Rhetoric of EU summit results concerning Russia unfit for communication between strategic partners - Moscow envoy
MOSCOW. March 7 (Interfax) - Russia's Permanent Representative to the European Union, Vladimir Chizhov, believes that there was nothing new about the results of the EU's Thursday meeting in regard to Russia, saying, however, that the language used by the EU is inappropriate for communication between two strategic partners.
"It is a serious mistake to presume that Russia can be scared by such "horror stories". As for the rhetoric that frames all this, it certainly fails to match any perceptions that we or anyone else may have about a strategic partnership. It is inappropriate to use this kind of language when speaking to one's strategic partner," Chizhov told Interfax over the phone from Brussels on Friday.
"As for the conclusions, generally speaking there is no reason to be afraid of them. They do not differ much from those adopted at the level of foreign ministers last Monday. But as far as the suspension of the visa dialogue is concerned, it was effectively frozen by the European Union itself. As for the talks on a new cooperation agreement, the ball is now in the EU's court," the high-ranking Russian diplomat said.
In the run-up to its summit with the EU in January, Russia said that this summit should give a political impetus and help accelerate negotiations on the sides' new cooperation and partnership agreement, especially as Moscow had revamped its positions at these talks, he said.
"But the European Union decided then to put this on hold and proposed waiting for the June summit. We agreed. But now we will obviously have to wait even longer. If anyone thinks that we need it more than they do, that it is some kind of present for us, it is also a serious misperception," he said.
"As far as the G8 is concerned, they also decided to suspend these preparations. The EU is de facto the ninth member of the G8, which, however, has not rejected the very idea of the Sochi summit. But the less time we have to get prepared, the harder it will be for all sides, not us alone," he said.
When commenting on contacts in Brussels with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Chizhov said that "Yatsenyuk's latest decision, which cost three generals - deputy defense ministers - their posts, was to grant the status of legal armed units to the Right Sector militants, who are directly linked with terrorists."
"The address by Right Sector leader [Dmytro] Yarosh to international terrorists and Doku Umarov is well known. Obviously, they will become a replacement for the Berkut [previously disbanded elite riot police force]. Where will this take us?" he said.
"But the EU is pretending not to notice all this. Rather, they made a fuss over Mr. Yatsenyuk there, praised him and promised a lot to him, but not everything. They effectively divided the association agreement in two parts and are ready to sign only the preamble and the political part with Yatsenyuk and company, but they decided to postpone all the main economic issues linked with money and practical steps until after the elections," the Russian envoy said.
"Over the past few weeks and months, the EU has permitted quite a large number of systemic miscalculations on the Ukrainian issue. Is it not enough?" Chizhov said.
