ROME, May 7. /TASS/. The COVID-19 pandemic offers an opportunity for revising the policy of sanctions against Russia and strengthening cooperation at the international level to the benefit of all countries, Italy’s former foreign minister, Franco Frattini, told TASS in an interview on Thursday.
"Time is ripe for reconsidering the policy of sanctions against Russia," said Frattini, the president of a section at the Council of State, head of the Italian Society for International Organization and chief of the Institute for Eurasian Studies. "This is an ideal moment: Russia has certain problems and the Europeans have the same problems. Hiding behind sanctions is a great mistake."
Frattini is certain that amid the pandemic it is necessary more than ever to enhance international cooperation.
"This crisis will revamp international relations. It will require fundamental revision of the wild globalization that defies all rules. The pandemic will teach an important political lesson. Today there should be more cooperation and less discord," Frattini said.
"All of the problems that had existed before the pandemic - in the Middle East, in the Persian Gulf, in Libya, and in relations with Iran - are still there and require a comprehensive solution, which is to be looked for jointly. The pandemic offers a chance for such a rapprochement and stronger cooperation. The problem of terrorism remains. In this context there are more opportunities for joint efforts by Russia and the European Union. It is obvious that the situation that will emerge after the pandemic will require greater political cooperation by the countries of Europe, Russia, the United States, China and India," Frattini said.
"I believe that Russia is interested in being a reliable partner of the West and that the West will change its attitude to Russia," he said. Frattini recalled that Russia had made a tremendous contribution to the victory over Nazism and the emergence of a new world order. "The Soviet Union, the United States and Britain in Yalta created conditions for establishing the United Nations. This year marks the 75th anniversary since the creation of the UN. Russia is one of the organization’s founding nations. This year must see a message of peace. There should be no place for new walls and cold wars," Frattini said.
On assistance in the struggle against pandemic
Frattini sees nothing that might be interpreted as signs of manipulations by Russia or attempts to use the pandemic for assertion of some spheres of influence, contrary to charges being made by representatives of some countries.
"Russia has become a victim of the pandemic itself. It has done nothing that might look like attempts at manipulations. In particular, this concerns assistance to Italy, which is a manifestation of friendly relations between countries. We are very grateful to Russia, which was the first to have provided assistance - most important and essential, including personnel and material supplies," Frattini said. "It is absurd to claim that the very instance of getting aid from Russia means distancing from NATO," he added.
Frattini recalled that assistance had been provided by other countries, too. Traditionally Italy seeks to maintain good relations with all countries in the East and in the West. At the same time, he remarked that some non-EU countries, such as Russia, China and the United States in a number of respects turned out to be more friendly than some EU partners. In particular, he mentioned the Netherlands, which impeded the approval of certain mechanisms of financial assistance.