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Sergei Lavrov: Customs Union in free trade zone talks with non-EU Europe

Representatives of the Russian-led Customs Union are in talks over creation of a free trade zone with New Zealand and some non-EU European nations, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Saturday, RIA Novosti reports.

“Talks on creation of a free trade zone between the Customs Union and Vietnam are already started… at around the same time as Vietnam, talks are underway on creation of a free trade zone between the Customs Union and New Zealand, and also between the Union and the European Free Trade Association that includes those western European nations (in particular Switzerland and Norway) that are not EU members,” Lavrov said in an interview with Rossiya 24 TV.

Moscow is also hoping that if talks with Vietnam are successful, they could serve as a template for similar negotiations for a free trade zone between the ASEAN group of Asian nations and the EU, he said.

Doors of the Customs Union are wide open for any country which is ready to sign the documents, including for Ukraine. That is what Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergey Lavrov said.

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