Anti-Russian sanctions must be accompanied by dialogue on resolution of Ukrainian conflict - Greek PM
KYIV. Feb 9 (Interfax) - The sanctions introduced against Russia aim to encourage Moscow to sit down at the negotiating table and find ways to resolve the Ukrainian conflict, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said.
"We introduce sanctions in order to talk and find ways to resolve an issue," he told a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko after talks in Kyiv on Thursday.
The sanctions did affect the Greek economy "but we have international experience as far as sanctions introduction is concerned," Tsipras said.
"On the one hand, we understand the need to work out a certain reaction to the events, but on the other, we believe that all sanctions must be accompanied by certain measures, we must offer a certain way out of a situation that has evolved, we must maintain a dialogue," the prime minister said.
"You cannot introduce sanctions simply as a punishment, that's not what we want, that's not what we say," Tsipras said.