KALININGRAD, August 17. /TASS/. European business representatives continue to emphasize their interest in developing joint large projects with Russia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.
"We have repeatedly stressed that if our European partners are interested in developing relations with us on the principles of equality, mutual respect, and consideration of each other’s interests, then we will meet them half-way. We are part of Europe, part of greater Europe, we are neighbors and, of course, despite the current crisis in our relations with the West, there are a number of areas where our interaction is highly relevant. I regularly meet with representatives of German, French business, the Association of European Businesses (AEB) in Russia. All of them emphasize their interest in developing cooperation, in implementing large projects, joint investments," Lavrov said.
The minister noted that interaction was also necessary in the fight against common challenges and threats for all countries. "This includes terrorism, drug trafficking, cybercrime - recently this problem has become very, very aggravated. Therefore, joint work in these areas, and also in terms of climate, coronavirus, and much more, is needed," he added.
Lavrov stressed that Russia was successfully developing cooperation with many countries and regional associations. "We are promoting an agenda that is designed to unite countries on the basis, I emphasize again, of international law and the principles of the UN Charter," he continued. "Cooperation with the overwhelming majority of states is developing fruitfully, including our allies, like-minded people in the CSTO, CIS, SCO, EAEU, and BRICS. We have developed a truly strategic partnership with such great powers of the Eurasian continent as China and India," Lavrov noted.