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Russia, EU to hold consultations on war on terror, migration and visas this year — envoy

According to the Bulgarian ambassador to Russia, various meetings between Russian and EU representatives are scheduled for this year

MOSCOW, January 16. /TASS/. Russia and the European Union will hold a series of consultations on counter-terrorism efforts, migration and visas this year, Bulgaria’s Ambassador to Russia Boyko Kotzev told reporters at a news conference dedicated to Bulgaria’s EU presidency.

"Russia is an important partner not only for Bulgaria but for the EU as a whole. We need to remember though that our relations depend on the implementation of the Minsk agreements," Kotzev said.

According to the ambassador, various meetings between Russian and EU representatives are scheduled for this year. "On April 4, Sofia will host a meeting on migration. We will also hold a meeting with Russian Minister of Natural Resources Sergey Donskoy in May and invite those in charge of tourism in the EU there," the diplomat noted. "We plan to hold numerous expert consultations, including on the fight against terrorism. We will continue technical consultations on visas in April."

According to EU Ambassador to Russia Markus Ederer, 2018 in relations between Moscow and Brussels should be seen from the point of view of realism and cautious optimism. He noted that Russia and the EU observed the stabilization of the dialogue in 2017, adding that the implementation of the Minsk accords is required to change the paradigm of relations. If that is achieved, there will be more grounds for optimism, he noted.