Russian and EU parliamentarians "could meet in Serbia"

Russian and EU parliamentarians "could meet in Serbia"

The initiative came from Jiri Mastalka, deputy chairman of the EP Committee on Relations with Russia, the daily said.

"The European Union and Russia need to shift to talking about key issues, we can’t just tackle low-priority ones. For example, the change of experience can contribute a great deal to the global war on terror," Mastalka told Izvestia, and added:

"Citizens of European countries also expect Brussels and Moscow to enhance cooperation."

Since Russian deputies cannot come to Brussels due to the European sanctions the proposal is to organize a joint meeting of MPs on neutral ground, for example in Serbia, he said.

According to the report, the response of Russian lawmakers was "quite positive."

Duma International Affairs Committee Chairman Leonid Slutsky welcomed the initiative, saying that Moscow backs continued work of the committee for parliamentary cooperation between Russia and EU.

"Let’s see who is ready to participate in the EU’s delegation. Theoretically, we can make a positive decision," he said, adding that "there are no intentions to cut off contacts that were suspended under the initiative of Brussels."

State Duma Committee for Foreign Affairs Deputy Chairman Alexei Chepa said the meeting should focus on issues such as "terrorism, economic and migration problems."