Moscow has taken into account the recent results of the United Kingdom's recent general election, which saw Conservative Party leader Boris Johnson reelected with a comprehensive majority in the House of Commons, and its possible implications for the Brexit process, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in an interview with Sputnik
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st December, 2019) Moscow has taken into account the recent results of the United Kingdom's recent general election, which saw Conservative Party leader Boris Johnson reelected with a comprehensive majority in the House of Commons, and its possible implications for the Brexit process, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in an interview with Sputnik.
On December 12, the Tories recorded a historic election victory, and gained 365 seats in the House of Commons. Johnson campaigned fervently on the promise of completing Brexit by the end of next year.
"We do not evaluate international political events in other countries, or processes taking place in communities to which Russia does not belong ... We approach these issues from the following standpoints. Firstly, we consider that electoral and integration processes in specific countries are the choice of the people. Secondly, we take these into account when building relations with these countries and their populations. We accept their choice and will adjust our policy based on real events and what is currently happening in the European Union," Zakharova said.
According to the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Russia has a specific economic interest in ascertaining the UK's next steps in Brexit negotiations and its future relationship with the European Union. Zakharova outlined that Brexit is not merely a political matter, but also has serious economic consequences.
"Of course we are interested in this issue. It is impossible not to worry given that we are currently building relations with the European Union. We have a large number of agreements and interested partners. We are, at the end of the day, developing our energy cooperation intensively. Therefore, we are taking everything into account," the spokeswoman stated.
Zakharova also remarked that the UK population was still waiting for their democratic will to be enacted after the country voted to leave the European Union in a referendum held in June 2016 � the European Union has already granted three extensions to negotiations between London and Brussels.
"How is it that the legitimate expression of the will of the people, which took place under conditions that were accepted by the international community, is not realized after almost four years?" Zakharova queried.
Immediately after Johnson's reelection, the prime minister brought his Brexit Withdrawal Agreement Bill back to the House of Commons on December 20 for a vote on its second reading. With a significant majority in the Commons, Johnson's bill was approved in the UK parliament. During the election campaign, the prime minister vowed to conclude a withdrawal agreement with Brussels by January 31, and a trade deal with the EU before the December 31, 2020 deadline.
