madam president it is good that the european union should strive to have the best possible relations with all its neighbours and indeed with all countries around the world
sometimes that can be difficult particularly i suppose when it comes to russia because it has a very chequered history
even since the fall of the iron curtain over twenty years ago its behaviour towards some countries particularly neighbours such as georgia certainly cannot be admired
obviously any negotiations with russia have to be underpinned by a recognition of the important values of respect for human rights and respect for neighbours
nevertheless they do offer a great opportunity for tackling global issues like climate change and also of course a great opportunity to develop both our economies
russia is a rising country and a developing country in terms of wealth
certainly if the fundamentals are right there are great opportunities both for the european union and for russia in the long term
