Official website of the President of Russia

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The two leaders discussed the current state and prospects for the development of bilateral relations in trade, the economy and humanitarian sphere, as well as a number of relevant international issues.

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Madam President, colleagues,

We are happy to welcome you to the Moscow Kremlin.

We have not seen each other for a long time. I believe there was a summit meeting 10 years ago. Quite recently, I had a fleeting meeting with you somewhere abroad.

Absence of contacts between officials and official bodies, between neighbours is abnormal.

As a result, our trade decreased by over 50 percent in previous years. True, last year it went up a bit, by 17 percent.

We objectively have common interests linked with the Baltic Sea: issues of security, the environment, transport and transit.

In general, there are many issues to discuss.

We are happy to see you in Moscow. Welcome.

President of the Republic of Estonia Kersti Kaljulaid (retranslated): Thank for the opportunity to be here today.

Indeed, we agreed some time ago to meet so that we could talk if only because neighbours should talk even if they have certain differences.

You are right, we have important trade relations. The economy can adapt to political decisions, so there is an opportunity to direct it into a positive channel.

It is time to update the programme of cooperation between the European Union and Russia, which is funded by both sides. Therefore, the time for a meeting is just right.

Estonia is a candidate to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. We have become important and constructive partners in multilateral organisations. Therefore, I think it will be interesting for us to discuss global geopolitical issues as well.

Being neighbours, we are responsible for the environment of the region where our states are located. Issues of Chudskoye Lake and everything else related to cross border links are a good example of cooperation.

But as we both know, we will also discuss more complicated issues when our media friends leave the hall.

In conclusion, I would like to recall that today we re-opened after renovation the building of the Estonian Embassy in Moscow. It is the first embassy of our country, and this is why it is a very big event for us.

Once again, I would like to thank you for this opportunity and this event.

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