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Russian MPs say US’ withdrawal from TPP is good news

Russian lawmakers hope the US’ abandonment of the TPP deal would be followed by suspension of its participation in the TTIP

MOSCOW, January 24. /TASS/. Russian lawmakers believe that the United States’ withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal is good news for Russia.

Earlier in the day, President Trump signed an executive order formally withdrawing the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which envisages complete abandonment of customs duties on goods and services in the Pacific Rim. Along with the United States, the deal was signed last year by Australia, Brunei, Vietnam, Canada, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Chile, and Japan.

"It is good news for Russia as certain provisions of this deal envisage its supremacy over national legislations which could be disadvantageous for bilateral economic relations," Vladimir Gutenev, the first deputy chairman of the economic policy committee of the Russian State Duma lower parliament house, told TASS.

Should the TPP project be really launched, "Russia and other countries the US’ former administration pursued the policy of containment towards would be under extra pressure," he said. "Now this source of extra pressure is eroding, hence relieving Russia from one of the threats to its economy."

Apart from that, he said he hopes the United States’ abandonment of the TPP deal would be followed by suspension of its participation in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) which "also sets new rules in global trade on the principles that meet the interests of transnational corporations and international capital rather than those of national economies."

The TPP project pursued "rather political than economic purposes" as it was geared to contain Russia in terms of economic cooperation, Anatoly Aksakov, the chairman of the State Duma financial market committee, told TASS.

"So, the United States’ withdrawal from it is a good signal," he said. "What matters most is that Trump thinks it necessary to rely on economic interests and is acting as a pragmatist in the interests of the American people instead of acting against other states.".