The European Union remains Russia’s key trade partner, with trade turnover on the rise despite sanctions, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov said.
According to the latest figures, in the first quarter of 2017 trade grew by 35-38%, Chizhov said on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum..
"This is a rather serious growth. Despite all the restrictions and freezes, life takes its course," TASS cited the diplomat as saying.
Chizhov also stressed that Russia is keeping a calm eye on EU talks to prolong sanctions against Moscow.
"We are waiting until the EU can muster up the necessary political willpower to break the deadlock, which had been initiated by Brussels itself," the diplomat said.
The envoy confirmed that there are serious differences within the EU on whether to press for extending the anti-Russian sanctions. "All these discussions end with the chairperson saying: given the contending views that we have, let’s keep this all as it is. And the search for a consensus is over."
