MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/. European countries are showing willingness to iron out relations with Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavov said on Tuesday following meeting with his Swedish counterpart, Margot Wallstrom.

"We have never had any hard feelings toward anyone. We have a similar pattern with respect to other Western countries," the minister said. "As soon as our counterparts decide that it is possible to return to cooperation using certain mechanisms, we will be ready to do so."

Lavrov also noted, "We see precisely this trend in our relations with a number of European partners. They are interested in gradually returning to normal relations, including establishing channels of cooperation on economic, investment and trade issues."

"If you ask me what the reason for such rethinking is, there are two factors here, the first being a desire to prioritize their own, national interests," the Russian foreign minister said.

"Secondly, let no one take offense, there is an understanding that came over the past few years that the so-called European values practiced by the current Ukrainian leaders absolutely do not deserve sacrificing national interests for the sake of them," Lavrov emphasized. "We will be ready to normalize relations, get rid of things that were introduced artificially in relations and impeded their development.".