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EU more likely to keep anti-Russia sanctions than lift them — minister

Next month the European Commission (EC) will take the decision regarding sanctions, Russia’s economic development minister says, it is more likely to keep the sanctions
Russian Economics Minister Alexey Ulyukayev  AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko
Russian Economics Minister Alexey Ulyukayev
© AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko

BRATISLAVA, May 24. /TASS/. The European Union (EU) is more likely to keep the sanctions against Russia in the summer of 2016, Russia’s Economic Development Minister Alexey Ulyukayev said at a meeting with Slovakia’s businessmen on Tuesday.

"Next month will see the European Commission (EC) take the decision regarding sanctions. Businessmen have not been happy with the sanctions from the very beginning and there are even more politicians at the domestic level than at the supranational level who realize it is reasonable to have comfortable relationship. However I think that it is more likely that the sanctions will persist for some certain period of time than they will be lifted now," the minister said.

As European Union’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said earlier the issue of extension of the EU sanctions against Russia will be raised at the meeting of EU foreign ministers this week.

Russia expects Slovakia to contribute to stabilization of Russia-EU relations during its chairmanship in EU, Ulyukayev added. 

"We are living under the sanctions regime, our partners proposed to us, and we had to answer with restrictions on supplies of agricultural products from Europe to Russia ... We hope that Slovakia, which will take over the EU Presidency in July this year, will also contribute to this mutual settlement, we would like to use the potential of economic ties and investment cooperation between our countries," the Minister said.