Russian Foreign Ministry: Russia-EU relations necessitate market economy status recognition

On the threshold of the Russia-EU summit, which will be held in Brussels on November 11th, official Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko told RIA Novosti in an exclusive interview that the nature of partnership relations between Russia and the EU meant that Russia's market economy status should be fully recognized without any reservations.

The Russian diplomat said that "conditions for the future expansion of out trade-economic ties" would meanwhile be created.

Russia is expecting "confirmation of the introduction of the appropriate amendments to EU legislation on anti-dumping protection measures" in line with the promise to recognize Russia's market economy status given by the EU at the May summit in Moscow, Yakovenko stressed.

"Unfortunately," the diplomat said, "the first evaluations of such amendments testify to the possible maintenance of discrimination in regard to Russian exporters of energy-consuming products in the course of anti-dumping investigations in the event that they are based on the existing difference between domestic and export prices for energy suppliers." According to Yakovenko, "there are already examples of this, which concern the Russian side." He concluded that such an approach could lead to Russia's natural competitive advantages being ignored and the EU's protectionist policies being continued.