On 18 October 2005, Russia's Ministry for Economic Development and Trade hosted a meeting between deputy Minister for Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation V.G. Savelyev and Norway's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Russian Federation O. Nordsletten, Iceland's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Russian Federation B. Jonsson and Switzerland's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Russian Federation E. Hofer, who represent European Free Trade Association (EFTA) member countries.
All the necessary materials for the meeting had been prepared by the staff of the Department for Foreign Economic Relations.
The meeting focused on discussion of joint actions to further develop the trade and economic cooperation between Russia and the EFTA members. The cooperation was said to have brought about high rates of growth in bilateral trade.
The parties indicated their desire to improve the contractual/legislative framework of the economic cooperation. The EFTA representatives proposed to start talks aimed at putting in place a framework agreement on economic cooperation and trade between Russia and the EFTA members. Such an agreement would facilitate expansion of mutual trading in goods and services as well as promote investment cooperation, seen as a key factor in expanding the scope, and boosting the performance, of bilateral ties, improving the pattern of mutual trade.
After the general meeting, V.G. Saveliyev, as Chairman of Russia's section of Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Swiss Confederation, had a private meeting with Switzerland's Ambassador to Russia E. Hofer. They discussed preparations for the 8th session of the Intergovernmental Commission, to be held in Moscow 19 October 2005. The period will also see a visit from Switzerland's Minister of Economic Affairs J. Deiss. On 21 October 2005 Moscow is to host a Russian-Swiss business forum. This is seen as an event of signal importance for further development of Russian-Swiss trade and economic cooperation.
The meeting was also attended by deputy Director of Department for Foreign Economic Relations A.V. Karpich, Department staff members, viz.: Head of Department for European countries A.I. Borisov, Head of Department for European Union A.A. Melnikov, deputy Head of Department for European countries A.I. Safonov, representatives of the Moscow embassies of the EFTA member countries involved.
