Russia has a chance to boost trade-economic cooperation with Great Britain - 15 October, 2002

A brand new situation is now unfolding in Russia, and there are possibilities to intensify trade and economic cooperation with Great Britain, Vice-Premier of the Russian government and Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin told Russian journalists the day before his arrival in London where he, in his capacity of co-chairman, is participating in a meeting of the Russian-British intergovernmental Committee for Trade and Investments on Tuesday.

Having noted the positive results of the development of bilateral trade, goods turnover in which increased by 38 per cent last year to exceed 3 bln dollars, Kudrin said that a number of positive events, in particular, the granting of the market economy status to Russia, makes it possible to boost goods turnover.

For this reason, while staying in London, Kudrin intends to raise all these questions before the British side, as well as the question of removing all kind of reservations on the part of EU countries which hinder Russia's efforts to complete the process of its final entry into the "role" of a country with a recognised market economy.

As Kudrin stated, he would like also to discuss new financial relations with Russia with his British counterparts.