BRUSSELS, March 14. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev said on Friday Russia would continue an economic dialogue with the European Commission.
“We will work without slamming the door and yielding to emotions,” Ulyukayev said after the talks with European Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht.
At the same time, the Russian minister considered the talks “important, but not easy”.
“We agreed to tackle economic aspects of the problem in the general course of our relationship between Ukraine, the EU and Russia,” he said. “We believe that the Ukrainian government should resolve economic issues. But in the same time there is a wide range of issues due to settled. They should be resolved without emotions. It is the point we urge our European colleagues to follow: let’s go step by step from technical regulation to customs agreements and so on.”
The meeting as well focused on the EU lawsuit against Russia on car recycling tax and Russia’s complaints about European anti-dumping measures against Russian industry products known as “energy corrections”.
“We expressed our view on the Third Energy Package. In return, our colleagues voiced concern about foodstuffs import,” he said.
Bailout package for Ukraine
Russia will make a decision on disbursement of the remaining $12 billion of a $15-billion bailout package agreed in December only after Ukraine forms a legitimate government, says Economic Development Minister Alexei Ulyukayev.
“We have already invested $3 billion into Ukraine’s eurobonds. We cannot recover these funds. We can sell them on the market, if we find a customer. We can try to sell them to the emitter, but this is fully regulated by the existing legal norms,” he told reporters on Friday.
“As for the remaining $12 billion, we will discuss this with the Ukrainian government, when we see a legitimate partner, at least after the election,” Ulyukayev said. “We should realize who our partner is and what the Ukrainian government is, what policy it pursues and what people form it. We should be confident that this is a risk-free investment," the minister concluded.
Sanctions against Russia
Hypothetic sanctions against Russia were not an issue of talks with European Commissioner for Trade Karel De Gucht, Ulyukaev told Russian journalists on Friday following the meeting.
“We did not discuss hypothetic sanctions. We would like to reach agreements with our European colleagues without such pressure, and we hope they understand such an approach. We were talking about matters of substance - how we all cannot lose, but can win in this situation,” said Ulyukaev. “We did not discuss any particulars connected with restrictions or sanctions. I think our colleagues understand this is a two-edged sword and focusing attention [on sanctions] is of no benefit for any party," he added.