PRAGUE, October 17 (RIA Novosti) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reassured the President of the Czech Republic Milos Zeman on the sidelines of the ASEM Summit in Milan that Russia is not planning to invade Eastern Ukraine, Czech president's office said.
Hynek Kmonicek, the head of the foreign affairs department of the Czech president's office, said in an interview with Czech radio station that President Zamen wanted to find out whether the current situation in Ukraine posed any threat to the Czech Republic, for instance in case of Russia invading Ukraine. Sergei Lavrov reassured Zamen, stating that Russia plans nothing of such kind.
According to Kmonicek the idea of holding a meeting between Lavrov and Zeman on the sidelines of the ASEM Summit in Milan on Thursday was spontaneous. Both politicians happened to have 45-minute breaks between the scheduled talks and they decided to meet for a cup of coffee and informal conversation to exchange opinions on topical issues. Later on Thursday the Czech President left Milan for Prague.