Revision of sanctions could start with lifting restrictions on Russian, U.S. lawmakers - Slutsky
MOSCOW. Aug 6 (Interfax) - The mutual lifting of sanctions against legislators could be a first step toward the revision of the entire set of sanctions in place between Russia and the United States, State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Leonid Slutsky said.
"We understand that for today, the lifting of sanctions today is a utopian idea, but, just as we are doing in our talks with the European Union, we could possibly talk with our U.S. counterparts and somehow prompt Washington to revise the sanctions that have been imposed on parliamentarians," Slutsky told journalists on Monday following a meeting with a delegation of U.S. policymakers led by Sen. Rand Paul on Monday.
"This would at least be some result, on the basis of which we could gradually get rid of the entire sanction mechanism," he said.
Paul is in favor of constructive interaction with Russian lawmakers and could possibly be seen as Russia's "ally" with respect to efforts to do away with sanctions, Slutsky said.
He warned that one shouldn't get ahead of oneself but suggested at least thoroughly reviewing the sanctions and starting by revising those that have been imposed on lawmakers.