Hoge Vertegenwoordiger Buitenlands en Veiligheidsbeleid Ashton over haar ontmoeting met de Russische minister van Buitenlandse Zaken (en)

Brussels, 28 February 2011

Remarks by Catherine Ashton i, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, after meeting Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs:

It is a great pleasure to see Minister Lavrov again twice in a short few days and to continue our discussions. Not surprisingly, our focus has been on the unfolding situation in Libya and our determination to keep pressure on to find a peaceful solution, but also to discuss the issues of how we ensure support for countries – Tunisia and Egypt in particular – going through a period of change.

Secondly, we were keen to recall that we collaborate on a number of important issues: piracy off the coast of Somalia, the Middle East peace process and of course the talks on the nuclear issue with Iran, and we are keen to continue to develop the collaboration that we have.

And thirdly, to discuss issues of our neighbourhood, and to ensure that we have an open and frank dialogue and recognise where we have much to collaborate on to find solutions, not least as the minister said, in Transnistria.

So finally, we want to continue to develop the dialogue and I very much look forward to see Minister Lavrov hopefully soon in Moscow.