Kremlin expects EU to refrain from linking relations to Navalny case
The spokesman pointed out that the Russian authorities were looking forward to meeting with the EU top diplomat
MOSCOW, February 2. /TASS/. The Kremlin expects that the European Union won’t link the future of its relations with Russia to Alexey Navalny’s case, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.
"We hope that the future of Russia-EU relations won’t be linked to the remand prisoner’s case, which would be a stupid thing to do," he said, commenting on EU top diplomat Josep Borrell’s upcoming visit to Russia.
The Kremlin spokesman pointed out that the Russian authorities were looking forward to meeting with the EU top diplomat "because relations between Russia and the European Union are suspended for no reason." "Moscow certainly would like relations to return to normal and progress in the interests of both EU countries and Russia," Peskov said, adding: "We are ready to do everything for that."
On possible meeting between Borrell and Navalny
The decision whether a meeting between Borrell and Navalny can be made by court and not the Kremlin, Peskov said.
"We cannot consider this meeting possible or impossible. It is not our prerogative. We do not make such decisions. These decisions are made by investigators and judges, differently in different situations," he said when asked if Kremlin believes that Borrell’s wish to meet Navalny can be granted.
The spokesman stressed that any requests of the sort will be referred by the Foreign Ministry to courts and investigative agencies. At the same time, he said that he sees virtually no grounds for Borrell to visit Navalny. "They are not relatives, they don’t know each other, they are nobody [to each other]," he said, underlining that it is not up to the Kremlin to voice its opinions on this issue.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell will pay a visit to Moscow between February 4 and 6. The chief diplomat is planning to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss the bilateral relations, measures to fight the pandemic, the Iranian nuclear deal, the conflict in Ukraine as well as Navalny’s arrest.