Oriented on making people closer

Russia is working on holding a second summit between Russia and the five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) in the foreseeable future. This was announced by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, speaking to teachers and students of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

“There is, of course, the format we created a few years ago - Central Asia plus Russia, TASS quoted him as saying. - The first summit and several ministerial meetings took place. Now we are preparing a second summit in the foreseeable future.”

Lavrov added that various global players are fighting for influence in Central Asia. “We cannot forbid anyone - it is not in our rules and not in our principles - to develop relations with those partners who are ready for it, if the corresponding country sees an advantage in this. Yes, there is competition for Central Asia, he continued. - There are formats of Central Asia plus the United States, Central Asia plus the European Union, plus Germany, plus France, plus Japan, plus India, plus Korea, Iran, plus Turkey, many formats”.

At the same time, the Russian minister noted, there is a complete mutual understanding between Russia and the five Central Asian countries, that the obligations of the allies within the CSTO and CIS are “not affected by the projects that other states propose to them”.

The first “Central Asia - Russia” summit was held on 14 October, 2022, in Astana.

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Photo: © Sputnik / Sergey Guneyev