Interaction and cooperation between Russia and the European Union were on the agenda of consultations between Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov and Deputy Secretary General and Political Director for the European External Action Service (EEAS) Helga Schmid in the format of Russia-EU political directors.

"The sides had a detailed exchange of opinions on the state of bilateral relations and prospects for their development. They also discussed the short-term schedule for bilateral contacts. They stressed the importance of increasing cooperation between Russia and the EU on the most important international problems and jointly countering common challenges and threats," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a report published on its website.

The meeting between Meshkov and Schmid took place in Moscow on May 11, the ministry said.

Schmid earlier visited Moscow in mid-April 2015. It was the first trip to Moscow by a representative of the EU's political leadership following a cooling-off in relations between Brussels and Russia over the events in Ukraine.

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