BRUSSELS. Feb 7 (Interfax) - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin has described as useful and open the consultations over the Ukraine, Caucasus, Central Asia and Transdniestria problems, which he held with senior officials from the European External Action Service and EU countries' permanent representatives in Brussels on Tuesday and Wednesday.
"The exchange was very frank and open. We are working on the premise that the relations between the Russian Federation and the EU are currently going through a trying period. We hope that common sense would prevail and we would be able to restore our cooperation on the most important international problems, including those concerning the regions I listed," Karasin told journalists.
On Tuesday he met with EEAS Secretary General Helga Schmid, EU Special Representative for Central Asia Peter Burian, EU Special Representative for South Caucasus Toivo Klaar, and EEAS Managing Director for Europe and Central Asia Thomas Mayr-Harting. On Wednesday, the office of the Russian delegation to the EU hosted his talks with the French, Italian, Hungarian and Bulgarian permanent representatives to the EU. The meeting was also attended by Walter Stevens, chairman of the EU Political and Security Committee.
The talks "had been planned for a long time," Karasin told reporters. On Tuesday, "the talk focused on assessments of the situation in South Caucasus, in Central Asia, in Ukraine, with regard to relations with Moldova, the Transdniestrian [conflict] settlement - on a whole host of topics that are very important for Russia and the EU," Karasin said.
On Tuesday the parties "shared impressions," he said. "I told of our approaches to the Ukrainian crisis, to the situation in South Caucasus, our efforts to normalize Russian-Georgian relations. We talked about the developments in Moldova, the Transdniestrian settlement," Karasin said.
"The exchange of opinions proved extremely useful for us, and I hope for our EU partners as well," the Russian deputy foreign minister said.