OREANDA-NEWS. On October 28, a meeting of the Russia-EU Permanent Partnership Council at the level of ministers of foreign affairs took place in St. Petersburg in accordance with the schedule of Russia-EU political dialogue, attended by Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation; Bernard Kouchner, Minister for Foreign Affairs of EU-presiding France; Javier Solana, European Union Council Secretary General and High Representative for the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy; Karel Swartzenberg, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, the EU-presiding country in the first half of 2009; and Eneko Landaburu, the CEC Director General of External Relations.

The sides discussed the evolution of Russia-EU relations, including the preparations for an upcoming Russia-EU summit in Nice on November 13-14.

Progress in cooperation within the framework of the Russia-EU roadmap for the common space of external security was examined comprehensively, with emphasis on the necessity of greater interaction with the EU in efforts to reduce the conflict zone in the world, particularly through cooperation in the field of crisis settlement and deeper coordination of actions by Russia and the European Union in international affairs. Special attention in the course of the meeting was paid to the theme of European security in the context of the proposal of the President of the Russian Federation to conclude a legally binding Treaty on European Security.

A thorough exchange of views took place on a number of pressing international problems, including Kosovo, Georgia, Iraq, Middle East settlement, the Iranian nuclear program, and the state of affairs in Afghanistan.