MOSCOW, February 4, 2004. /RIA Novosti/. The accession of new members to the European Union can have negative influence on trade turnover of Russia and some European countries, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov told a briefing in Moscow on Wednesday following the talks with his Italian counterpart Franco Frattini.
On joining the EU, new members cancel agreements with Russia, Ivanov noted.
"Therefore, a certain legal vacuum appears, which should be filled. Our trade turnover with several countries in certain spheres can suffer in these conditions," he said.
Today Russia and the European Union are looking for mutually beneficial compromises, Ivanov stressed. They should let Russia extend provisions of the cooperation and partnership agreement on these new members.
