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Russian MP regrets Euro Parliament’s unwillingness to resume dialogue with Russia

In Konstantin Kosachev's opinion, parliamentary diplomacy should offer models of interaction and should search for common points and ways to untangle complicated knots rather than just judge

MOSCOW, January 15. /TASS/. Chairman of the Federation Council’s committee for international affairs Konstantin Kosachev regrets the position of certain lawmakers at the European Parliament who recommended that “a strategy to counteract the Russian propagandistic campaign against the European Union, the union’s eastern neighbours and against Russia itself should be worked out,” Kosachev wrote in his Twitter blog.

“European everymen (and even a Russian one, which sounds incredible) are supposed to be shielded from ‘undesirable’ information coming from Russian sources,” the Russian lawmaker said expressing regret that his “counterparts did not show their readiness to search for real dialogue formats with Russia, actually presenting themselves as larger hawks than those who should do so due to their positions and ranks.”

“In fact, the members of parliament are ‘slapping on the wrists’ of those who are making attempts to find a dialogue rather than confrontation, even in the most cautious character,” Kosachev said.

“In my opinion, parliamentary diplomacy contains a much more considerable resource of flexibility and variability than official diplomacy. And thus, it should offer models of interaction and should search for common points and ways to untangle complicated knots rather than just deliver a judgement.”

Along with this, Kosachev recalled recent statements by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, head of the European diplomacy Federica Mogherini, France’s Ambassador to Russia Jean-Maurice Ripert, favouring the dialogue with Russia.

“We hope that wisdom, positive attitude and focus on the dialogue will prevail,” he said. “However, one should realise that no-one could guarantee this. Confrontation is still in demand and so all those who are interested in overcoming the current crisis have loads of work.”.