President Vladimir Putin of Russia met with his French and German counterparts near the Baltic Sea port of Kaliningrad on Sunday for talks focusing on Moscow's often thorny relations with the European Union, Iran's nuclear program and other issues.
 
President Jacques Chirac of France and Chancellor Gerhard Schröder of Germany, who came to Kaliningrad at Putin's invitation to mark the 750th anniversary of the enclave's founding, told the Russian leader that the positive relations between Russia and the EU were vital for world stability and for the prosperity of Kaliningrad.
 
"The relationship between Russia and the European Union is essential for world equilibrium," Chirac told Putin.
 
Putin mentioned the recent turmoil in the EU following the French and Dutch rejection of the EU constitution about a month ago.
 
The leaders were also expected to discuss Iran's nuclear program, North Korea, the Middle East and other international issues.
 
Chirac and Schröder took part in celebrations marking the founding of Kaliningrad, which was a German city known as Königsberg until it was taken by Soviet troops in 1945.
 
Putin, Chirac and Schröder were to discuss Kaliningrad's special status, which has become a thorn in EU-Russia relations since the EU's expansion last year. Moscow has sought special rules for passenger and cargo transit across Lithuania to bridge the gap between Kaliningrad and the rest of Russia.