Strengthening Relations With Russia Among Priorities Of German EU Presidency - Ambassador

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Strengthening Relations With Russia Among Priorities of German EU Presidency - Ambassador

The list of key priorities for Germany that will chair the European Council for the next six months includes cooperation among EU states and partners in the fight against COVID-19 and joint efforts to overcome the pandemic crisis, as well as security issues, including international crises and strengthening EU-Russia relations, German Ambassador to Moscow Geza Andreas von Geyr said on Tuesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th July, 2020) The list of key priorities for Germany that will chair the European Council for the next six months includes cooperation among EU states and partners in the fight against COVID-19 and joint efforts to overcome the pandemic crisis, as well as security issues, including international crises and strengthening EU-Russia relations, German Ambassador to Moscow Geza Andreas von Geyr said on Tuesday.

"I am pleased to present to you the priorities for the German Presidency of the EU ... They will look completely different, since the coronavirus crisis has mixed all the cards for us. I will present seven challenges to which we will try to respond as efficiently as possible during our chairmanship. The first one is the fight against coronavirus and collaboration on health," von Geyr said on the occasion of the beginning of the German presidency.

According to the diplomat, this involves not only cooperation within the EU, but also with partners of the European Union, including with Russia.

"The second task is also associated with the pandemic, it will be economic and social recovery after the crisis provoked by coronavirus ... in other words, we will deal with this crisis and the post-crisis recovery," he added.

The diplomat said that the third priority was to maintain good relations with countries that had left the EU, such as the United Kingdom. The fourth one is related to climate change issues. As part of the fifth objective, it is planned to make progress in regulating migration within the EU, von Geyr noted.

The sixth task of Germany chairing the EU Council is to continue developing relations with neighboring countries and other regions, especially with Western Balkans, Africa and China.

"Our seventh priority is international security issues ... Libya, Iran, Syria, the JCPOA [Iran nuclear deal], the middle East peace settlement ... EU-Russia relations and their strengthening," von Geyr concluded.

Germany assumed the presidency of the Council of the European Union on July 1.