Prime Minister Vladimir Putin met with Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende in Gdansk
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin met with Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende in Gdansk
Transcript of the beginning of the meeting:
Vladimir Putin: Mr Balkenende, I am glad to see you today. Russian-Dutch trade and economic relations are developing very successfully. Bilateral trade reached a record of $62 billion last year, and reinvestment reached $45 billion. Direct Dutch investment into the Russian economy stood at over $30 billion.
Our joint plan of action will expire soon, and it is high time to lay the foundations for our cooperation over the next several years.
Jan Peter Balkenende (as translated): Mr Putin, I am very glad to see you again today as I warmly recollect your visit to the Netherlands in 2005 and my visit to Moscow in 2007.
I am happy that our trade, economic and other contacts are making
progress and both countries are determined to develop them further. We
have launched many lucrative joint ventures-the Sakhalin and Yamal
projects, to name just a few.
Russian-Dutch relations are developing outside the economic sphere as
well. St Petersburg is a wonderful city. We are delighted to have its
oasis in Amsterdam now-a branch of the Hermitage Museum, which opened
in June. So, you can see that cultural relations are also making
progress.