MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th September, 2020) Moscow is open for a dialogue with Berlin regarding the situation around Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny 24 hours a day, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Sunday.
"We are ready to interact with the German side 24 hours a day. I would like to remind you that when Russian ambassador [Sergey Nechaev] was at the German Foreign Ministry, he asked if there was any specific data that the Russian side can get familiar with to advance the investigation [into Navalny case], but nothing was transferred to him. The situation remains the same today," Zakharova told the Rossiya 24 tv channel.
The spokeswoman also recalled that Moscow on August 27 sent a request of the Russian Prosecutor General's Office to exchange information about the situation with Navalny and was waiting for a prompt response from Berlin.
"What do we see? There is still no response. Moreover, it turned out that the request was forwarded to the Berlin Justice Department, responsible for considering legal issues, only on Friday ... If efficiency is important for Berlin, then, first of all, the German side should show efficiency," Zakharova said.
According to the spokeswoman, Moscow has repeatedly urged Berlin to promptly respond to all Russia's requests regarding the situation with the Russian opposition politician.
"We are trying, and we have done this many times, to urge Berlin to promptly respond to relevant requests. After all, if we are talking about an investigation � we already hear calls from our partners in NATO for international investigations and for appeals to international organizations � even regardless of this, if we are talking about an investigation, it should be conducted legally. We have chosen this path," Zakharova said.
Earlier this week, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that Berlin expects Moscow to act regarding the alleged poisoning of Navalny as soon as possible, adding that Germany will coordinate a response with its partners in case if Russia will fail to investigate. Maas has also said that there were many indications that Russia was behind the incident with the opposition figure.
Navalny is currently undergoing treatment in a German hospital after suffering an acute medical condition in Russia in late August. Berlin on Wednesday said that a German military laboratory possessed undeniable proof that the opposition politician had intoxication with a nerve agent from the Novichok group. The Kremlin has said that Russia was not informed by Germany on its findings and was waiting for a response to Moscow's official request on the situation.
