MOSCOW, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Russia regards the European Union as its strategic partner, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said here Wednesday.

"The EU is Russia's nearest neighbor and partner in politics and the economy," Itar-Tass cited Lavrov as saying at a meeting with a group of European businessmen.

"The quantity of our relations are transforming into the quality. Today they can be considered strategic partnership...We are satisfied with their development," he said.

Lavrov said that Russia considers its strategic partnership with the EU a base for further interaction.

The EU and Russia resumed earlier this month negotiations on a new framework agreement that was stalled following the Russian-Georgian conflict in August.

The new framework agreement covering wide-ranging bilateral issues will replace the 1997 Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.
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