"Today, along with the chancellor and the vice-chancellor, we have discussed both general and specific issues and I have an impression that several statements of the vice-chancellor could have been conveyed in a not very correct manner. Frankly speaking, I have a very good impression of this government," Juncker said after talks with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and the members of his cabinet.
The EU official said that he hoped that the government of Austria that would assume EU presidency in July shared pro-European positions.
READ MORE: French Politician: Russian Countersteps Against Western Sanctions Not Surprising
Earlier in the month, Strache, who is also the leader of the right-wing Freedom Party of Austria (FPO), said in an interview with the Oesterreich newspaper that "it is high time to put an end to these painful sanctions and normalize political and economic relations with Russia."
READ MORE: US on Verge of Sanctioning EU Firms Involved in Russia's Nord Stream 2 — Sources
A number of Austrian officials, including Kurz, have repeatedly called for a reduction of tensions between Moscow and the Western countries, stressing the country's readiness to act as a mediator for the East and West.
