02 December 2003 23:43
Putin calls free trade area chief goal of economic talks with EU
MOSCOW. Dec 2 (Interfax) - Setting up a free trade area is the chief goal in talks on new economic relations between
Russia and the European Union, President Vladimir Putin told a roundtable discussion between Russian and EU
industrialists in the Kremlin on Tuesday.
A free trade area must be supplemented with especially close cooperation in certain priority fields, such as energy,
transport, science, education, environmental protection and telecommunications, Putin said.
Success in these area could significantly improve the competitiveness of both Russia and the European Union on
international markets, he said. [RU EUROPE ASIA EMRG DIP EU TRD] ap tl <>
[CEIW] |
RUSSIA IN FACTS
