16 сентября 2014 18:45

European Commissioner suggests cooperation with Customs Union

Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Fule ©REUTERS

Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Fule said that it was time for the EU to start negotiating a free trade agreement with the Customs Union of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus.

Tengrinews cites RIA Novosti report about the 11th Yalta European Strategy forum that took place in Kiev, Ukraine on 11-13 September. Petro Poroshenko opened the event, which gathered political figures from more than 20 countries to find solution to the difficult economic situation in Ukraine.

Commissioner Fule expressed his opinion that it was time to start negotiating a free trade agreement between the EU and the CU. He added that in addition to trade, other sectors, such as security, had to be put on the agenda.

“We need a consistent policy towards Russia. It is time to stop hiding behind slogans such as 'free economic zone from Lisbon to Vladivostok'. We should bring content to this notion. I believe we should increase the stake,” UNIAN quoted Fule as saying.

In his eyebrow-raising statement Fule repeated the phase “from Lisbon to Vladivostok” that Vladimir Putin said back in 2010, when he was Russian Prime Minister. On his official visit to Germany, Putin spoke about expanding economic ties between Russia and the EU.

This was years before the Ukrainian crisis started unfolding and long before the European leaders started imposing sanctions on Russia for its actions in Crimea and the east of Ukraine.

Ukraine Belarus Central Asia CIS cooperation crisis Customs Union EU Europe European Commission Kazakh Kazakhstan news Putin Russia trade agreement

TENGRI LIFE

TENGRI TRAVEL