Russia's Lavrov Discusses Moscow-Brussels Relations With EU Ambassadors - Foreign Ministry

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a meeting with European ambassadors stressed Moscow's inclination to restore the full-fledged dialogue with the European Union on an equal footing, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th July, 2019) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a meeting with European ambassadors stressed Moscow's inclination to restore the full-fledged dialogue with the European Union on an equal footing, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

Top Russian diplomat met with the heads of the EU countries' diplomatic missions and EU Ambassador Markus Ederer.

"A discussion of the current situation and perspectives of the development of Russian-EU relations, which are not improving, took place. Lavrov underscored that the Russian side maintains the inclination to restore full-fledged dialogue and cooperation with the European Union on an equal and mutually beneficial footing. In this context an emphasis was made on the counter productiveness of unilateral limitations, holding back the development of trade and economic relations of the sides, and other steps fraught with danger of erosion of the system of the international law and emergence of new dividing lines in Europe," the Foreign Ministry said.

There was also a review of the relevant international issues, with emphasis on the situation with Iran and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, and the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis.

Relations between Russia and EU countries have been strained due to the Ukrainian crisis and the reunification of Crimea with Russia. The European Union, together with the United States, introduced sanctions against Russia, to which Russia responded with its own counter-sanctions. After five years, some EU countries have begun questioning the effectiveness of sanctions and started looking for different solutions to issues between Russia and the European Union.