Briefly

RUSSIA

Moscow welcomes EU discussions on dialogue

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that discussions in Europe on the need for dialogue with Russia were a positive development, though the situation is still in initial stages. Russian President Vladimir Putin, while responding to questions on Saturday over a potential negotiation mediator between Russia and Europe, said he would prefer former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder for the role. Putin said Europeans should choose their own leader, one they trust and who has not made hostile remarks against Russia. "It is noteworthy that there is growing talk in Europe about the need for dialogue with Russia," Peskov told state media RIA Novosti."We welcome this; it is a positive development, but we are still only at the beginning. We will see how things develop from here."

SPAIN

'Work not over' after hantavirus evacuation

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Tuesday that "our work is not over" to contain the hantavirus after evacuations from a cruise ship hit by a deadly outbreak of the illness. The fate of the MV Hondius has sparked international alarm after three passengers died in an outbreak of the rare virus, for which no vaccines or specific treatments exist. Yet, health officials have stressed that the global public health risk is low and rejected comparisons to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. "There is no sign that we are seeing the start of a larger outbreak," Tedros told a joint news conference in Madrid with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. "But of course the situation could change, and given the long incubation period of the virus, it's possible we might see more cases in the coming weeks," Tedros said of the Andes variant, which is transmissible between humans.

Agencies - Xinhua