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Borrell, who was preparing for his first visit to Moscow on Thursday as the EU’s foreign policy chief began in December 2019, told the Interfax news agency that relations between the Community and Russia had “deteriorated in recent years. 10 years, especially after Russia’s illegal repression of Crimea in 2014 and Sevastopol, annexation and lack of trust. ”“ Today, basically, we value ourselves as rivals rather than partners, ”he added. – However , our communication channels remain and must remain open. However, they are not always fully utilized. “
“On the contrary, we speak more about each other and like in different languages, which only increases mistrust and does little to overcome the challenges in our relationship. Abandoning negative rhetoric would be a good start for a fair and open exchange of views between the EU and Russia, and it becomes increasingly necessary when relations are not satisfactory, “said Borrell.
According to him, the positions of the European Union and Russia “differ significantly” in assessing the “conflicts taking place on our borders, from Ukraine and Belarus to Libya and Syria.”
“It just came to our knowledge then [abiejų šalių požiūriui] human rights and fundamental freedoms, ”said the former Spanish Foreign Minister.
“It just came to our knowledge then [Kremliaus kritiko] The poisoning of Alexei Navaln, his arrest, accompanied by the decision to sentence him to two years and eight months in prison, and the arrest of thousands of protesters. [Rusijoje] in the last few days, “Borrel said.
A. Navalnas’ conviction is politicized
The position of the European Union in the case of Russian opponent Alexei Navaln does not interfere in the internal affairs of the Russian Federation, as Moscow has made certain international commitments, Borrel told Interfax in an interview on Thursday.
“It is a question of respecting the universal principles and international obligations, including with regard to its citizens, that Russia has assumed as a member of the Council of Europe and the OSCE, and not of interfering in internal affairs,” Borrell said.
He recalled that on Tuesday in Brussels he condemned the judicial decision, according to which the sentence of probation for A. Navalns was changed to real.
“It just came to our knowledge then. In 2017, the European Court of Human Rights already ruled that Mr. Navaln’s conviction was illegal,” the EU diplomat stressed.
“The EU position in the case of Alexei Navaln, a Russian opposition politician, is clear. The EU immediately condemned the use of a toxic chemical on Russian territory and imposed sanctions on assassination attempts, he continued.
“When he was arrested and arrested upon his return to Moscow, we called for his immediate release, as well as the release of thousands of peaceful protesters and journalists who have been detained since then,” Borrell recalled.
He highlighted: “The case of Mr. Navaln is not an isolated case; sadly, it confirms the negative trend in the Russian Federation to reduce space not only for the opposition but also for civil society and independent opinion. “
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