Title:Russia is not trying divide EU, says Putin as he visits Austria

VIENNA — Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived on Tuesday in Austria, one of the European Union's more Russia-friendly members, on his first foreign trip since being sworn in for a fourth term.

俄罗斯总统普京(Vladimir Putin)周二抵达奥地利，是欧洲联盟较为友好的成员国之一。

Before meetings with Austrian leaders, Putin dismissed suggestions that Russia has any intention of dividing the 28-nation EU.

在与奥地利领导人会谈之前，普京驳斥了俄罗斯有意分裂28国欧盟的说法。

Putin's sixth official visit to traditionally neutral Austria marks the 50th anniversary of the start of Soviet gas deliveries to the country.

普京对传统上中立的奥地利进行的第六次正式访问标志着苏联开始向该国运送天然气50周年。

Unlike many other EU countries, Austria didn't expel Russian diplomats over the poisoning in Britain earlier this year of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal.

和许多其他欧盟国家不同的是，奥地利在今年早些时候的英国袭击前俄罗斯间谍谢尔盖·斯利帕尔事件中并未将俄罗斯外交官驱逐出境。

In March, conservative Chancellor Sebastian Kurz pointed to Vienna's  "traditionally good contacts"  with Russia and said that his government would use them to press Moscow to help clarify the nerve agent attack. He said Vienna was  "of the opinion that it is important to maintain channels of dialogue."

3月，保守派总理塞巴斯蒂安·库尔兹指出，维也纳与俄罗斯保持着“传统的良好联系”，并表示政府将利用他们向莫斯科施压，帮助澄清神经毒剂的攻击。他说维也纳认为保持对话渠道很重要。

In an interview broadcast on Monday, said he did not want to divide the European Union.

在周一播出的采访中，他说他不想分裂欧盟。

"We do not pursue the objective of dividing anything or anyone in the EU,"  Putin told broadcaster ORF.

普京对ORF电视台说：“我们不追求分割欧盟内部任何或任何人的目标。”

"We are far more interested in the EU being united and flourishing because the EU is our most important trading and economic partner."

“我们对欧盟团结与繁荣更加感兴趣，因为欧盟是我们的最重要贸易和经济伙伴。

Putin, who has not made a bilateral visit to a West European country since he went to Finland last July, will meet government and business leaders in Austria in a trip which officially marks 50 years since the two countries' energy firms Gazprom and OMV first signed a gas supply deal.

普京自去年7月访问芬兰以来，从未对西欧国家进行过双边访问，此次访问正式标志着两国能源公司俄罗斯天然气工业股份公司(Gazprom)和OMV(OMV)首次签订天然气供应协议后的50年。

He will attend a business conference with envoys from both countries.

他将出席同两国特使举行的商务会议。

But the issue of EU sanctions, imposed on Russia because of its support for pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, will weigh in any official talks he has.

Moscow's ties with EU countries remain strained after Russia's annexation of Crimea, its involvement in Syria and eastern Ukraine and the poisoning of a former Russian double agent in Britain. London has blamed the nerve agent poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter on Russia but Moscow has denied any involvement.

在俄罗斯吞并克里米亚、参与叙利亚和乌克兰东部以及俄罗斯前双重特工在英国中毒之后，莫斯科与欧盟各国的关系仍然紧张。伦敦谴责谢尔盖·斯利帕尔及其女儿神经毒药袭击俄罗斯，但莫斯科否认有任何牵连。

Moscow wants the EU to lift sanctions, but the bloc has linked that to progress on the ground, which has not happened.

莫斯科希望欧盟解除制裁，但欧盟已把这一点与实地进展联系起来。

Austria, which takes over the rotating EU presidency in July, has said it wants to act as a bridge between east and west.

今年7月担任欧盟轮值主席国的奥地利表示，它希望充当东西方之间的桥梁。

The leader of the far-right Freedom Party, which has a cooperation agreement with Putin's United Russia party, called this weekend for sanctions to be lifted.

与普京联合俄罗斯党签订了合作协议的极右自由党领袖本周末呼吁解除制裁。

But Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and his conservatives, who control Austria's EU policy, have said Austria will toe the EU line.

但控制奥地利欧盟政策的塞巴斯蒂安·库尔兹总理及其保守派表示，奥地利将服从欧盟政策。

"We decide pragmatically whether to cooperate with someone politically,"  Putin said when asked in the interview about United Russia's ties with far-right parties.

普京在接受采访时表示：“我们务实地决定是否与某个人开展政治合作。”

"We try to work with those who publicly express the wish themselves to work with us,"  he added. — Agencies

他补充道：“我们努力和那些公开表示希望和我们合作的人进行合作。”