Lavrov: There is a chance to improve relations with the West
For several years in a row, in the spring, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has been giving an interview to the specialized and popular Bulgarian magazine International Life in the Balkans. And 2019 was no exception. This time, Lavrov touched on the issue of normalizing relations between Russia and the West.
Lavrov noted that there is a chance for establishing relations between Russia and the European Union (EU), but Europeans need to take the first step. He drew attention to aggressive Russophobian hysteria, which does not stop in the EU. Moreover, the same group of countries controlled by the United States operates. So the roots of the “demonization" of Russia are located in Washington, and not in Brussels. But anti-Russian propaganda harms primarily European business.
Lavrov said that despite this, trade between Russia and the EU has been growing for the second year, new projects appear and contracts are concluded. He stressed that there are no objective reasons for the further degradation of relations, and Russia is ready to move closer to the EU. But the EU should take the first step. For example, Russia will respond similarly to the lifting of sanctions.
At the same time, the head of the Russian foreign ministry drew attention to the fact that relations between Russia and the "peace-loving" NATO bloc are in a protracted crisis, since the Alliance, instead of a joint security architecture, began to build a system of containment of Russia. So if NATO stops expanding to the East and ceases to build up military capabilities at the Russian borders, then the chance for an improvement in relations will definitely appear.
It should be recalled that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CMCE) recently decided that Russia should retain membership in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). This caused a violent and uncontrolled reaction of Russophobia. Anti-Russian demarches and tantrums of representatives of Ukraine, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland.
Lavrov noted that there is a chance for establishing relations between Russia and the European Union (EU), but Europeans need to take the first step. He drew attention to aggressive Russophobian hysteria, which does not stop in the EU. Moreover, the same group of countries controlled by the United States operates. So the roots of the “demonization" of Russia are located in Washington, and not in Brussels. But anti-Russian propaganda harms primarily European business.
Lavrov said that despite this, trade between Russia and the EU has been growing for the second year, new projects appear and contracts are concluded. He stressed that there are no objective reasons for the further degradation of relations, and Russia is ready to move closer to the EU. But the EU should take the first step. For example, Russia will respond similarly to the lifting of sanctions.
At the same time, the head of the Russian foreign ministry drew attention to the fact that relations between Russia and the "peace-loving" NATO bloc are in a protracted crisis, since the Alliance, instead of a joint security architecture, began to build a system of containment of Russia. So if NATO stops expanding to the East and ceases to build up military capabilities at the Russian borders, then the chance for an improvement in relations will definitely appear.
It should be recalled that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CMCE) recently decided that Russia should retain membership in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). This caused a violent and uncontrolled reaction of Russophobia. Anti-Russian demarches and tantrums of representatives of Ukraine, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland.
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