MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The report stated that despite a strain in relations, Moscow and London have "a shared interest in combatting Islamist terrorism and extremism" and should work out methods to defeat it.
"The Government and its agencies should be having a regular dialogue with their Russian counterparts about the causes of Islamist extremist violence and the potential strategies to address it. This shared objective could be utilised to open constructive dialogue with Russia in the area of common shared security and anti-terrorism," the report dubbed "The United Kingdom’s relations with Russia" said.
The committee added that dialogue with Moscow "should be used to improve relations, better understand Russian foreign policy and initiate discussion on freedom of expression, the rule of law and human rights, and the ongoing issues in Crimea and eastern Ukraine."
A press release accompanying the Thursday Foreign Affairs Committee report stressed that "it is shortsighted not to engage with Russia – however uncomfortable such conversations might be" in the current environment.
The report itself stressed that even though exchanged with Russia might be uncomfortable, interaction with Russia is preferable to a lack thereof.
