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Russia not seeking to split Europe, assures Putin

On the contrary, Russia is interested in a prosperous European Union

© Mikhail Klimentyev/Presidential press-service/TASS

VIENNA, June 4. /TASS/. Russia is interested in a united European Union and is not seeking to divide it, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with Austria’s ORF radio and television company in the run-up to his upcoming visit to Austria.

"For us there is no goal of driving a wedge between someone in the European Union. On the contrary, we are interested in a united and prosperous EU, as the EU is our most important economic and trade partner," Putin said.

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Putin says excessive trust in Europe is Russia’s key mistake in past years

The Kremlin press service said Russian President Vladimir Putin would pay a working visit to Austria on June 5.

The program includes talks with Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen and Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kutz. The parties are expected to discuss the current state of affairs and prospects for Russian-Austrian relations in various areas and to exchange views on key global issues. Putin is expected to meet with businessmen from both countries to discuss matters on mutually beneficial trade and economic cooperation with a focus on the 50th anniversary of the launch of a large-scale energy project - supplies of natural gas from the former Soviet Union to Europe, the Kremlin said.

The full interview with Putin will be broadcast on ORF-2 TV channel at 8.15 p.m. local time (9:15 p.m. Moscow Time).

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Foreign policy Vladimir Putin

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