Prodi, Chirac and Putin pledge research collaboration
Research cooperation figured on the agenda when the leaders of the European Commission, the European council and Russia met on 30 October. Jacques Chirac, in his capacity as President of the European Council, European Commission President Romano Prodi, and President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, (accompanied by Javier Solana, Secretary-General of the Council for the Common foreign and security policy) issued a joint declaration emphasising the importance which they place on research collaboration. 'We consider that priority must be given to the synergy between the research capabilities of Russia and the Union as the driving force behind economic and social development,' they said in the statement. The declaration welcomed the forthcoming signing of the EU-Russia co-operation agreement in the field of science and technology, and recognised the importance in pursuing the cooperation initiated between the Russian and European satellite navigation systems, GLONASS and GALILEO.