Russia's share in the EU trade turnover has fallen from 10 to 6% in recent years, at the same time Brussels wants to keep access to the Russian market, EU Ambassador to Moscow Vygaudas Ušackas said in interview to the Kaliningrad Pregel.me portal.

He noted that in the course of numerous trips from Kaliningrad to the Far East he met representatives of Russian business and the vast majority of Russian businessmen and investors believe that the EU is the main economic partner of Russia.

According to the diplomat, this is supported by the facts: 46% of Russia's trade turnover accounts for the EU, 75% of foreign investments arrive to Russia from the EU, 70% of the Russian hydrocarbons are on sale in the market of the EU.

Ušackas said that Russia's dependence on the EU is quite obvious, as well as Union’s desire to maintain its position in the Russian market of 140 million citizens and consumers. They want to keep access to Russia’s market. Though, he is to admit, in recent years, Russia's share in EU trade turnover has fallen from 10% to 6%.

He also added that he thinks that unfortunately, these four years in his biography and in EU-Russia relations will remain in history as a period of crisis management. He will go down in history as an ambassador for crisis. From this point of view, he builds his work understanding the scale of disagreements and recognizing that they should keep bridges of communication and cooperation where it is possible. Disagreements appear and disappear, while the work of the diplomat is to keep the best that is between them.

The issue of the extension of the EU sanctions is planned to be considered at the summit on June 28-29.