Russia will continue to play a role in the future of Europe, says Austrian Foreign Minister

Vienna, (ST) – Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg has affirmed that Russia will continue to play a role in the future of Europe. He stressed that its complete isolation in all sectors is illusory.

Schallenberg said during an interview with Reuters in Vienna today: Russia will not disappear from the world, and it will remain our greatest neighbor, and Dostoevsky and Tchaikovsky will remain a part of European culture, whether we like it or not.

Schallenberg defended the Austrian Raiffeisen International Bank, which is currently under media criticism regarding its continued banking dealings in Russia, pointing out that only 9 percent of Western companies withdrew from Russia, and 91 percent of them are still there and running their business.

Raghda Sawas