MOSCOW, November 3. /TASS/. Moscow will not make unilateral gestures of goodwill to the European Union as EU countries should understand that dialogue is only possible when it’s honest, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Kommersant daily.
"It should be clear to our European colleagues that interaction is only possible on an honest and equal basis and with respect for each other’s interests," he pointed out. "There will be no unilateral gestures of goodwill on our part. We expect that practical approaches and common sense will eventually prevail in the Brussels institutions and EU capitals. We don’t mind waiting for it to happen," Lavrov added.
According to the top diplomat, Russia is not to blame for the current crisis in relations with the EU. He emphasized that EU bureaucrats and certain EU countries "seek to use any excuse, including the most absurd ones, to boost attempts to contain Russia."
Lavrov noted that the number of sanctions regimes kept growing, though they were illegal from the standpoint of international law. "European media outlets continue a large-scale anti-Russian campaign. As for trade, Brussels bureaucrats keep taking protectionist measures, violating WTO regulations and introducing politicized rules," Lavrov said. "At the same time, they tell us that Russia can ‘deserve the right’ to have normal relations with the EU if it changes its behavior. The cynicism is off the scale," he added.
"We appropriately respond to unfriendly actions but we also remain open to dialogue with the EU, which remains an important trade and economic partner for us. Businesses on both sides are clearly interested in promoting mutually beneficial cooperation. Russia-EU energy cooperation also remains relevant," the Russian foreign minister stressed.
According to Lavrov, there are many fields where the parties need to cooperate, including crisis management, healthcare, climate, personal data protection and artificial intelligence.