MOSCOW, 5 March. /TASS/. Moscow regrets that the EU, unwilling to seek a constructive relationship with Russia, continues to follow the course of overseas countries, obsessed with the desire to punish Russia for Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Thursday.
"We believe sanctions are absolutely illegal and have a negative impact not only on the Russian, but also the EU economy," he said. "Losses, given the existing Russia-EU trade volume, are noticeable. Sanctions deal a blow to trade and economic activity of European companies." "We are very sorry that the European Union continues the policy aimed not at constructive relations with Russia, but is probably following the course of some overseas countries that are obsessed with punishing Russia for Ukraine," said Lukashevich. This remains on the conscience of those who apply these restrictive measures."
Referring to the EU-Russia cooperation on the Middle East, the diplomat said that "we interact on a number of conflicts in the region." "The European Union is a member of the Quartet of international mediators [on Middle East settlement], the latest statement of which indicates that the policy of promoting a peaceful solution to this protracted conflict is in the interests of Russia, the EU and a number of other countries," he said.
"The Russian side once proposed to the EU to outline the concept of mutual multilateral actions for the settlement of regional conflicts," Lukashevich said. "It fits into our cooperation with European partners. In addition, we have gone further — by actively supporting the [German] Federal Chancellor’s idea to create a Russia-EU foreign policy committee, which got no further development," he said. "Although we said that it fully meets our joint initiatives." "Apparently, putting forward the initiative and its dragging down is part of the way," said the diplomat.