Russia, EU To Discuss Concept For Common Economic Zone This Week

Russia and the European Union will discuss a concept for the establishment of a common economic zone this week. Chief of the Department for Trade Policies and Multilateral Negotiations of the Economic Development and Trade Ministry of the Russian Federation Yevgeny Manakin declared this at a session of a press club in the Strategic Development Center today. According to him, this concept will be negotiated during an upcoming meeting of the EU Foreign Commissar and the EU Trade Commissar with Russian Premier Mikhail Kasyanov, Deputy Premier Viktor Khristenko and Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref in Moscow this week. The common economic zone concerns "the observance of four economic freedoms, i.e. freedoms of goods, services, capital and labor force," the official added. Manakin stressed that "it is too early to talk how soon this common economic zone will be established and whether it will concern the above mentioned freedoms or not."