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Russia unaware of alleged informal communication channels with Vienna — Foreign Ministry

Maria Zakharova conceded the possibility that such statements by the Austrian official were driven by "a desire to justify one’s actions and leave room for yet another maneuver amid the turbulence of the international situation"

MOSCOW, May 23. /TASS/. Moscow has no information about its alleged maintenance of informal channels of communication with the Austrian government, according to a commentary by Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova published on Tuesday.

Earlier, Austrian Minister for European and International Affairs Alexander Schallenberg said that Vienna had been maintaining unofficial contacts with Moscow.

"We were surprised to discover that Vienna, as it turns out, has been maintaining informal communication channels with the Russian authorities. We are unaware of them," the diplomat said. Zakharova also noted that there are no subjects around which Moscow and Vienna might be conducting an informal dialogue. "Austria, by unequivocally standing with the West in its hostile policy toward Russia, has forfeited its previously independent role in foreign affairs, having cast aside the principle of neutrality," she added.

The spokeswoman conceded the possibility that such statements by the Austrian official were driven by "a desire to justify one’s actions and leave room for yet another maneuver amid the turbulence of the international situation." She also commented on another statement by Schallenberg that, in the event of a face-to-face meeting, he would shake the hand of top Russian diplomat Sergey Lavrov but only with reluctance.

"As for his emotional distress about the necessity of shaking hands with the Russian [foreign] minister at a hypothetically potential in-person meeting with him, then we wish to assure Minister Schallenberg that nobody would be seeking him out to shake his hand," Zakharova concluded.

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