MOSCOW, May 23. /TASS/. The approach in which one party to the upcoming negotiations attempts to impose the venue on the other party is unacceptable to Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik said during a Soloviev Live TV broadcast.
The diplomat noted that he does not accept the manner in which the venue of the negotiations is being imposed and a particular site demanded without the consent of the second party simply because it seemed suitable to the first party. "Such approaches are unacceptable for negotiations set up to achieve a result because the main task is not to solve the problem of where the negotiations will be held," Miroshnik emphasized.
He pointed out that, before the direct meeting, there is a long preparation period: "negotiations on negotiations," during which the parties agree on the meeting venue, the delegation composition, and the issues to be discussed. All of this, Miroshnik recalled, is done "behind closed doors" until a compromise is reached.
"Therefore, let's just say that there is no reason to say that everything has been agreed upon," the diplomat noted. Moreover, he pointed out that the venue of the talks is determined once both sides have agreed to it. "Once this has happened, we can say that the two groups are ready to go, and the host party agrees to organize the site for negotiations according to the regulations regarding security and logistics," Miroshnik explained.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov commented on the Vatican's initiative to host the next talks between Moscow and Kiev. He said this venue was "a little inelegant" because it would be a meeting of two Orthodox Christian countries on Catholic soil.