Russia's Relations With EU 'Far From Perfect' - Medvedev

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday that the relations between Moscow the European Union far from being perfect, but Russia hopes to maintain a constructive dialogue with the union to prevent their further deterioration.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier, the Russian prime minister said the cabinet expected sanctions against Russia to remain in force for the period of 2017-2019.

"There is no point in denying the fact that these relations are far from being perfect for well-known reasons, but we hope that the upcoming Malta presidency in the EU, as well as the current dialogue in general, will help improve these relations rather than lead to their further degradation," Medvedev told reporters following a meeting with Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat in Moscow.