On March 2 Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Ivanov held talks with the Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Laila Freivalds, who was in Russia on a working visit.

The ministers discussed a number of topical issues in the development of reciprocally beneficial Russian-Swedish cooperation, expressed satisfaction with the intensity of bilateral political dialogue and noted the positive dynamics in trade-and-economic ties, particularly with respect to their investment component.

The talks' focus was a thorough exchange of views on the prospects for deepening the strategic partnership between Russia and the EU and for its reaching a new qualitative level in keeping with the decisions of the St. Petersburg and Rome Summits. The Russian side emphasized the basic importance of real advance in establishing the common spaces in economy and trade, domestic and external security, freedom and justice, and science and culture, of cooperation in crisis settlement and adequate consideration for the Russian concerns related to the EU enlargement.

Ivanov expressed serious concern over the problem of fundamental rights of the Russian-speaking population of Latvia and Estonia, in particular, the continuing mass noncitizenship there, an infringement of the linguistic rights of compatriots that leads to social tension, and the policy of cutting Russian-language school education in Latvia. By admission of these countries into its membership, the EU assumes a considerable portion of responsibility for the humanitarian situation evolving there. Russia, he said, expects the laws of Latvia and Estonia to be brought into conformity with European standards in the domain of human and national minority rights by the full implementation of the appropriate recommendations of the UN, OSCE and PACE. The future of a unified, democratic Europe is incompatible with double standards.

In relation to the interest shown by the Swedish minister for the situation in Chechnya necessary explanations were given to her. Ivanov cited concrete facts bearing witness to the continuing process of the formation of democratic institutions of power in the republic and to the measures taken for economic and social reconstruction and the solution of the problems of the temporarily displaced persons there.

In examining topical international problems the consonance was noted of the Russian and Swedish approaches towards the need for ensuring the supremacy of international law and strengthening the central responsibility of the United Nations and its Security Council for the maintenance of peace and global stability.