Putin plea for investment

Date: 22/03/01

RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin will meet EU leaders tomorrow (23 March) to discuss the economic steps Moscow must take to improve the climate for foreign investment and to prepare for membership of the World Trade Organisation.

Putin is also expected to outline requests for measures to deal with the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, which will be surrounded by EU territory when Poland and Lithuania become members of the Union.

Summit leaders are expected to announce that Russia will be eligible for European Investment Bank loans for specific environmental projects in St Petersberg.

Russian foreign minister Igor Ivanov will meet his EU counterparts to discuss the Balkans, Middle East and Korea.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet EU leaders on 23.3.01 to discuss the economic steps Moscow must take to improve the climate for foreign investment and to prepare for membership of the World Trade Organisation.