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Eurasian Economic Union

Accession into EEU doesn’t rule out good relations with EU — Merkel

One could maintain good relations with the European Union and also to have good trade relations with Russia, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said talks with Kyrgyzstan’s President Almazbek Atambayev

Angela Merkel EPA/SOEREN STACHE

Angela Merkel

© EPA/SOEREN STACHE

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Creation of Eurasian Economic Union well-timed amid economic crisis — Belarus president

BERLIN, April 1. /TASS/. The accession of this or that country into the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) should not entail a deterioration in its relations with the European Union, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told a news conference on Wednesday following talks with Kyrgyzstan’s President Almazbek Atambayev.

"We discussed the issue of the Eurasian Economic Union," she said, noting that Kyrgyzstan was currently "moving towards accession into the EEU."

"We were unanimous in the opinion that there should be no place for an ‘either or’ dilemma implying cooperation with either the European Union or Russia," Merkel added.

"Our philosophy is that both options are possible," she said, noting that "one could maintain good relations with the European Union and also to have good trade relations with Russia."

The EEU is an international integration economic union, which came into being on January 1, 2015. It comprises Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia. Kyrgyzstan is expected to join the union later this year.

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Angela Merkel Eurasian Economic Union

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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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