(Reuters) - The European Union aims to start talks with Russia on a free trade agreement in 2007 after a decision at a November summit with President Vladimir Putin, Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said on Monday.
"Our aim is that in November, when we have this EU-Russia summit, to make a decision to start official negotiations ... and that negotiations would be done during 2007," he told a news conference to mark the start of Finland's EU presidency, reports Trend.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, speaking at the same news conference, reiterated that Russia joining the World Trade Organization was a prerequisite for any bilateral deal between Brussels and Moscow.
Barroso said it was too early to say what the content or timing of an EU trade pact with Russia would be, and the announcement seemed mainly aimed at giving Moscow an incentive to cooperate with Europe on energy, while pressing the United States to reach a bilateral deal with Russia on WTO entry.
He said the executive European Commission had approved a draft negotiating mandate for a new deal with Russia to succeed the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement due to expire at the end of this year.
Brussels is trying to persuade Putin to agree to ratify an Energy Charter treaty that would force Russia to open its oil and gas pipelines to third party traffic and allow greater competition in energy.
Moscow has repeatedly said it will not ratify the treaty, which would impinge on state-controlled gas giant Gazprom's monopoly of gas production and transit.
The United States and the EU both have issues they want Russia to settle before it can join the WTO.
Brussels wants Moscow to end bans on imports of meat from Poland and wine from Georgia and Moldova ostensibly on health grounds, and phase out fees for overflying Siberia soon.
Washington's concerns include giving U.S. firms a share of the giant Shtokman gas field project, diplomats say.