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Lavrov hopes Russia-EU summit to discuss at length key issues, including visas

MOSCOW, January 21. /ITAR-TASS/. The upcoming Russia-EU summit, due on January 27 and 28, will discuss at length the main, key issues of cooperation, including the easing of travel restrictions, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told a news conference reviewing results of the year 2013.

“We want to understand European Union’s plans as to prospects to see the visa regime eased and in the long run abolished,” he said, reminding the audience that the European Union was Russia’s strategic partner and Russia was seeking to develop partnership ties.

“Of course, it is easier for us to speak with the European Union when it speaks with one voice, but we would not like to see this common position determined on the basis of lowest-common-denominator,” he noted. Explaining it, Lavrov said that very often the principle of solidarity in the European Union was developing into the situation when several countries were holding all the others hostage in the settlement of this or that issue with Russia. This situation also concerned visa disputes, the minister added.

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