Russia and the European Union must strengthen their ties in order to stay competitive in today's world, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Friday.
"If we want to survive and maintain a competitive edge, closer ties between Russia and Europe are inevitable," Putin told an annual economic forum of German corporate managers organized by Germany's Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.
Putin said he came to this conclusion for the first time after hearing remarks made by former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl during a meeting with former St. Petersburg mayor Anatoly Sobchak at the beginning of the 1990s.
According to Putin, Kohl spoke sincerely and convincingly of the urgency of closer ties between Russia and Europe.
"For me, a person who used to work in Russia's foreign intelligence during the Soviet era, this conversation, which I witnessed and partially translated, completely changed my views on this issue," Putin said.
Putin outlined his vision of a future Europe, including creation of an economic community from Lisbon to Vladivostok, including a free trade zone and "progressive types of economic integration," in an article published by Suddeutsche Zeitung on Thursday.
Putin called for a joint industrial policy, which would be based on the combined exploitation of the technological and resource potentials of Russia and the EU states.
He also insisted on the idea of a joint energy sector as an ideal solution to future energy demands.
BERLIN, November 26 (RIA Novosti)
