MOSCOW, March 10, 2004. (RIA Novosti) - Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov does not rule out that Russia may annul a number of bilateral agreements with the countries that join the European Union this year.
"One of the topical issues we had with the EU is adjustment of the bilateral agreements due to admission of new members to the EU this year," he said at his first press conference in the new capacity.
"Naturally, ten countries that join the EU will live under its standards and will try to adjust our bilateral agreements to its legislative base," Mr. Fradkov pointed out. "We will be forced to annul some bilateral agreements with some countries, with others we will preserve them. We will decide where intergovernmental agreements and committee will remain, in what countries Russia will preserve its trading missions and where not." "This work is to be completed by May 1st," Mr. Fradkov said.
