Integration of Russia and EU essential for development says Putin
STOCKHOLM, April 27 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and the EU have no prospects for future development without close mutual cooperation and Russia's integration with the European Union, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.
"The future of Russia and the future of European countries can not be ensured without cooperation and integration," he said after a meeting with his Swedish counterpart Fredrik Reinfeldt.
"The question is the pace and form of this integration."
Putin reiterated his idea of "a holistic economic organism - from Lisbon to the Far East."
Asked why Russia is not part of the European Union, he said that "this is one of the fundamental, very important questions."
"I would like to assure you that Russia is ready for close cooperation along these lines," Putin said.
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