European Commission places great importance on trade and investment relations with Russia

BRUSSELS, March 3. /TASS/. The European Commission places great importance on trade and investment relations with Russia, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said on Tuesday after the meeting with the Russian Minister of Economic Development Alexey Ulyukayev. "I place great importance on our trade and investment relationship with Russia, and it is in our mutual interest to overcome the current difficulties," the European Trade Commissioner said. Cooperation between Russia and the European Union can be resumed only through the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, she said. The European Commission supports the resumption of trilateral talks on the EU-Ukraine association, EU Trade Commissioner said. "I therefore support the resumption of trilateral talks between the EU, Ukraine and Russia in order to achieve practical solutions to concerns raised by Russia with regard to the implementation of the DCFTA [EU-Ukraine Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area of the Association Agreement - TASS] between Ukraine and the EU," Malmstrom said. The European CC is ready to find ways to address Russia’s concerns in relation to the EU-Ukraine association agreement but without amendments in the text, she added. "We continue to stand ready to find ways to address the concerns expressed by Russia, within the flexibility provided by the EU-Ukraine DCFTA, which, however, will not be amended," the European Commissioner said. Read more