Memo: EU Commissioner for Trade Pascal Lamy and EU Commissioner for External Relations Chris Patten visit Russia on 5 December 2001 to promote greater EU-Russia integration: a future common European economic space and Russia’s accession to the WTO

Pascal Lamy and Chris Patten will visit Russia on the 5 December 2001 to promote the strategic partnership between the EU and Russia. The relationship encompasses trade and economic relations, a broad-ranging political dialogue, cooperation on justice and home affairs and security and defence cooperation. EU-Enlargement will bring the EU and Russia even closer together. The EU is not only Russia's largest market but also its largest trading partner. As the EU enlarges to take new members from Central and Eastern Europe in the near future, the EU could well become the destination of over 50 % of Russia's exports. “It is undoubtedly in our mutual interest to nurture the continued growth of bilateral trade relations, to stimulate greater European investment in Russia and to support Russia's WTO accession”, EU-Commissioner for Trade, Pascal Lamy said before leaving for Moscow.