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India interested in signing agreement on free trade zone with Customs Union

Russian President Vladimir Putin one of the largest economies in the world shows interest in the Customs Union

Photo EPA/ JAGADEESH NV

Photo EPA/ JAGADEESH NV

MINSK, October 24 (Itar-Tass) - India is interested in signing an agreement on free trade zone with the Customs Union (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan), this issue should be considered seriously, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council at the level of the heads of states here on Thursday.

The Russian leader noted the words of Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev that Turkey asked to join the Customs Union. “I would like to inform you, dear colleagues, that another major economy, one of the largest economies in the world shows the same interest. This is India,” Putin said.

The Russian president recalled that the Indian prime minister had recently visited Russia.

“He asked me to raise the issue at our today’s meeting that India would like to consider the possibility to sign an agreement on free trade zone with the Customs Union. I believe that taking into account the size and scale of Indian market, the prospects of development in Asia in general, we should take this proposal very seriously,” Putin noted.

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