Naryshkin hopes Russian-Dutch relations won't deteriorate
MOSCOW. Oct 11 (Interfax) - State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin hopes that single incidents will not poison the amicable and businesslike nature of Russian-Dutch relations.
"I hope these isolated unfriendly acts will not damage the generally amicable and businesslike nature of [our] cooperation. However, we cannot disregard unfriendly acts," Naryshkin said at the State Duma meeting on Friday.
Russia and the Netherlands maintain economic and humanitarian relations. The year 2013 is the Russian Year in the Netherlands and the Netherlands Year in Russia, Naryshkin said.
At the same time, he supported the State Duma's criticism of the treatment of the Russian diplomat by the Dutch police.
"Vladimir Volfovich [Zhirinovsky] has justly called attention to the unacceptable illegal actions of the Dutch authorities and law enforcement bodies as regard our diplomats and the uncritical and inappropriate reaction of the Dutch Foreign Ministry to their actions," Naryshkin said. The Liberal Democratic Party leader strongly criticized the beating sustained by the Russian diplomat in the Netherlands.