VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
Vladimir Putin's speech:
Ladies and gentlemen,
I'm very happy about our new meeting here, and I'd like to say that our communication has long become a positive tradition. Many here know that we meet regularly in a much calmer and more intimate atmosphere and without so many journalists. We have met many times at my home in Moscow to discuss current issues in the world economy and our relations.
I hope that today's meeting will also allow us to openly exchange opinions, speak about our prospects and discuss not only our achievements and plans for the future but also our problems. I'd like to start this meeting by noting the productive and longstanding activities of Mr Mangold in what we consider to be vital work, that is, in organising cooperation between the Russian and German economies. Mr Mangold is our great friend. He is stepping down from his position as chairman of the German Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations. Dear Klaus, I'd like to thank you very much both for our personal relationship over the years and for your constructive and comprehensive contribution to the development of our interstate ties in what is for us a major area – the economy. Many thanks!
I'd like to congratulate Mr Eckhard Cordes on his election to the position of the committee's new chairman. He also chairs the Management Board of METRO AG. As far as I know, its market value has risen sharply in the last few days, and I attribute this to your election as the committee's chairman. This is a good sign. I'd also like to congratulate you on your birthday, on your special occasion yesterday.
I'm pleased to note that tangible positive changes are taking place in our trade. From January to September of this year our trade increased 34.3% to reach $36 billion. Russian exports grew 45% and Russian imports of German products rose by a quarter. Importantly, our trade is completely balanced – each of our countries sold $18 billion worth of goods. Of course, we still have a long way to go to reach the pre-crisis level of $52.6 billion, but we are moving in the right direction and at a good pace.
I'm confident that we will match and surpass the pre-crisis level in the near future. We will be able to fully compensate for the losses and enhance the level and scale of our cooperation soon. Moreover, we can do this on an entirely new foundation.
In my speech at the forum I tried to map out the main directions for a Russian-German partnership in the post-crisis world. These revolve around extensive industrial and energy cooperation, including energy efficiency, closer cooperation in science, education and innovation, and finally, the more active involvement of small and medium-sized business in our joint projects.
Incidentally, a conference on assisting small and medium business is scheduled to take place in Moscow on December 8-9. The Russian and German economy ministers will attend this forum. I also hope to see our traditional partners in the Russian capital.
Thank you very much for your attention. Today we will have an opportunity to discuss all issues of mutual interest.
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Vladimir Putin's comments on Klaus Mangold's speech
As for your last point about us not being interested in a fence, and having an open economy, I'd like to quote a popular saying: "From your lips to God's ears." I hope that you will be heard at high levels. This is the first point. Now I'd like to say a few words about Russia's WTO accession efforts. We believe that we have come close to meeting every requirement for this. Moreover, I can tell you that, as our negotiators report, in practical terms we have agreed, at least with the European Union (EU), on every major issue. I hope that we will document this in the near future.
And, finally I'd like to comment on an issue that is worrying many people. I'm referring to our Customs Union, which is to be followed by the Common Economic Space (CES), and that will mean further integration with Belarus and Kazakhstan. I see here a lot of my acquaintances and even friends. And this is what I want to tell you: I think you should be grateful to us for our enormous and complicated work on coordinating the positions of our partners from Belarus and Kazakhstan. You must go to a shop without delay and buy us a bottle of schnapps, because the process of coordinating those positions, which are almost identical to WTO rules, was indeed complicated and exhausting. This means that our partners in Europe, primarily in Germany, will be able to work, in the near future, both in Belarus and in Kazakhstan by nearly common rules, rules that are very close to WTO requirements. If you study in detail what we are negotiating, you will see that there are practically no deviations from WTO rules. This is a very important indication that you will be able to expand your activities in this space. This is a very good job. I'm sure you will see this for yourselves very soon.
