MOSCOW, February 12. /TASS/. Europe will be unable to maintain its competitiveness and "will never catch up with the world" without Russia's assistance, Russian special presidential envoy for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries and Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) CEO, Kirill Dmitriev, said.

"Europe will lose the competitiveness battle and will never catch up with the world without Russia," he wrote on social media X.

Dmitriev particularly emphasized the significance of Russia’s participation in the global economy and innovative processes for maintaining the competitiveness of European countries.

Dmitriev made this comment in response to the speech of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at a meeting of European leaders at the Industrial Summit in Antwerp. At the event, the German politician stated that if Europe lags longer than before in terms of economic growth rates, innovative potential, and the state of the labor market, it will lose this competitive struggle.