VIENNA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd January, 2021) The case of Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny has no foreign policy dimension, and Russia will not tolerate foreign interference in it, Russian Ambassador to Austria Dmitry Lyubinsky told the Tiroler Tageszeitung newspaper.
"The Navalny case has no foreign policy dimension. We will not tolerate interference from abroad in this case. Six months ago, there was a question who Navalny is in general. Yes, he has supporters in Russia, but the West views him as much more important. Now this case is being inflated in politics. This should not undermine the foundations of our relationship," Lyubinsky said.
The remarks come as some Russian cities were hit by mass protests on Saturday in support of Navalny, who was detained in Moscow this past Sunday upon his arrival from Germany, where he had undergone months of treatment after being allegedly poisoned with a nerve agent. The blogger was subsequently placed in custody for 30 days for violating his probation terms for an earlier embezzlement conviction.
When asked how Moscow plans to deal with Navalny, Lyubinsky said that this case is entirely in the hands of the Russian justice authorities.
The Russian ambassador stressed that Moscow is trying to maintain dialogue and cooperation with the EU as constructively as possible, at the negotiating table and not through "news headlines."
"There are many common issues we can tackle together: counterterrorism and cybersecurity, climate change, equality and the migration crisis, conflict prevention or economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis. But the choice is not ours, the EU must make a fundamental decision," Lyubinsky added.
Many Western countries have issued statements calling for Navalny's release, whereas the Russian Foreign Ministry advised them to focus on their own domestic affairs.
