OREANDA-NEWS. Deputy President of the European Commission, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell will visit Russia. This was announced on Friday, January 29, by the European External Relations Service (EEAS). The visit will last from 4 to 6 February and will be the first for the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs since 2017.

The head of European diplomacy will discuss «Russia's actions in Ukraine and in neighboring countries», the importance of further implementation of the nuclear deal with Iran, the global response to the pandemic, as well as the problem of climate change. «His agenda will also include issues related to the recent poisoning, detention and arrest of opposition politician Alexei Navalny, as well as concerns about fundamental freedoms and human rights in Russia — more broadly», the European Foreign Office stressed.

The main reason for Borrell's trip is the EU's intention to conduct a strategic review of all relations with Russia. This will be addressed by the heads of state and government of the EU countries at the summit on March 25-26. Josep Borrel, in particular, expressed confidence that he should discuss relations between the EU and Russia with Lavrov before the leaders of the EU countries deal with this issue.