MOSCOW, April 5. /TASS/. The relations between Russia and the European Union (EU) have seriously deteriorated recently, though Moscow expects their gradual recovery, Russian President Vladimir Putin told a ceremony of accepting credentials from 17 new foreign ambassadors on Wednesday.

"The head of the European Union’s mission who is present here, probably shares the view that the Union’s relations with Russia have deteriorated seriously in recent years, much to our regret," he said.

Moscow believes this is due to the fact that the EU has abandoned its "main initial function of economic cooperation expansion, integration on the European continent," "initiating a geopolitical standoff with Russia" instead, Putin noted.

Russia expects a gradual recovery of relations with the EU, he added. "I would like to express hope that all actions inflicting damage to our relations will nevertheless remain in the past, and we will do everything to build them in a proper way for Russia and for economies of member states of this organization. We hope nevertheless that the logic of mutual cooperation will prevail over time," the president said.

Apart from diplomatic missions of separate European countries, there are missions of the whole European Union as an integration as well. In Moscow, it was opened in 1991 (working as a mission of the European Commission, the EU’s supreme executive body, until December 1, 2009).

During the Wednesday ceremony, credentials were delivered by EU Ambassador to Russia Roland Galharague, who became head of the EU’s mission in Moscow last September.