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Moscow regrets EU’s refusal to hold summit with Russia, says Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov noted that President Vladimir Putin generally remains interested in establishing working relations between Moscow and Brussels

MOSCOW, June 25. /TASS/. Moscow regrets the EU’s refusal to hold a summit with Russia, as well as its decision to develop new sanctions, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday.

"We regret it [this decision]," he said, when asked to provide a reaction to the refusal of EU leaders to hold a summit with Russia and their decision to task the European Commission with developing additional sanctions against Moscow.

"As you know, [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin generally remains interested in establishing working relations between Moscow and Brussels," Peskov added.

The EU leaders at the summit in Brussels have instructed the EU foreign policy agency headed by Josep Borrell to explore possible options for dialogue with Russia on certain topics of interest for the EU as well as more sanctions, including economic ones, to counter future activities of Russia deemed harmful by the union, the leaders said in a statement adopted on the first day of the EU summit on Friday.

The EU heads did not manage to reach an agreement on the initiative proposed by Berlin and Paris to hold a highest-level meeting with Russia, and it is not mentioned in the document.