One of the most important topics of the summit was the possible losses for Russia due to the expansion of the European Union. The European partners understood Russia’s concern, said Vladimir Putin. Non-tariff restrictions and quotas that exist in the EU currently do not apply in ten countries that are EU members. Introducing these restrictions will lead to a drop in Russian export to countries of Central and Eastern Europe. In the near future, experts will hold meetings and calculate the possible losses.
Answering a question on visa problems, Vladimir Putin said that Russia will continue to discuss issues of simplifying visa procedures, not just with individual countries, but with the European Union as a whole. Moscow is examining a wide range of possible solutions to visa problems with Europe.