German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer on Thursday delivered to Moscow fresh European Union concerns over human rights, democracy, and Chechnya

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer on Thursday delivered to Moscow fresh European Union concerns over human rights, democracy, and Chechnya as the bloc prepares to toughen policy towards its giant neighbour. Fischer met President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov two weeks before the foreign ministers of 25 current and future EU states are due to review relations with Russia. On Monday, the EU executive commission issued a statement calling for "policy coherence" over Russia. It emphasised the EU's long-standing concerns over democracy and human rights in Russia, which have been somewhat muted in the past few years. "We talked intensively about the situation in Chechnya," Fischer told a joint news conference with Ivanov. I have pointed out our concern over issues related to observing human rights, transparency and the development of democracy at home." The West has criticised Moscow for massive human rights violations in its military campaign against Chechen separatists. Monday's EU statement appeared aimed at establishing clarity after Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, as holder of the rotating EU presidency in November, praised Russia's Chechen policy in contradiction of executive Commission views. The West is also concerned about the future of democracy in Russia, where a pro-Putin party dominates parliament and all major television channels are under Kremlin control. Putin faces no real competition in presidential polls due in March. Ivanov appeared unruffled by Fischer's comments. "We believe, that if there are differences in positions, we should discuss them and look for mutually acceptable solutions rather than ignore them," he said. Divergences between EU and Russia also include Moscow's failure to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change and the need to extend the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), which governs its trade with the EU, to all 10 acceding states. Moscow has raised concerns that automatically extending the agreement to the 10 new countries joining the bloc, which are mostly former Moscow satellites, could harm its national interests.