their Association Agreements at November's Lithuanian summit.
