EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton is concerned about recent trade and customs measures taken by the Russian Federation towards certain Eastern Partners.

Catherine Ashton expressed her concerns during the meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in New York.

“They discussed bilateral relations between the European Union and Russian Federation, relations with Eastern Partners as well as the main foreign policy issues of international concern,” says the statement issued after the meeting.

Catherine Ashton called on Russia to build on the positive momentum created by the agreement on chemical weapons to support international efforts for a negotiated settlement to the crisis in Syria.   

“The High Representative expressed the EU’s concern about recent trade and customs measures taken by the Russian Federation towards certain Eastern Partners. She stressed that those measures were not in line with the principles that Russia had subscribed to, such as each country’s right freely to define and conduct its relations with other States in accordance with international law.”