Call for EU-Russia trading bloc
July 04, 2006
HELSINKI: European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso on Monday proposed the creation of a free-trade zone embracing the European Union (EU) and Russia once the country joins the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
“We propose to move towards a free trade area to be completed once Russia accedes to WTO,” Barroso said at a press conference in Helsinki. “The Commission has adopted a recommendation for a new agreement between EU and Russia set to replace the existing PCA (Partnership and Cooperation Accord),” Barroso added. The current agreement is due to end in 2007. “We are proposing member states to give us a mandate for negotiating with Russia,” Barroso said.
The EC president was speaking on an official visit to Helsinki with EU commissioners to mark the six-month rotating Finnish presidency of the bloc, which began on July 1. An EU-Russia summit is scheduled for November in Finland. Russian President has been invited to the EU heads of government meeting on October 20 in Lahti, 65 miles north east of Helsinki.
“We propose to move towards a free trade area to be completed once Russia accedes to WTO,” Barroso said at a press conference in Helsinki. “The Commission has adopted a recommendation for a new agreement between EU and Russia set to replace the existing PCA (Partnership and Cooperation Accord),” Barroso added. The current agreement is due to end in 2007. “We are proposing member states to give us a mandate for negotiating with Russia,” Barroso said.
The EC president was speaking on an official visit to Helsinki with EU commissioners to mark the six-month rotating Finnish presidency of the bloc, which began on July 1. An EU-Russia summit is scheduled for November in Finland. Russian President has been invited to the EU heads of government meeting on October 20 in Lahti, 65 miles north east of Helsinki.
