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Medvedev, Swiss president discuss prospects of EAEU-EFTA free trade zone

The Russian prime minister and the Swiss president have also discussed the bilateral relations, particularly, trade and economic cooperation

ULAN BATOR, July 15. /TASS/. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann have discussed the prospects of the talks on a free trade zone between the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), a participant in the talks held on the sidelines of the ASEM summit in Mongolia on Friday has told reporters.

"We discussed the investment cooperation. In addition to that, the Swiss president raised the issue of the prospects for negotiations on signing a treaty on a free trade zone between the European Free Trade Association and the EAEU," the source said.

Earlier reports said that the Russian prime minister and the Swiss president also discussed the bilateral relations, particularly, trade and economic cooperation, the development of the legal framework and cooperation in education.

Moscow has repeatedly stated it was prepared to move towards a common economic space with the European Union. Talks on creating the European Union-Eurasian Economic Union free trade zone could be the first step in this direction, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. This idea was first proposed by Moscow at the Russia-EU summit in January 2014. Moscow proceeds from the assumption that "all other states concerned and formats, including the European Free Trade Association, will also be involved in the common economic space project based on WTO rules.".