What do you want to achieve from improving relations with the European Union?
We’ve always aspired to improve our relations with the European Union ... because we consider ourselves a part of Europe, and moreover, we consider ourselves the geographic centre of Europe. From the first days of my presidency ... we have clearly agreed that our foreign policy has to be multi-vectoral [ie open to the west, Russia and other countries] ... We consume only 25-30 per cent of what we produce, and we sell the rest ... So we cannot be a closed country ... We are only asking one thing: let us live our lives ... don’t block us, help us communicate and trade freely, exclusively on the basis of market principles and free competition.

How do you respond to western criticism of your democratic standards?
Old, wise and experienced Mother Europe must not apply double standards ... That would be extremely unfair ... Vladimir Putin, while president of Russia, took leadership of the party and led it to the parliamentary elections using all the tools available to a president. Why were you silent? ... Because Russia is enormous. It is a strong nuclear state. You are dependent on Russia for ... energy resources. And it is a huge, immense market ...