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| Photo: themoscowtimes.com |
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Despite declarations of strategic partnership and cooperation
at Tuesday's Russia-EU summit in Yekaterinburg, leaders of the two sides
demonstrated an apparently growing rift on a wide array of issues,
including civil liberties and ways to resolve the bloody civil war
in Syria.One of the main expected achievements of the meeting, a visa facilitation agreement, failed to materialize due to lingering disagreements, and while President Vladimir Putin emphasized the economic dimension of the Russia-EU relationship, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy focused on shared values and human rights.
"Fundamental human rights is an important, albeit difficult, dimension of our partnership," Van Rompuy said at a news conference following the talks.
