Sanctions agenda may be discussed during Putin-Juncker meeting at SPIEF

(Interfax – June 14, 2016)

Russian President Vladimir Putin and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker can touch on the issue of sanctions at their meeting planned during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on June 16, Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov said.

“The agenda [of sanctions and countersanctions] will certainly be voiced, because, as we know, the issue of sanctions, their extension or mitigation, is going to be discussed by the European Commission in the upcoming period,” Ushakov told reporters at a briefing on June 14, adding that “Juncker will probably be telling something in this regard as well”.

At the same time, Ushakov underlined that Russia itself does not initiate including the issue of sanction in the agenda.

“We said a lot of times that we wouldn’t like to be begging or making any steps forward since the partners are not ready for them. If they are ready to make them, then we will welcome it and certainly respond with a cancellation of our countermeasures,” Ushakov said.

Putin and Juncker plan also to discuss Russia-EU relations, international problems and energy issues, Ushakov said.

“The Nord Stream 2 project and the outlook for resumption of the Russia-EU energy dialog is expected to be discussed,” Ushakov said, stressing that Russia remains and will continue to remain a major supplier of hydrocarbons to the EU.

The meeting might also feature a discussion of “the potential prospects for bringing the so-called European and Eurasian integrations closer,” Ushakov said.