EU foreign policy chief to visit Russia in Feb

Moscow, Jan 26 (SocialNews.XYZ) Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, will embark on a visit to Moscow next month ahead of a discussion on relations with Russia by the European Council in March.

"I informed the Council about my intention of visiting Moscow" at the invitation of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, TASS News Agency quoted Borrell as saying at a news conference on Monday after a session of the Council of the EU in Brussels,

"It is good before the European Union Council discusses strategically" this relationship, "to discuss with our Russian counterpart," he said.

According to Borrell, he intends to focus in Rusisa on "all relevant issues".

In a statement on Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Borrell will be in Moscow from February 4-6.

On February 5, Lavrov and Borrell will discuss "the entire range of problems and prospects of Russian-EU relations", Xinhua news agency reported citing the statement as saying.

Both sides will exchange views on the situation in the Western Balkans, the Middle East and North Africa, and the region of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

They will also discuss the prospect of the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal, the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, and security issues in Europe.

At the news conference, Borrell also mentioned that Monday's EU Council session also looked into the situation around the arrest of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny in Moscow.

He said the EU had called on Russia "for the release of Navalny and those detained" at the rallies held on January 23.

Source: IANS