News conference following the Russia-EU Summit [Putin statements]

(Kremlin.ru – Yekaterinburg – June 4, 2013) 

PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA VLADIMIR PUTIN: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,

The talks held at the 31st Russia-EU Summit were constructive and meaningful. We examined in detail the current issues of cooperation in trade, the economy and humanitarian sphere, as well as the improvement of the legal framework for our relations.

Russia and the European Union are close partners. Europe is the largest investor in the Russian economy: accumulated investments amount to $277 billion, of which over $105 billion are direct investments.

In turn, Russian companies have invested $77.5 billion in the economies of EU countries, including $52 billion in direct investments. That is 60% of our current foreign investments.

The EU accounts for nearly 50% of Russia’s foreign trade ­ 49%, to be precise. Last year, despite the challenges in the global and European economy, trade continued to grow: it rose by 4.1% and exceeded $410 billion. I am confident that we will reach the milestone of $500 billion in the foreseeable future.

We discussed the additional reserves that could be used to increase the flow of goods, services and capital. We should continue our active efforts to abolish the remaining administrative and technical customs barriers, implement joint projects in industry, agriculture and the financial sphere.

Naturally, we reviewed the preparation of the new Russia-EU agreement. This document must reflect the changing international situation and the Eurasian integration processes. We believe that it would be useful for the European Commission’s leadership to establish direct contacts with the inter-state structure of the Customs Union, Common Economic Space and the Eurasian Economic Commission. Close cooperation between the two commissions would be particularly relevant with regard to the decisions on further integration adopted recently at a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in Astana, Kazakhstan.

We also went over the mutual grievances in trade ­ we couldn’t get around that. Such a huge volume of trade means that there are always some reciprocal problems; that is only natural. The nature of these grievances is well known: disposal fees, anti-dumping measures, sanitary and phytosanitary standards, and so on. We have agreed to work constructively together to reach compromise solutions. I am sure that this is possible.

Traditionally, energy has had an important place in our negotiations. In March, we signed the Roadmap for Russia-EU Energy Cooperation until 2050. This document states a strategic goal: to create a single European energy sector. Naturally, there are some outstanding issues here. I will not go into detail about them now since they are also widely known, but we are in contact and will continue to seek acceptable solutions.

We also discussed security and countering new challenges. One important outcome is that we have signed an Agreement on Drug Precursors. It will undoubtedly strengthen cooperation between anti-drug agencies of the Russian Federation and the European Union.

During the exchange of views on topical international issues, we paid close attention to Syria. We reiterated Russia’s position that any attempt to influence the situation by force, through direct military intervention, is doomed to failure and will inevitably lead to severe humanitarian consequences.

We have also stated our view on the decision to lift the arms embargo on the Syrian opposition, which was adopted last week by the EU Foreign Ministers. I will not deny that we were disappointed by it. We have agreed to coordinate more closely our efforts to promote Geneva 2 as part of our work on other acute international problems.

In conclusion, I want to thank our European friends for a very useful, open and constructive exchange of views, and for their cooperation today. Thank you very much….

QUESTION: I would like to address my question to Mr Van Rompuy. Have your positions come any closer on Syria during talks today, with fundamental disagreements still in place ­ one being the European Union’s plans to supply arms to Syrian rebels and the other being Russia’s plans to supply S-300 missiles to Damascus?

And I would also like to use this occasion to clarify with Mr President Putin whether the S-300s have been actually delivered. If not, when is that coming? Many thanks.

HERMAN VAN ROMPUY: Thank you. On Syria, the European Union has no doubts that only a political solution through negotiations will bring back peace to Syria and to the region. And that’s why both at the European Council and the Council of Foreign Ministers level, the European Union has welcomed and praised the initiative launched by Foreign Minister Lavrov and Secretary of State Kerry to convene an international conference based on the Geneva Principles, with the participation of representatives of the Syrian regime and the opposition.

The first goal of this conference shall be to establish confidence-building measures, open access for humanitarian assistance, release for prisoners, gradual cease-fire, UN observers and so on, in a progressive manner that could pave the way for a transition that will allow the warring parties to replace weapons with political arguments and dialogue.

While the European Union has not renewed its collective embargo on arms, which means that each member state has recovered its competence in the field of arms exports, member states have committed publicly not to supply any weapons at all for the time being. The aim is precisely to give negotiations a real chance to move forward. Intense and significant contacts have been taking place between the Russian administration and the EU officials in the last weeks, which have shown a wide convergence of views regarding the launch of these negotiations. It’s important that we concentrate today on the preparation of this conference and the launch of a credible process to bring peace to Syria.

VLADIMIR PUTIN: Regarding the weapons supply.

As you know, on the UK initiative the United Nations agreed an international document: an international treaty on the non-delivery of arms to non-governmental groups. We proceed from the fact that all UN members will join it and in all circumstances as of today will abide by the rules and principles that have been suggested by our British colleagues. This is the first point.

Second, I do not remember the date but I think it was in 1998 that the European Union adopted a document on roughly the same thing: non-delivery of the weapons to the conflict regions of the world. We believe that although this may not be a legally binding document, it is still a moral basis for any actions in this sensitive area.

As for Russia’s supplies, let me remind you that the Russian arms supplies to Syria are carried out on the basis of transparent, internationally recognised contracts. They did not violate any international regulations and are made exclusively and entirely within the framework of international law. As for the S-300, it is one of the best air defence systems in the world, if not the very best. It is a serious weapon but we do not want to disrupt the balance in the region. The contract was signed several years ago, and it has not been executed yet.

QUESTION: I have a question to all three leaders. I will continue with the Syrian issue raised by my European colleague. The objectives of Geneva 2 have already been announced, but you could clarify what are currently the main obstacles to holding the conference.

And the second question. Turkey is not a member of the European Union, but it is very keen to become one, and I would be interested to hear your views on what is happening in the public squares of Ankara, Istanbul and other Turkish cities. Do you think these events can be interpreted as another wave of Arab Spring, which has now reached Turkey?

VLADIMIR PUTIN: Regarding the conference. I have already said, and my colleagues from the European Commission have confirmed this, that we have a shared position on the need for a second conference in Geneva. This is what we have in common with our European colleagues.

The Russian Foreign Minister and US Secretary of State have prepared a proposal in this regard, and it has been agreed. It is our responsibility (which we have undertaken voluntarily) to convince the Syrian leadership to take part in this conference. As you know, the Syrian leadership has already officially announced its agreement to participate in the conference.

What are the obstacles? Probably the lack of good will on the part of the armed opposition, its lack of a common platform and the inability to determine who will represent the armed opposition groups at this conference. We hope that all these issues will be resolved as quickly as possible.

As for Turkey, we have enjoyed very warm, high level relations with that country, especially in recent years. We expect that the Turkish leadership, in a dialogue with the opposition and civil society, will be able to find a solution to all those complex issues that are raised on the streets today. In that case these protests will be legitimised and the issues will be debated at different venues, where people will hear each other….

VLADIMIR PUTIN: Television channels showed how members of the armed Syrian opposition take out the internal organs of their dead enemies and eat them. I hope that we will not see such negotiators at Geneva 2, otherwise it would be difficult for me to guarantee the safety of the Russian delegation. It would probably be difficult to work with people like that as well.

QUESTION: I’d like to come back to the WTO membership. A lot of manufacturers are actually complaining about obstacles and protective measures in Russia. And regular people in the street, they are expecting lower prices. When will we actually see these effects in practice?

And another question on NATO’s political development. In Russia, obviously, there’s a lot of concern at German enterprises and other Western enterprises that raids on NGOs and the recent fleeing of Mr Guriyev to Paris last week might actually damage Russia’s image as a country for foreign investors. How much do you expect these developments to damage Russia’s image? Thank you….

VLADIMIR PUTIN: Regarding the concerns of our partners who work in Russia and are worried about the business environment. Name at least one such person, and we meet with him immediately and find out what exactly is causing their concerns.

As for the issues associated with excessive administrative pressure, with corruption, and so on, we always work directly with our partners in the framework of relevant institutions. We have created special tools for interaction with foreign partners, and we discuss all issues and problems directly.

You have certainly raised a very important issue related to the reciprocal trade restrictions. This is an area we are working on with our colleagues from the European Union. It is not the only area, but a key one.

There are some mutual grievances. On the whole, there is nothing special or unusual about this. Just take a look at Europe’s relations with the United States. Is it unusual for them to encounter problems with trade? How many problems arise in the framework of WTO negotiations? A huge number. And it’s the same with us. The question is not whether problems exist or not. For example, there is a restriction on access of Russian mineral fertilisers to the European market. An anti-dumping investigation has been going on since 1995 and there is this restriction. We have joined the WTO, but there has been no result on this issue. We discussed it earlier today: the restriction is the same as ever.

We are also aware of our European colleagues’ grievances against us, and we recognise that some of them are fair. In fact, I even said, “You know, I’m ashamed that we (meaning the Russian side) have not resolves some of the issues”. We meet in order to solve them.

As for the fact that the head of our economic school went to Paris: his wife lives and works in Paris. Nobody threatened him, and he visits her all the time. He can come back if he wants to, he is a free man, and if he wants to live in Paris, he can live in Paris. No one is driving him away, exiling or frightening him, and there is no need to inflate a problem that, strictly speaking, does not exist.

As for our economic relations with the European Union, we have already said that despite the problems in the global, including and especially in the European economy, trade between Russia and the EU grew by 4.1% and reached a record $410 billion. We have never seen that before. So we are moving forward with confidence.

QUESTION: I have a question about an issue that has not been mentioned today, but I think it is of great public importance. There is an increasing trend towards same-sex marriages in Europe. We recently saw the news reports from France, and all this causes concern in Russia, because same-sex families can now adopt children, including children from Russia. I would like to ask President Putin whether this issue was raised in the negotiations, and what steps could Russia take in this regard?

I also have a question for our guests from Brussels. We know that the EU pays special attention to the protection of human rights around the world, and this applies to the freedom of press, freedom of speech and the like. It would certainly be impossible to ignore the fact that the trial of the main WikiLeaks informant Bradley Manning began recently in the United States. If found guilty, Bradley Manning is facing a 20-year prison term. How do you feel about this trial?

VLADIMIR PUTIN: You’re starting to get on my nerves with these same-sex marriages. No matter where I turn, go to Europe and they’re out waving banners there, come here, and you’re after me again on the issue. I already stated my opinion on this matter overall. I think that our legislation is very liberal in this respect and there is no discrimination of any sort. People in our country work and pursue their careers regardless of their sexual orientation. We give them state recognition for their achievements in the specific areas in which they work. I think in this sense we have no problems.

I think indeed that we should all be more tolerant of each other and less aggressive towards each other, no matter whether we’re talking about heterosexuals or homosexuals. Less aggression and less song and dance about these issues would be the best thing for everybody.

As for a law banning gay couples abroad from adopting children from Russia, I have not seen such a draft law yet. If our country’s parliament passes such a law, I will sign it.

QUESTION: You just spoke about Turkey and said that it would be better if the government engaged in dialogue with those who are protesting in the streets.

VLADIMIR PUTIN: Will we have such a dialogue? Yes!

QUESTION: This handling of what’s happening stands in sharp contrast to what you said the ‘colour’ revolutions in Ukraine, Georgia and North Africa. But you do not talk this way about the opposition in Russia itself.

VLADIMIR PUTIN: Yes we do.

QUESTION: You say that they are supposedly agents from foreign countries. What is the difference between the handling of the opposition in Turkey…?

And a question regarding Guriyev. He said that his email box was seized, even though this had not been agreed upon. He had agreed to be interviewed, but ultimately, the agents seized his email. That’s what he says. Can you truly guarantee Guriyev’s safety, if he returns to Russia? Could he end up in jail? Thank you.

VLADIMIR PUTIN: Why, is there any basis for putting him in jail? I don’t know anything about it. I only heard this name for the first time recently, and I don’t know whether he has had any legal transgressions. If he did not break any laws, I can guarantee 100 percent that he is not under any threat. 100 percent. Moreover, he works in economics. Let him do what he does, wherever he wants and wherever he likes.

As for comparing the events in Turkey with our NGOs, that’s like comparing apples and oranges. As a Russian expression goes, A flower in the garden and an uncle in Kiev. What do the NGOs have to do with anything? Is anyone closing them? Have you read the law, to start with? Look into the Russian legislation. It does not say anything about closing these organisations, let alone any sanctions. The laws talk about revealing financial data and say that if an organisation is involved in any political activity, it has to register as a foreign agent, if it receives money for those activities from abroad. But nobody is closing them.

hat does the Arab Spring have to do with this? I think these are entirely different things.

As for dialogue, we are prepared to engage in dialogue with everyone….

QUESTION: We know that the energy sector and military industrial sector depend largely on the rare earth elements industry. Can you please talk about how the partnership between Russia and the EU will open prospects for the Russian aviation industry, the military industrial sector overall, and the energy sector?

Can you also please tell us if you discussed the issue of thorium power today?

VLADIMIR PUTIN: No, unfortunately we did not discuss thorium power, although it is an important issue. But as far as aircraft engineering is concerned, this is an area where we have been cooperating for a long time and it is also a fairly sensitive area, having to do with the high load of the aviation industry in EU nations, particularly Germany, France and to some extent Spain ­ Spain has many problems.

Currently, it would be quite difficult to transfer some of their production to, say, Russia; I think their unemployment among youth has reached nearly 40 percent, which, incidentally, should be considered first and foremost. But we bought a small package ­ five percent of EADS ­ we are in contact, we are developing joint designs, and we are already doing some of the production at our companies.

We are discussing deeper cooperation in this sector ­ in aviation and space. At the business enterprise level, talks are progressing quite actively, and if they progress in an acceptable direction, then I am confident the European Commission will support it, as will the Government of Russia; but for the time being, it’s too early to talk about this. The level is quite high, but we have rather good prospects and naturally, this would then reflect on the entire sector.

In conclusion, I would like to thank our guests, the European Commission and European Union high officials, for their direct support of Yekaterinburg’s candidacy as the host city for the Expo 2020, given that this is a industrial area of the Russian Federation. Of course, the Commission does not vote, but let’s not forget that dozens if not thousands of companies from EU countries are operating not merely in Yekaterinburg but throughout the entire Ural industrial region.

Thank you very much for your attention.

[featured image is file photo from past event]