Russian foreign ministry: Russia will be developing the dialogue with Cyprus the way it wants

Russia will be developing the dialogue with Cyprus the way it wants, Alexander Lukashevich, the official representative of the Russian foreign ministry said.

Commenting on the assaults on Cyprus over President Nicos Anastasiades’s visit to Moscow, Lukashevich said the assaults began yet before the Cyprian president’s visit to Russia. “There was nothing surprising,” the diplomat said, “we can see many examples of how people lose a sense of proportion and have no manners.” As for the statements on Ukraine and media coverage of Russia, Lukashevich said: “Everyone perceives international developments in his own way,” the diplomat said. “We will be developing the dialogue with Cyprus the way we think proper.”

As EAD reported earlier, on March 2, Marie Harf, the deputy spokesperson for the US Department of State, urged European partners to restrain from doing business with Russia because of the developments in Ukraine. “We’ve been clear that this is not the time for business as usual with Russia,” spokesperson Marie Harf said. “We’ve stressed with our European allies and partners the importance of unity in pressing Russia to stop fueling conflict in eastern Ukraine. That’s certainly something we feel very strongly about.” The US statement came after U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus posted on Facebook that Washington is not happy with the contacts of Nicosia and Moscow. Earlier, the president of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades visited Moscow and had talks with President Vladimir Putin.