VIENNA, June 3. /TASS/. The EU and Russia should openly discuss disagreements and cooperate in areas of mutual interest, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who will speak at the SPIEF plenary session via video link as the main European high-ranking guest on June 4, said in an exclusive interview with TASS.
According to Kurz, the EU and Russia have clear disagreements on some issues, but there are also areas, in which cooperation should be sought. This can be done in the fight against climate chance or in the field of nonproliferation of nuclear weapons based on the example of the negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, he said when asked whether he expected the resumption of constructive cooperation between Russia and the EU. "Both should be possible in the future: openly discussing disagreements and, at the same time, cooperating in areas of mutual interest. In the end, it is perfectly clear to me that peace in Europe will only be with Russia, not against it," the chancellor stressed.
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum is being held on June 2-5. The Austrian chancellor earlier confirmed his participation in the SPIEF plenary session as one of the main guests.