(20 Oct 2006)
1. Wide of European Union leaders entering meeting room
2. French President, Jacques Chirac, entering meeting room
3. Chirac talking to Finnish Prime Minister, Matti Vanhanen
4. Chirac and Vanhanen talking
5. Wide of meeting room
6. European Commission President, Jose Manuel Barroso (orange tie)
7. Vanhanen talking to Swedish Prime Minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt (red tie)
8. Pan from media to Vanhanen and Chirac talking
9. Wide of meeting room
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10. Wide shot Vanhanen, Barosso and the EU's Foreign Policy Chief, Javier Solana, ( arriving at news conference
11. Wide shot news conference (from left Vanhanen, Barosso, Solana)
12. SOUNDBITE (English): Matti Vanhanen, Finnish Prime Minister
"We had unity today. On energy sources with Russia we aim to build a close and legally-binding partnership based on mutually balanced long-term benefits. It's in the Union's interest to persuade Russia to commit more strongly to the principles which have already been defined in the energy charter treaty and G8 declaration."
13. Wide shot news conference
14. SOUNDBITE (English): Jose Manuel Barosso, European Commission President
"Russia is a very important country. I believe it is in our interests and in the interests of our citizens to have a constructive relation with Russia. But in our constructive relation(ship) with Russia we also include very open, very frank dialogue, including on most sensitive issues, for instance human rights. And I'm sure that this evening we are going to express our concerns on all the issues of that kind that we have, that we know that are a matter of concern for our European citizens."
15. Cutaway news conference
16. SOUNDBITE (English): Matti Vanhanen, Finnish Prime Minster
"We are all deeply concerned at the security, humanitarian and human rights situation in Sudan Darfur. We are working hard to convince the government of Sudan that the UN operation is the only viable and realistic option for peacekeeping in Darfur."
17. Wide shot news conference
STORYLINE:
European Union (EU) leaders called on Friday for a "close and binding" agreement with Russia on gas and oil supplies, and demanded better commitment from Moscow to an international charter regulating the energy sector.
EU leaders at a one day EU Heads of State summit in Lahti spent Friday forging a common stance on energy - and how best to guarantee future sources of gas and oil - before they were to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The 25-nation EU already receives a quarter of its gas and oil from resource-rich Russia, but leaders have expressed concern about Moscow's reliability as an energy supplier.
Last winter, a dispute with Ukraine led Moscow to temporarily turn off the taps, disrupting natural gas supplies for several EU nations.
"We aim to build a closer, legally binding partnership based on mutually balanced long-term benefits," Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen told a news conference late in the afternoon.
He said EU leaders also agreed that Moscow must pledge its commitment to a treaty that regulates market-based rules, the opening of markets, non-discriminatory access to transit networks and reciprocity in two-way investments.
"It's in the union's interest to persuade Russia to commit more strongly to the principles which have already been defined in the energy charter treaty," Vanhanen said.
Vanhanen said the charter's principles must immediately be put into practice as the EU prepares to enter talks next year with Russia to replace a 10-year partnership agreement with Russia.
Relations with Russia have provoked divisions within the EU.
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