RUSSIA ASKS US TO STOP BLACKLIST BATTLE
24.12.12
The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister has called on the US to end
the tit-for-tat travel bans and sanctions being imposed by the two
countries, RIA Novosti reported.
Sergey Ryabkov called the US officials who had backed the so-called
Magnitsky Act ‘hotheads’ and added that Russia had never advocated
such an approach in relations with the USA.
Moscow stands for “the search for compromises and mutually advantageous
solutions to problems, if there are any disputes in the countries’
approaches towards such issues as human rights and trans-border
consequences of economic activity,” the diplomat was speaking at the
Upper House International Affairs’ Committee meeting dedicated to
Russia’s retaliation to the approval of the Magnitsky Act.
Russia is alarmed by the way the situation is currently developing.
“Despite the calls we are making to the Americans, the idea of
sanctions and some blacklists continues to be inflated,”the official
told the meeting. He added that “all that comes from the past,” and
such games will not be useful for Moscow-Washington ties. Both sides
are playing on nerves, but “we have strong nerves,” emphasized the
top diplomat.