Madrid hopes against third stage of EU anti Russian sanctions
MOSCOW. April 15 (Interfax) - The European Union will not need to move to the third stage of sanctions against Russia, if the status quo is preserved in the region, Spanish Ambassador to Moscow Jose Ignacio Carbajal said.
"I think that if the situation remains as it now, we will not have to get down to the third stage of sanctions," Carbajal said in an interview with Interfax.
"My government has expressed hope that it will not be necessary to do this, to expand the sanctions list and resort to economic sanctions. If, of course, circumstances do not change, we do not think that these sanctions can come into effect," the ambassador said.
The EU has already passed two stages of sanctions against Russia due to Crimea and Sevastopol's accession to Russia, in particular a black list including 33 individuals has been composed and the EU-Russia summit planned for May-June 2014 has been cancelled.
"Since Spain is part of the EU, my government always supports the decisions, which are made at the European level. But at the same time, the Spanish government entertains the idea that cooperation with Russia is strategic cooperation," the ambassador said.
"Russia is a strategic partner for Spain as well as the EU. Spaniards and others in the framework of the EU have always followed the stance that it is necessary to talk to Russia and to achieve political agreements, especially in periods, where difficult circumstances emerge," Carbajal said.