Putin urges EU to restore cooperation, says Moscow ready to compromiseJune 17, 2016 - 16:39 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Russian President Vladimir Putin called on the European Union to restore cooperation with Russia, RT reports. Speaking at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday, June 17, Putin said Moscow was ready to meet halfway, but stressed that the EU should also be willing to compromise. "We do not hold a grudge and are ready to meet our European partners halfway," the Russian President told the forum. "But it certainly cannot be a one-way game." “Our recent meetings with representatives of the German and French business circles have proved that the European business is willing and is ready to cooperate with our country. Politicians need to meet the businesspeople halfway, and show wisdom, foresight and flexibility. We need to regain trust in Russian-European relations and to restore the level of interaction," Putin said. European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Thursday that Russia and the EU should continue their dialogue, despite the sanctions. "We can have no illusions about the problems weighing on our relationship today. They exist,” Juncker said, adding that it would be “pointless, even dangerous, to ignore them.” “We must tackle them urgently," he said, adding that the dialogue should begin with discussing the Minsk agreements on solving the Ukraine crisis, and ensuring the norms and rules of international law. Russia has never courted confrontation with the West, and has always been "in favor of an equal and mutually beneficial dialogue," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in response. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |