MOSCOW, February 5. /TASS/. Moscow and Brussels want to carry on political dialogue no matter what, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday during a press conference on the outcomes of the talks with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell.
"We are willing to continue political dialogue. Today’s talks have shown that this is useful no matter what. We have work to do to boost cooperation in a whole range of promising areas, including the fight against terrorism, the drug threat that continues to emanate from Afghanistan and in other areas," Lavrov said.
"I believe it’s important that both parties have confirmed their interest in maintaining and boosting channels for dialogue, particular on issues that we view differently - and they are many. We expressed willingness to cooperate on a practical basis in areas that both parties find attractive and beneficial. We share the opinion that further deterioration of ties is fraught with negative and very unpredictable consequences," Lavrov pointed out.
According to him, Russia expects the European Union to opt for "a constructive, professional and pragmatic" interaction with Moscow at a summit scheduled for March. "Disagreements will certainly still be there though it’s better to gradually resolve them. However, we are neighbors and share the responsibility for maintaining stability on our common European, Eurasian continent. We are responsible for providing the best living conditions to our people <...>," the Russian top diplomat emphasized, pointing to centuries-long historical, cultural and humanitarian ties between the parties.