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The Russian delegation was headed by President Vladimir Putin and included Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Presidential Representative for Developing Relations with the European Union Sergei Yastrzhembsky, Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko and Presidential Aide Viktor Ivanov.

The European Union was represented by current President of the European Council and Prime Minister of the Netherlands Jan Peter Balkenende and President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Durao Barroso.

Two parties discussed current issues of bilateral cooperation in the political, economic, cultural, educational and ecological spheres, as well as prospects for creating four common spaces. They also exchanged views on relevant international problems, in particular the situation in the Middle East, Iraq, Iran, the Caucauses and the CIS.

Following the summit talks Vladimir Putin, Jose Manuel Barroso, Jan Peter Balkenende and Javier Solana made press statements and answered journalists' questions. At a press conference the Russian leader gave a comment on the current situation in Ukraine and called the conflicting parties for resolving all the disputes in accordance with the national constitution.

Mr Putin appealed to the international community not to push Ukraine towards mass unrest. The President said he firmly believed that it would be unacceptable to allow settling such disputes through unrest in the streets to become a normal part of international life. Disputes of this sort should be settled through constitutional means.

The Ukrainian presidential election does not depend on recognition from outside but is the affair of the Ukrainian people themselves, Mr Putin noted. Everyone realises that Ukraine is in the centre of Europe and will build normal and friendly relations with all its neighbours, the President said.