Johnson Ahead of Visit to Moscow: 'We're Not in a New Cold War With Russia'

© AFP 2023 / Adrian DennisBritish Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson delivers a speech on the first day of the Conservative party annual conference at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham, central England, on October 2, 2016.
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson delivers a speech on the first day of the Conservative party annual conference at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham, central England, on October 2, 2016. - Sputnik International
Subscribe
Neither Washington nor Brussels or London are seeking an escalation of tensions between Russia and the Western countries that could be classified as a new Cold War, UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said Monday.

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — On Saturday, Johnson's spokeswoman said that the UK foreign secretary is planning to come to Moscow in the coming weeks to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The talks of the two ministers are expected to focus on a number of international issues, including the crises in Ukraine and Syria.

"Point number one is to get that message across to the Russians. They've got to change, they've got to show that they could be trusted again. It is very, very important. But it is also important to stress that we are not in a new cold war with Russia. Neither the United Kingdom, nor our friends in the rest of the European Union, nor in Washington has any appetite for a new cold war," Johnson told reporters, speaking about the agenda of his upcoming visit to Moscow.

Britain's Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson arrives at Number 10 Downing Street in London, Britain October 24, 2016. - Sputnik International
UK Foreign Secretary Johnson to Come to Moscow for High-Level Talks
He added that it was vital to make attempts to cooperate with Russians and to understand their stance.

On Thursday, the Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) of the UK House of Commons released a report about London's relations with Moscow. The lawmakers said that it was necessary to start a dialogue with Russia in a number of spheres, such as fight against terrorism, stressing that two nation should mend ties between them. At the same time, FAC considered that the United Kingdom should maintain pressure on Russia over the situation in Syria and the Crimean issue.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала