Russia cannot agree with the requirements stated in the new EU Cooperation Agreement as they exceed the commitments undertaken by Russia when it entered the World Trade Organization, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday.

“It's no secret that during the negotiation process our European colleagues raised questions and advanced requirements that, in our view, exceed the commitments undertaken by Russia during its accession to the WTO,” Putin said.

“We called this approach ‘WTO Plus.’ So far, we cannot agree with these agreements,” the president added.

He emphasized that Russia has just finished its WTO accession negotiations. “But we [the WTO members] listen to each other, understand each other, and will painstakingly discuss these problems on a professional level,” he said.