Federation Council Member: Russia doesn't need to join the EU

'Russia doesn't need to join the European Union,' said Federation Council member Sergey Vasiliev at a round table on questions of Russia's entry into the European Union and World Trade Organization held on May 19. Vasiliev said that 'we need two things from Europe: a Shengen visa regime zone, and a single economic sphere with minimal integration.' Vasiliev also said that 'I can't imagine that the development of our country will be dependent on the hydra of Brussels bureaucrats.' He also said that 'national government - is the only form of government where it is possible to develop the civil society, otherwise control of the bureaucracy is not possible.'