RUSSIA - FOR THE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION

摘要

In the ten years since the signing of the basic agreement between Russia and the EU, we have really done a great deal. This is particularly true in the political, economic and cultural areas. The proof of this is the constant increase in the number of contacts between our civil societies. Mr. Prime Minister referred to the development of economic ties. Despite all the disputes and the fact that we have different positions on some issues, I would draw your attention to the fact that between 2000 and 2007, the volume of our economic cooperation has increased, not by a few percentage points but almost by a factor of five! This is eloquent testimony to the value of the relations between Russia and the EU and the importance of Russia's partnership for the EU. As far as volume of economic relations is considered, Russia is the third most important trading partner for the EU, and the EU is the most important one for Russia. The volume of our trade is now 180 billion euros.