The world needs more free zones! Such a proposal was made by President of Russia Vladimir Putin. In his opinion, a Russian-EU free trade zone has a right to exist as well. Recently, Moscow has put forward a suggestion concerning erasing trade boundaries between the European Union and the Russian Federation. According to the Russian president, the creation of such a free trade zone can be very important on a world-wide scale. "We have suggested that the EU leadership study the possibility of a free-trade zone between the EU and the Eurasian Economic Union,” Putin said at the EU-Russia summit on Tuesday. Putin also noted that there are no differences between the European Union and the Eurasian alliance as both of them want the same thing, in particular, to make the external trade easier and more comfortable. The unrest in Ukraine also attracted attention. “Both the loan or any sort of reduction in gas prices are based not on our desire to support any particular government in Ukraine, but to support the people of Ukraine, because it is the common people who suffer when the powers that be fight,” he said. He also highlighted that Ukraine can still share the European values and, at the same time, cooperate with the Eurasian Union. However, the EU representatives did not really support the free trade zone initiation since there can be “different interpretations and misunderstandings on the [Eastern Partnership] association agreements”. That is why, as President of the European Commission Herman Van Rompuy noted, it is necessary to continue negotiating and consultations on that matter. Next summit is supposed to take place in Sochi in June.
