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Письмо директора Центра ЕС-Россия в издание Financial Times

Sir, Philip Stephens (“Europe daydreams its way to Japanese irrelevance”, September 10) was right in his analysis of the weakness of European foreign policy – a divided Europe is a weak Europe.

When EU president Herman Van Rompuy meets EU leaders on Thursday there is one simple proposal that could improve the situation. Member states should agree that each time they meet a strategic partner of the EU they will raise the common EU positions. This is already the case with some member states, for example Poland, but should become standard practice. Over time it would help ensure greater coherence and consistency if all leaders were singing from the same hymn sheet, which would be updated regularly by EU foreign ministers.

Dealing with Russia, for example, everyone would raise the importance of Russia joining the World Trade Organisation, resisting protectionist pressures, tackling corruption and implementing the rule of law. Leaders would seek Russian support for the EU’s policy on Iran and Afghanistan while rejecting any Russian claim to enjoy a special sphere of influence in eastern Europe.

Agreeing this practice now is all the more important in light of the imminent establishment of the external action service. The service will not change EU foreign policy overnight, but it will create a new dynamic that should enable the union to be a more effective player on the world stage.