OREANDA-NEWS. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Joseph Borrel intends to pay a visit to Russia after a trip to Donbass.

“I really wanted to visit Ukraine in March. During this first visit, I planned to visit the conflict zone in the Donbass, including. Visiting Ukraine remains one of my priorities as soon as the situation normalizes. After that, I still plan to come to Russia , which is not only our largest neighbor, but also an important geopolitical player and a permanent member of the UN Security Council", the diplomat said in an interview with media published on Thursday.

"We are open to dialogue, as this interview also speaks of - the first conversation of the high representative with the Russian press in a few years", Borrell added.

On April 22, at a press briefing following a video conference of EU foreign ministers, Borrel announced that he would make his first foreign visit after the opening of borders to Ukraine. In early March, the head of diplomacy of the European Union had already expressed his intention to visit Ukraine and Russia, but then an outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic prevented his plans.