All news

Russia hails Slovenia’s stance on Moscow’s relations with EU, NATO — Lavrov

The Russian top diplomat comments on the relations with Slovenia

LJUBLJANA, February 21. /TASS/. Russia praises the position that the Slovene government has taken on Moscow’s relations with the EU and NATO, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday following talks with Slovenian Foreign Minister Karl Viktor Erjavec.

"During the discussion of international problems, we gave high marks to Slovenia’s position on ties between Russia and the EU, and Russia and NATO," he said. "This position suggests that membership in those two organizations doesn’t necessarily require severing ties with other members of the international community, regardless of what someone thinks of it."

Lavrov said that, like Slovenia, Russia was prepared to cooperate with any other state open for equitable and mutually beneficial cooperation based on a balance of interests.

"I think it’s absolutely detrimental to push a false choice on any country, which suggests that well, you go either west or east," he said. "Regrettably, some of our counterparts in the West proceed from precisely this logic when they communicate with countries in Western Balkans, and not only there.".