· Compromise after France and Germany disagree
· Foreign investments must be secure, Russia told
Nicholas Watt in Lahti
Saturday October 21, 2006
Jacques Chirac and Angela Merkel clashed yesterday on how to deal with Vladimir Putin as European leaders tried to hammer out a common approach on the EU’s relations with Russia.
Hours before President Putin took centre stage at an EU summit in Lahti the leaders of France and Germany disagreed on the strength of a warning to Russia after gas supplies were cut last winter.
European divisions over Russia were highlighted when the French president told the Finland summit that the EU had no choice but to deal with Mr Putin. Mr Chirac said the EU needed to recognise the pressures on Mr Putin.
Mrs Merkel, who has recently faced criticism after Germany signed a favourable gas deal with Russia, told fellow leaders that Europe should have more confidence in its relations with Mr Putin. The German chancellor said Europe was in a strong position because Mr Putin needed EU consumers to buy Russian gas.
The differences between France and Germany, who usually adopt a common approach at EU summits, highlighted acute sensitivities as Europe tries to adopt a united position in relations with its giant neighbour.
European leaders are nervous about the supply of Russian gas as winter approaches after Moscow, which provides 25% of the EU’s gas and oil imports, cut off supplies to Ukraine in January, briefly reducing flows to the EU.
Fears that the EU would be divided down the middle – with former communist countries demanding strong criticism of Russia’s track record on human rights and the likes of Germany adopting a lighter touch – proved largely unfounded.
EU diplomats stressed that the Franco-German differences were largely of tone and that the leaders eventually hammered out a common approach. This centred on delivering a warning to Mr Putin that European investments in Russia – which Moscow needs if it is to develop its oil and gas industries – must be protected.
EU leaders have been alarmed by the Kremlin’s attempts to raise questions about energy contracts signed in the 1990s by the likes of Royal Dutch Shell and Total. Moscow has also banned foreign investors from taking a stake in the development of the Shtokman gas field.
Downing Street said that Russia would lose out if it blocked investment. “Foreign investment is not going to go into Russia if there are question marks about whether that investment is going to be treated in a fair and equitable way,” the prime minister’s official spokesman said.
The appearance by Mr Putin at last night’s dinner marked the highlight of the one day informal summit, which was designed to speed up agreement on a common EU energy policy and to draw up plans to redirect resources to hi-tech research and development.
European leaders, who are accused of pulling their punches in their dealings with Russia, said they would register their concerns over Moscow’s treatment of Georgia and on wider human rights.
José Manuel Barroso, the president of the European commission, said: “It is very important to have constructive relations with Russia. But it is also important to have a frank dialogue.”
This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
