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Barroso warns Russia on EU unity BBC European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has told Russia that any problems it has with an individual EU state are problems with the whole bloc. Speaking after an EU-Russian summit, Mr Barroso said the EU was based on principles of solidarity. The summit in the Volga city of Samara was overshadowed by Moscow's rows with countries including Estonia and Poland. Disputes between Moscow and Brussels have also arisen over the status of Kosovo, energy supplies and trade. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, expressed concern at the difficulties opposition activists were reporting in getting to the summit venue. Moscow police prevented former world chess champion Garry Kasparov and other opposition leaders from flying to Samara to attend a protest rally. Several foreign journalists were also reportedly prevented from travelling.An EU official attending the talks told the BBC the tension was palpable. Veto At the start of the talks, Mr Putin said: "We are ready to speak openly and honestly, without any taboos." Ms Merkel said: "We should first take definite steps to see how we can overcome when things don't run smoothly."
Initially the main summit issue was the security of Europe's energy supplies - much of which come from Russia. But the BBC's Richard Galpin, who was at the summit, says there were now sharp differences over the future status of Kosovo, on how to resolve a trade dispute with Poland and over Estonia's treatment of ethnic Russians. In a break with previous practice, no joint declaration was prepared. Nor would the two sides be able to begin delayed talks on a new strategic partnership agreement, because of a veto imposed by Poland, now supported by Lithuania. Human rights record The veto follows Russia's decision last year to block meat imports from Poland over apparent food safety issues. A major factor in the deterioration of relations has been Estonia's removal last month of a World War II monument to Red Army soldiers in central Tallinn. The event sparked unrest by ethnic Russians in Estonia, and a blockade of the Estonian embassy in Moscow. More recently, EU leaders have expressed alarm about Russian threats to veto a UN Security Council resolution proposing Kosovo's independence from Serbia. ---------------------------------------------------
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