"Partnership is over, more sanctions in works"

"Partnership is over, more sanctions in works"

Mogherini added that the Commission will work to strengthen the package of sanctions against Russia, "because of the military invasion of Ukraine," and that it will happen in four sectors, including defense and finance.

"The strategic partnership is over. It is clear that it is over and it is the choice of Moscow. We have problems in the territory of Ukraine. We have a conflict, of course," she said.

The Italian minister then strongly condemned "the entry of the Russian army to the Ukrainian territory," and said she told this also to the Russian foreign minister during a telephone conversation on Monday.

"(Sergei) Lavrov called me to congratulate me on the appointment, and I told him that in the future we will devote much time to conversations about the Russian aggression against Ukraine."

Mogherini, who is due to take over as EU foreign policy chief in November, then indicated that it is "not too late to find a political solution through the Contact Group," which was recently formed.

"The Contact Group is a faint light in almost complete darkness," said she, and added that the EU should "jointly oppose Russia's aggression."

Speaking about the construction of the South Stream pipeline, a project supported by her country, Mogherini indicated that it could significantly contribute to the energy security of the EU, but "must meet all technical and political conditions."

According to her, it is also "a political problem because the political situation has changed due to the Russian aggression."

As for EU's enlargement policy when it comes to the Western Balkans, Mogherini said it should continue - but that "concrete steps in the process depend on reforms in candidate countries."

"There are few places in Europe where the EU plays such an important role as in the Western Balkans," she noted.

Mogherini added that she had recently visited all capitals in the region in order to confirm that enlargement would be a priority of Italy's six-month presidency of the EU.

According to her, during her visit to Belgrade and Priština she witnessed that there was a strong political will to continue the dialogue on normalization of relations and implement agreements already reached.

"I would like to know what will happen in Bosnia-Herzegovina after the October election, and I believe that the people there would like to know that too," she was quoted as saying in response to a MEP question. She then "expressed her hope that constitutional reforms would be approached after the election."