Official website of the President of Russia

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Mr Medvedev said that bilateral relations have reached a very high level and that he is looking forward to seeing the Spanish Prime Minister in Russia soon.

Mr Zapatero expressed his condolences over the recent terrorist attacks in the Moscow metro.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Washington nuclear security summit.

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President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev: Mr Prime Minister, I am very pleased to see you again, all the more so as, aside from the event that has brought us to Washington (the nuclear security summit), your country currently holds the European Union presidency and every opportunity to meet with the Spanish leadership is a chance for us to check where we stand on relations between the Russian Federation and the European Union.

Of course, we have a substantial bilateral agenda to discuss. I think our relations are at a very high level now, as I had the opportunity of saying to you last year during the official visit. I hope that today, and during your upcoming visit to the Russian Federation, we will continue discussing our bilateral economic, political and humanitarian ties.

I will not say anything about the summit right now because its work is not over yet. We still have declarations to make and the final communique to adopt. This is all work still ahead.

Once again, it is a great pleasure to see you, Mr Prime Minister.

Prime Minister of Spain Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero: Thank you very much, Mr President.

Indeed, today’s meeting is yet another positive moment in the very friendly relations between Russia and Spain, and yet another chance for us to reaffirm this friendly spirit and also express our condemnation of the recent terrorist attacks in the Moscow metro and our solidarity with you.

Today’s conference is also connected to cooperation in fighting terrorism, which is one of the international community’s most important tasks. This summit is yet further confirmation of this importance. Here, we will discuss ways to reduce nuclear threats, reduce the threat of nuclear terrorism. Much credit for success in this area goes to President Obama and the support of Russia and President Medvedev.

It is therefore our view that the European Union’s security and future stability depend in large part on relations with Russia, and we will work in every area to strengthen and develop these relations. In this sense, Russia is an integral part of this process and one of our most important allies. 

We see that President Medvedev has set a policy of rapprochement and deeper understanding between Russia and the European Union. 

Bilateral relations between Russia and Spain are going through a very positive period. We will discuss our economic cooperation today, our security cooperation, our work together in the energy and trade sectors, and of course, we will also look at our plans for 2011, when we will hold the Year of Russia in Spain and the Year of Spain in Russia.

Thank you very much, Mr Medvedev, for your contribution to strengthening our common security and building better understanding between the European Union and Russia and between Spain and Russia.