Russian Prime Minister In Spain On Official Visit

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov has arrived in Spain on an official visit. The premier told reporters at Madrid Airport he hoped to negotiate long-term issues of strategic partnership between the two nations with his counterpart Jose Maria Aznar during the visit. A number of intergovernmental accords are also on the agenda. Kasyanov noted the growth of the Spanish-Russian trade turnover and Spanish industrialists' heightened interest in the Russian market. According to him, the two countries are considering a number of joint projects now in the field of agriculture, food industries, and transportation. Kasyanov deems it very important that Spain will take over the European Union rotating six-month chairmanship next January. It is therefore up to the two premiers to look closer into the issues that will feature on the EU agenda during the period. He also expressed hope Spain's chairmanship takes the EU-Russia ties to a higher level.