MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Moscow regrets that Albania and Montenegro support anti-Russian sanctions Russia's Ambassador to Albania Alexander Karpushin said Monday, adding that it would not guarantee accelerated EU integration for these states.
"The decision on joining sanctions is a purely voluntary matter and it is not obligatory for becoming the EU member… [The sanctions policy of] the European Union and the United States, which has been followed by Albania and Montenegro from year to year, is regrettable," Karpushin said in an interview with Albanian ABC News TV channel.
"The example of Albania and Montenegro signifies only one thing — they are ready to sacrifice the interests of their citizens in exchange for doubtful benefit. As we see, no one in the European Union plans to guarantee them an accelerated integration in return for such actions," Karpushin said.
On Thursday, the Council of the European Union officially confirmed the prolongation of sanctions, stipulating asset freezes and travel bans, against Russian and Ukrainian individuals and entities until March 15, 2018, over what it deemed as actions undermining Ukraine’s territorial integrity during the conflict that broke out in 2014.
