All news

Russia-EU relations are falling hostage to Ukrainian and Syrian crises — diplomat

Russia's permanent representative to the EU notes the atmosphere in which the EU was discussing the Syrian crisis was unfavorable for Russia

MOSCOW, October 10 /TASS/. The Russia-EU relations are de facto falling hostage not only to the Ukrainian, but now also the Syrian crisis, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov said in an interview aired by the Rossiya 24 television channel on Monday.

'On Monday, 17 October the EU Foreign Affairs Council will meet in Luxembourg. Russia is not on the agenda, neither is Syria, but no one can forbid the ministers to discuss any topic. There have been some hints in EU media in the recent days that the issue of possible additional sanctions against Russia, this time in the Syrian context, may arise. Naturally, a consensus of 28 states will be needed to take a decision. Given the fact that no preliminary work has been done on this matter and, according to our information, is not being done yet, I hope that all this will not go beyond talks. But it does not change the main thing – that Russia-EU relations are de facto falling hostage not only to the Ukrainian, but now also the Syrian situation. Of course, this cannot be but worrying and disappointing' - Vladimir Chizhov.

"As for the European Council, the EU summit to be more precise, it will take place in Brussels on October 20-2. Its agenda will include a discussion of the strategy of relations with Russia or, putting it differently as the European Union prefers, a strategic review of these relations," the Russian diplomat said.

According to Chizhov, the summit will not necessarily pass any concrete and binding decisions on sanctions - be it over Ukraine or Syria. "But a discussion at the summit level will certainly take place," he added.

Chizhov noted that the atmosphere in which the EU was discussing the Syrian crisis was unfavorable for Russia. "The atmosphere for such a conversation is tense - not through our fault but due to the events in Syria and rather one-sided assessments of the Western media which are later reflected in remarks made by statesmen and political leaders of countries, including the EU states," Chizhov stressed.