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Russia ready to discuss migration problems with EU — Russian diplomat

According to Vladimir Chizhov, Russia has serious expertise on migration matters as a country of origin, a transit country, and a receiving country

MOSCOW, December 28. /TASS/. Moscow is ready to discuss migration-related problems with the European Union, Russian Permanent Representative to the European Union Vladimir Chizhov said on Tuesday.

"As for migration talks, yes, we are ready to discuss [these topics] with the European Union," he told an online briefing. "We have serious expertise on migration matters as a country of origin, a transit country, and a receiving country."

According to the Russian diplomat, there are "quite a lot of" migrants from former Soviet republics in Russia now. "We know how to communicate with them. And I would take a risk of saying that we know it better than the European Union," he added.

The migration crisis at Belarus’ border with Poland, Lithuania and Latvia deteriorated dramatically on November 8, when several thousand migrants approached the Polish border and set up camp there. From time to time they try to break through the fences and cross into Poland, but are stopped by Polish law enforcers.

Poland blames the current migration crisis on Belarus, claiming that the Belarusian authorities deliberately invite thousands of migrants to send them to the border areas in a bid to destabilize the situation. Meanwhile, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that the blame for this situation rests on Western countries because people are fleeing their countries gripped by hostilities provoked by their actions.

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