Russia not to refuse to resume cooperation with EU: diplomat

Russia does not abandon hopes that it could resume cooperation with the European Union (EU) despite existing tensions, the Foreign Ministry said Thursday.

"Our position regarding the Russian-EU relationship is clear and unambiguous today. We have said it repeatedly that we will not discuss any criteria for lifting the anti-Russian sanctions," Alexander Lukashevich, a spokesman for the ministry, said in a statement.

He added that Russia is not refusing to maintain equitable cooperation with the bloc in various fields, saying there are "some challenges" on the bilateral agenda that neither party can cope with on its own.

The diplomat pointed in particular at countering international terrorism, organized crime, Ebola virus, settlement of conflicts in Syria and the Middle East, as well as the Iranian nuclear program.

Meanwhile, the European Parliament urged the European Council to impose further sanctions on Russia's energy and financial sectors if there is still no progress in the Ukraine crisis, Tass news agency reported.

Russia's relations with the EU have been stranded following the sanctions imposed on Moscow after Russia's takeover of Crimea last March and alleged support for independence-seeking insurgents in eastern Ukraine.

However, the country has repeatedly said its relations with the EU would remain Moscow's foreign policy priority. Endi