MOSCOW, May 31. /TASS/. The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) should move to a more constructive dialogue with the EU, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after the talks with his Portuguese counterpart Augusto Santos Silva.

"We pointed out that Russia, together with its neighbors, actively develops the Eurasian Economic Union. There are the first technical contacts at the level of secretariats, at the level of the Eurasian Economic Commission and the European Commission on technical issues. But we would rather think that it is time to switch to a wider and more substantial dialogue, especially considering that we are located on the same Eurasian continent," the Foreign Minister said.

In this regard, Lavrov noted the President Vladimir Putin’s initiative "to form a greater Eurasian space with involvement of all countries located on this continent without exception".

Normalizing bilateral dialogue

Meetings with members of the European businesses community and the visit by Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva to Moscow show that the European Union is seeking to normalize its relations with Russia, and what’s more, Moscow supports these steps, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

"I believe that today’s visit by the foreign minister of Portugal, a country that is currently holding the EU presidency, confirms that Brussels is interested in normalizing ties with our country and we welcome that," he specified. "Our latest meetings with members of the European business community also demonstrate that there is interest in mutual investment and carrying out joint large-scale projects."

The chief diplomat underscored that Moscow and Brussels continue to cooperate in the sphere of investment and trade despite the existing tensions in relations. 

"Russia is still the EU’s fifth foreign trade partner even after all the harm inflicted by the sanctions. Meanwhile, the EU remains one of our key trade and investment partners. Last year, it accounted for 34% of Russia’s total trade turnover and stood at $192 billion, which is much lower than what it was in 2013," Lavrov emphasized.

The top Russian diplomat also added that sustainable development and security in Europe can only be achieved through joint efforts of Russia and the EU.