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Russian president, Luxembourg prime minister to meet in Kremlin

Putin and Juncker will discuss “topical international problems, such as the global economic situation, prospects for improvement in the eurozone”

MOSCOW, September 25 (Itar-Tass) —— Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with Prime Minister of Luxembourg Jean-Claude Juncker in the Kremlin on Tuesday, the Kremlin press service reported. The talks are ex[ected to focus on economic problems, including the situation in the eurozone.

“Economic interaction is expected to be one of the main themes. Luxembourg is in the trio of the major investors into the Russian economy. The volume of capital investment reached 36.7 billion U.S. dollars by the end of June 2012,” the Kremlin source said. “Cooperation develops in the areas of high technologies; there are good examples of practical interaction in metallurgy, electric engineering, satellite and space communication, infrastructure and medicine.” Luxembourg’s banking institutions are helping establish an international financial center in the Russian capital.

Russian regions show much interest in establishing ties with Luxembourg. The program of Juncker’s three-day stay in Russia includes visits to the republic of Tatarstan and the Tambov region. Thus, in Tatarstan’s capital city of Kazan, he will have talks with the head of the republic, Rustam Minnikhanov. They are expected to discuss issues of electronic government system, technology parks and free economic zones and modernization of petrochemical enterprises. In the city of Kirsanov in the Tambov region, Lixembourg’s prime minister will attend the unveiling ceremony of a monument to Luxembourg citizens who were killed during WWII. The ceremony is timed to mark the 70th anniversary of forcible call-up of 15,000 Luxembourg citizens into Wehrmacht.

According to the Kremlin press service, Putin and Juncker will discuss “topical international problems, such as the global economic situation, prospects for improvement in the eurozone, and cooperation of Russia and the European Union.” The Luxembourg prime minister also holds the influential post of the head of the Euro Group, the club of finance ministers of the eurozone countries.

“The Russian-Luxembourg relations are of friendly, partnership nature,” the Kremlin added.

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FACTBOX: Collective Security Treaty Organization

The Collective Security Treaty came into force on April 20, 1994 to herald the emergence what would eventually become the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The six member-countries are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan

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