March 31, 2007	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 11, 1428

BREMEN (Germany), March 30: The EU hopes to bring about an end to the Russian embargo on Polish meat and plant products before an EU-Russia summit on May 18, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Friday.

“We hope to be able to resolve this disagreement before the summit so that we can start negotiations on a partnership and cooperation agreement,” Steinmeier said as he arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in the German port city of Bremen.

Germany currently holds the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union.

Russia imposed an embargo on meat from EU member Poland in November 2005, alleging fraud in the implementation of safety standards by Polish authorities.

Poland, however, argues that Moscow is playing politics because of differences with the conservative government in Warsaw.—AFP