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Putin Envisions a Russia-EU Free Trade Zone
Spiegel ^ | 11/25/10

Posted on 11/25/2010 7:04:30 AM PST by DeaconBenjamin

No more tariffs. No more visas. Vastly more economic cooperation between Russia and the European Union. That's the vision presented by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

"We propose the creation of a harmonious economic community stretching from Lisbon to Vladivostok," Putin writes. "In the future, we could even consider a free trade zone or even more advanced forms of economic integration. The result would be a unified continental market with a capacity worth trillions of euros."

The proposal comes as Putin travels to Germany for a two-day visit. On Wednesday, Russia and the EU agreed to eliminate tariffs on raw materials such as wood. The deal was an important prerequisite for the EU dropping its opposition to Russian membership in the World Trade Organization. Moscow hopes to become a member in 2011.

Putin envisions more. "The current state of cooperation between Russia and the EU is not consistent with the challenges that we face. To transform the situation, we need to take advantage of the advantages which already exist and the possibilities for progress in the EU and Russia."

In addition to the establishment of closer economic ties between the EU and Russia, Putin also envisions close cooperation on industrial policy. "In my view, we need to address the question as to how we can trigger a new wave of industrialization across the European continent." In particular, Putin mentions ship, automobile and airplane construction, space technology, pharmaceuticals and medical technology and nuclear energy.

Putin proposes closer collaboration regarding energy. "In recent years, cooperation on energy issues between Russia and the EU has attracted much attention and, to be honest, has been much too politicized." He would like to see European and Russian firms working together "from exploration and exploitation of energy resources all the way to the delivery to consumers."

(Excerpt) Read more at spiegel.de ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: eussr

1 posted on 11/25/2010 7:04:33 AM PST by DeaconBenjamin
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To: DeaconBenjamin

Opening of borders between Russia and the EU would create a trade zone stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific.


2 posted on 11/25/2010 7:06:51 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: DeaconBenjamin
"or even more advanced forms of economic integration. The result would be a unified continental market with a capacity worth trillions of euros."

Got to hand it to old Vlad, he doesn't mince words. When he wants to take over a continent, he just does it. /sarc
3 posted on 11/25/2010 7:09:01 AM PST by indthkr
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To: indthkr

With the Cold War history, there’s no longer an ideological conflict. And Russia is a huge untapped market for Europe.


4 posted on 11/25/2010 7:11:09 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: DeaconBenjamin

And what about this??
Drudge Headline:

CHINA, RUSSIA QUIT DOLLAR

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-11/24/content_11599087.htm

St. Petersburg, Russia - China and Russia have decided to renounce the US dollar and resort to using their own currencies for bilateral trade, Premier Wen Jiabao and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin announced late on Tuesday.


5 posted on 11/25/2010 7:14:12 AM PST by mark3681
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To: DeaconBenjamin

When our borders have meaning, are enforced and we control them, it will be time to consider reducing the barriers to free trade in the Americas. I think America’s prosperity, relative to Mexico’s, must decline before that occurs.


6 posted on 11/25/2010 7:18:54 AM PST by Tax Government (Democrat: "I'm driving to Socialism at 95 mph." Republican: "Observe the speed limit.")
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To: Tax Government
I think America’s prosperity, relative to Mexico’s, must decline before that occurs.

Now that's something to look forward to!
7 posted on 11/25/2010 7:21:51 AM PST by Yet_Again
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To: goldstategop
"Opening of borders between Russia and the EU would create a trade zone stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific."

That might be a good idea, but they'd better get back in bed and start making babies.

The Chinese and the Arabs are just salivating over all that vacant land--and right now it's being guarded by a bunch of self-indulgent, decadent, brainless, Marxist hippies who are determined to birth-control, abort, and homosexualize themselves into oblivion.

And BTW--it would stretch across the Pacific if it includes Alaska--all the way around the world if it includes American Flyover Country.

Maybe when we kick out the U.S. and Canadian Leftist enclaves they'll want to set up a similar Trade Zone with North Korea and Zimbabwe.

8 posted on 11/25/2010 7:22:05 AM PST by Savage Beast ("You can, in fact must, shout 'fire' in a crowded theatre. It just has to be the truth." J. Goldberg)
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To: DeaconBenjamin

I doubt the Europeans are going to let the Russians engage in free trade with them. More likely the US would. But neither side seems to be interested in engineering that.


9 posted on 11/25/2010 7:22:32 AM PST by Brilliant
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To: Savage Beast

The Russians have been improving their birth rate recently, I think whole of ‘09 was the first time that there were more births than deaths since the collapse of the Soviet Union.


10 posted on 11/25/2010 7:31:35 AM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: Brilliant
This Romanian perceives a Paris-Berlin-Moscow axis already existing. YMMV.

The death of the west

11 posted on 11/25/2010 7:32:37 AM PST by DeaconBenjamin (A trillion here, a trillion there, soon you're NOT talking real money)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Not a bad for a guy who gave Russia a 13% flat tax and we’re not competitive with our multi-tiered income tax.

I’d trade John Boehner for him any day. Putin knows how to get things done.


12 posted on 11/25/2010 7:34:40 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: goldstategop

Excluding Mexicans, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Russian birth rate is higher than ours right now. They just need to fix their alcoholism and they’ll be all set!


13 posted on 11/25/2010 7:42:27 AM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: Yet_Again

It’s hard to make generalizations because there are always exceptions, and many groups are involved. But think that taken as a whole, Mexico’s people may *at this time* be more motivated and self-reliant than America’s. And that is a tremendous advantage.


14 posted on 11/25/2010 7:43:55 AM PST by Tax Government (Democrat: "I'm driving to Socialism at 95 mph." Republican: "Observe the speed limit.")
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To: DeaconBenjamin

I don’t see any problem with a Washington-Moscow partnership. They’ve got a lot of resources we could make use of. We have technology which they are usurping anyway. Why not market it to them instead of simply letting them take it?

But I do think that both sides are very standoffish, and it will require someone with real vision on both sides to make it work.


15 posted on 11/25/2010 7:53:45 AM PST by Brilliant
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To: goldstategop
Not a bad for a guy who gave Russia a 13% flat tax and we’re not competitive with our multi-tiered income tax.

Didn't the Simpson-Bowles commission recommend (or at least present) a 14 percent flat tax with elimination of tax credits (including corporate, mortgage and child)?

16 posted on 11/25/2010 8:15:29 AM PST by DeaconBenjamin (A trillion here, a trillion there, soon you're NOT talking real money)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Maybe they’ve come to their senses and decided to put those long winter nights to good use.


17 posted on 11/25/2010 8:32:30 AM PST by Savage Beast ("You can, in fact must, shout 'fire' in a crowded theatre. It just has to be the truth." J. Goldberg)
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To: DeaconBenjamin

Pretty funny considering Russia does not have free movement of Russian citizens INSIDE Russia, or INSIDE CIS. Russia and CIS countries also have no control over their borders in the south.

http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2008/12/19/2229963-russias-migrants-face-attacks-in-economic-slump


18 posted on 11/25/2010 8:39:03 AM PST by JerseyHighlander (p.s. The word 'bloggers' is not in the freerepublic spellcheck dictionary?!)
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To: goldstategop
[With the Cold War history, there’s no longer an ideological conflict]
 
Other than the one constituted by the Islamification of Londonistan, Parisastan....
 
Maybe the Russian influence will decelerate the progression towards Sharia rule.
 
We'll see.
 
And ultimately there's always this element of human nature...
COMMERCE BETWEEN MASTER AND SLAVE IS DESPOTISM
--Thomas Jefferson
...to be secured against.
 
 

19 posted on 11/25/2010 10:12:16 AM PST by LomanBill (Animals! The DemocRats blew up the windmill with an Acorn!)
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