EU-Russia relations: More and more EU states come out against sanctions says Russia EU ambassador

EU-Russian Relations

The issue of anti-Russian sanctions is not the subject of Russia’s negotiations with the European Union, Russian EU Ambassador Vladimir Cations with the European Union, Russian EU Ambassador Vladimir Chizhov said in an interview with the Izvestia daily.

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"I would not like to speak about the future of sanctions, all the more to guess when and in which form their fate will be determined," the diplomat said. "We know that discussion (about anti-Russian sanctions) is scheduled for the EU summit in June, but this is not the subject of our negotiations and discussion with the EU," the permanent representative of the Russian Federation to the EU added.

"This is the problem they created, and they are to solve it," he said. Chizhov confirmed that more and more EU countries were seeking to see the sanctions abolished.

"In one of my previous interviews I compared this with the physical process of accumulation of a critical mass," the diplomat said. "So let us wait and see. So far, indeed an increasingly growing number of countries, more and more leaders speak out in favor of ending this practice of sanctions, not only in contacts with us but also publicly," Chizhov said.

"At a certain point of time, I am sure, their number will grow. I won’t be guessing when this moment will come," the EU ambassador added.

The actions taken by EU's officials to plug the channels, along which finances are pumped to terrorists in Syria, are insufficient and more attention should be given to the illegal trading in oil terrorists engage in with assistance from Turkey, Chizhov said.

"As regards the tracing of the financial flows and the economic ties (that keep the terrorists in Syria afloat TASS), the EU has a lot to do in that sphere," he said. "It's making some efforts already but the latter still fall short of what's needed."

Chizhov also said some amounts of the crude oil that the Islamic State terrorist grouping was selling to Turkey might be reaching European markets.

"I don't think all the crude oil Daesh sells to Turkey ends up there," he said. "Some amounts of it are apparently consumed (on the Turkish territory) but considerable amounts get to the European markets, either in the crude or in the refined form."

Chizhov indicated his doubts over the EU's readiness to take part in the destruction of the Islamic State's oil business infrastructure.

"The oil business you're talking about is one aspect of the mattger and the Islamic State is doing it with Turkey and one can scarcely foresee the EU's involvement in armed operations to destroy this infrastructure," he said. "The EU is not a party to military operations in Syria or wherever and it isn't a military organization, for that matter.".

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Russia-EU relations to remain future priority for Moscow

Relations with the EU will remain Russia's foreign policy priority, despite the "complexity of the current situation," Russian Foreign Ministry said Saturday.

"Relations with the EU - our neighbor and our largest trading partner - objectively will remain one of the priorities of Russian foreign policy in the years ahead," according to a year-end statement published on the ministry's website.

As the West has imposed several rounds of sanctions on Russia for its alleged role in the escalation of Ukraine crisis, the EU is believed by Moscow to waver over further restrictive measures, which also brought negative effects to its members' economies.

On Russian-U.S. relations, the ministry stressed that restoration is possible only if Washington is ready to conduct an equal dialogue with Moscow, respecting each other's interests.
Escalating tensions between the two countries only resulted from the wilful choices of the U.S. to step up pressure on Moscow by imposing more sanctions, it said.

Nevertheless, the ministry noted that in 2014 the U.S. and Russia had not scrapped cooperation on major international issues.

"Russia-US high- and highest-level contacts are maintained on the situation in Ukraine, Syrian crisis, Iran nuclear settlement, resolution of conflict in the Middle East and North Africa," the statement said.

The ministry reiterated the urgency of achieving "lasting peace and national reconciliation" in Ukraine and creating "a state system with which would make all Ukrainians feel comfortable, safe and dignified".

Meanwhile, the ministry laid hope in the success of Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), which will take effect from Jan. 1, 2015. The project acquired special dynamics in 2014, the ministry said, adding that the EEU is open for any other country that would like to join in.

The EEU is designed with the mission to increase economic cooperation within the member states as they agree to guarantee the free flow of goods, services, capital and labor and to implement a coordinated policy in the energy, industrial, agricultural and transport sectors.

 Read more: Russia-EU relations to remain future priority for Moscow - Xinhua | English.news.cn