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Spanish ambassador summoned to Russian Foreign Ministry over top diplomat’s remarks

The Russian side pointed out that these statements "damage relations between Russia and Spain, mutual perception of bilateral relations as friendly, partnership and mutually advantageous"

© Alexei Druzhinin/Presidential press service/TASS

MOSCOW, May 28./TASS/. Spanish Ambassador to Russia Fernando Valderrama Pareja was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday in connection with anti-Russian remarks from Acting Foreign Minister Josep Borrell, the Foreign Ministry reported.

"On May 28, the Spanish ambassador was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry," it said. The Russian side expressed "bewilderment and regrets in connection with unfriendly statements from the acting minister of foreign affairs, European Union and cooperation in his interview with the El Periodico edition," the ministry said.

The Russian side pointed out to the diplomat that these statements "damage relations between Russia and Spain, mutual perception of bilateral relations as friendly, partnership and mutually advantageous, that has been recorded in all official documents signed between the two countries over the recent time".

In the newspaper interview published on May 24, Josep Borrell called Russia ‘an old enemy’ that poses a threat to Europe.

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