Brussels, 09/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - The European Union “does not have a policy against Russia”, said European Council President Donald Tusk in Riga on Friday 9 January, but rather “a policy aiming to ensure the respect of peace and borders in Europe”.
“It's a policy that demands, and will continue to demand, sacrifices” and “the price to pay is often higher in countries like Latvia, but there is no alternative to this”, Tusk said at the end of a meeting with Latvia's Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma. “One of the challenges [which will have to be addressed by the Latvian Presidency] is in our Eastern neighbourhood”, Tusk continued, before re-asserting “the untouchable principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty”. Reviewing the European neighbourhood policy and the Eastern Partnership summit planned in Riga in May “will be important steps” in this regard, and “Latvia is ideally placed to deal with our relations with Russia and our Eastern neighbours”, Tusk said. (LC)