The European Union and Russia should carry on mutually advantageous collaboration in spite of their disagreement over Ukraine, Head of the EU Delegation to Russia, Ambassador Vygaudas Usackas said.
The ambassador visiting the Russian Far East told reporters on Khabarovsk on June 4 that the EU travel ban and the freeze of assets of 61 Russian citizens and two companies of Russia and Ukraine did not relate to cooperation in science, innovations and higher education.
Usackas hopes this cooperation will be an important area of the EU-Russia relationship at the moment of a profound political crisis.
For instance, the European Union will continue to open the so-called European schools in Russia where students and pedagogues studying Russia-EU relations can exchange knowledge and practices, he said. A school of the kind will open in Irkutsk this year and another school will be launched in Khabarovsk or Vladivostok next year, Usackas said.
Speaking of the development of trade and economic relations, the EU Delegation Head noted that about a half of all investment in the Khabarovsk territory came from European companies. He therefore suggested that the territorial authorities think about holding presentations and meetings with members of the European Business Association.
Usackas is visiting Khabarovsk and Vladivostok, legs of his Far Eastern tour of June 3-6, to meet with the regional authorities, university students and journalists.
