MOSCOW. June 7 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and European Council President Charles Michel discussed in detail relations between Russia and the European Union and a number of key international problems during their phone conversation on Monday, the Kremlin press service said.
"Vladimir Putin stressed that though Russia and the EU remain quite significant partners for each other in the field of trade and investment, nonetheless, the current state of Russian-EU ties cannot be considered to be satisfactory. It was noted that a return to pragmatic and respectful cooperation would meet their common interests. The parties also expressed a mutual opinion regarding the importance of intensifying interaction in concrete areas such as healthcare, the climate agenda and efforts to resolve regional conflicts," the press service said.
Putin and Michel also discussed the fight against the spread of Covid-19, including the prospects of certifying the Russian Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V in the EU and ensuring conditions for citizens' mutual trips in compliance with anti-epidemic restrictions, the press service said.
The parties also discussed the current situation around Nagorno-Karabakh in light of the importance of further consistent implementation of the statements adopted by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia on November 9, 2020 and on January 11, 2021.
"Among priorities, they listed unblocking economic and transport links in the region and securing a solution to humanitarian problems facing the local population," the press service said.
Michel, in turn, expressed his support for this work, including efforts undertaken by the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Russia, the United States and France).
In light of the EU's additional measures of sanctions pressure on Belarus, Putin "emphasized that this approach and any attempts in general to interfere in the internal affairs of this sovereign state are counterproductive."
While exchanging opinions on the internal Ukrainian crisis, the parties reaffirmed that the 2015 Minsk Package of Measures to "settle the conflict has no alternative."
"The president of Russia also underscored the need for the Kyiv authorities to strictly abide by all earlier reached agreements, primarily those dealing with the establishment of a direct dialogue with Donetsk and Luhansk and the legal formalization of special status for Donbas," the press service said.
As they discussed the situation in Libya, Putin and Michel spoke in favor of "further assistance to promote the political process and support for the transitional authorities."