Lavrov: Russia has very warm and close relations with Greece and Cyprus

Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov, has said that he sees no reason why Greece and Cyprus should be persuaded that Russia is an enemy of theirs or has carried out an unfriendly policy towards them.

Moreover he stressed that Russia has "very warm and close relations, a spiritual connection" with Greece and Cyprus and that there is no underlying enmity between anyone in Russia, Greece and Cyprus.

According to a press release issued by the Russian Embassy in Cyprus, invited, during a press conference, to comment on statements by US diplomats that Russia has changed its stance towards Greece and Cyprus, Lavrov said that  "if American diplomats are saying this in Greece and Cyprus, they also say it in every other country."

"I can see no reason why these countries should be persuaded that Russia is an enemy of theirs or has carried out an unfriendly policy towards them. Someone is trying to convince them, but politicians with common sense can see the whole truth: that they are only trying to make an enemy out of the Russian Federation," he noted.

Lavrov said that "there is no diplomacy here, only crude public leverage." He added that "not everyone in such countries as Cyprus and Greece can publicly respond to such battle cries because they are scared to offend `Big Brother`.”

He underlined that Russia has "very warm and close relations, a spiritual connection" with Greece and Cyprus, and that "there is no underlying enmity between anyone in Russia, Greece and Cyprus."

Moreover, Lavrov said that he has recently visited Greece and Cyprus and talked with Foreign Minister of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides by telephone.