- Issue of US sanctions against Russia raised by Kerry at talks with Putin — Kremlin
- Russia says Kerry’s visit to Sochi offers Moscow, Washington chance to restore trust
- Putin’s talks with Kerry seen as first signs of bid to get relations back on track
- Meeting between Putin, Kerry will lead to shift in political dialogue — lawmaker
BELGRADE, May 13. /TASS/. Chairwoman of the upper house of the Russian parliament, the Federation Council, Valentina Matviyenko has said the meeting between US Secretary of State John Kerry, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin was a positive step, even though no breakthrough in relations between the two countries has been reached.
"I think the meeting of US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia’s top diplomat Sergey Lavrov and Russian President [Vladimir Putin] was a positive step. We once again demonstrated our willingness to continue dialogue, we are not closed, we do not resort to the confrontational language. We are interested in cooperating with Europe and the United States, " Matviyenko told reporters on Wednesday.
"Yes, probably, there was no breakthrough, but I think the mere fact that the talks did take place was a positive fact," she added.
According to Matvienko, another positive signal following the talks was the issue of the possible lifting of anti-Russian sanctions raised by the US Secretary of State. "But, unfortunately, it was presented in such a way that only Russia is responsible for the implementation of the Minsk agreements," Matviyenko noted. She recalled that Russia was doing its utmost to implement the Minsk accords. "However, we are not a party to the Ukrainian conflict, we only create conditions for the implementation of the Minsk agreements," she said, adding that "the authorities in Kiev bear responsibility for what’s happening in Ukraine, and they are number one on the list of those expected to fully implement the Minsk agreements." She noted that Kiev showed no desire to reach the Minsk accords.
Matviyenko added that the sanctions policy with regard to Russia had failed to deliver the desired results. "We are only becoming stronger economically and are actively developing import substitution and relations with other foreign partners," the senator said. According to her, anti-Russian sanctions have proved to be unpromising. She also expressed hope that common sense would prevail and the parties to the conflict would abandon the language of threats and go over to dialogue.