2023-05-24 06:49:49
Moscow has no information regarding the alleged maintenance of informal channels of communication with the Austrian government, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday, according to the Russian state news agency TASS.
In an interview with the German daily newspaper “Die Welt” (Monday edition), Schallenberg said yes to the question that Austria maintained informal channels of communication with the Russian government. This is important. “The West must continue to talk to Russia.” The US administration does the same. Russia is “the EU’s largest geographical neighbor and the largest nuclear power on the planet.” Moscow sits at the table in numerous international organizations and is, for example, an important player in the implementation of global climate and environmental goals.
“We must show a clear edge in the prosecution of Russian war crimes in Ukraine and in holding the political leadership accountable for war crimes and the crime of aggression,” stressed Schallenberg. “But the West must continue to speak to Russia and should use international forums, such as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the United Nations (UN), to make our positions clear in direct exchanges.”
“We don’t know anything regarding it”
Zakharova said: “We were surprised to learn that Vienna has informal channels of communication with the Russian authorities. We don’t know anything regarding it.” The Foreign Ministry spokeswoman also noted that there were no issues on which Moscow and Vienna might have an informal dialogue. “Austria, which has clearly sided with the West in its hostile policies towards Russia, has given up its hitherto independent role in foreign policy and jettisoned the principle of neutrality,” she added.
The spokeswoman also commented on another statement by Schallenberg that if he met his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in person, he would “shake hands briefly” because of diplomatic etiquette, but with reluctance. “What his emotional despair over the need to shake hands with the Russian [Außen-]Minister at a hypothetical possible personal meeting with him, we would like to assure Minister Schallenberg that no one would come to shake his hand,” said Zakharova.
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