“A multipolar world cannot be built right away” – Kommersant FM

The best period in centuries-old history – this is how Sergei Lavrov commented on the current relations between Russia and China. In addition to China, the list of countries in the immediate Russian environment includes Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. Foreign policy priorities for 2024, according to Lavrov, will be Africa and Latin America. Positive dynamics also remain with India. Kommersant FM political commentator Dmitry Drize notes some difficulties in the post-Soviet space.

The Russian Foreign Minister held a traditional press conference on the results of his department’s work in 2023. Sergei Lavrov named the states that Russia considers its close circle. These are Middle Eastern countries, including Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

Israel, as we see, dropped out, and perhaps it was not even on the cherished list of friendly countries. Although before it seemed that there was. Russia’s relations with China are experiencing the best period in their history. Everything is fine with India, too, but still not the same as with China, there is only progressive development.

Partnership with African countries is reaching a strategic level. Latin America is also a sphere of Russian interests. This region is the basis of the multipolar world under construction. We will not touch upon Western former partners, because everything is already very clear. The position of the Russian side has not undergone significant changes.

Let’s move on to the section code-named “CIS and post-Soviet space.” There are some, very small, reasons to believe that not everything is clear in this part. For example, relations with Armenia in the past year were clearly not in the best way. The hostile, unfriendly former partners mentioned above are, of course, to blame for this. But there will be someone who will ask the question inappropriately: how was it allowed? They, the enemies, are far away, but we are close.

Or Kazakhstan. Either there were rumors, or there was information from sources that this country wants to join the Union State of Russia and Belarus. So the Russian Foreign Ministry has not heard anything about this. That is, no unification, read, rapprochement with Astana, at least in the near future, is not announced. By the way, China, our best friend and partner, provided security guarantees to Kazakhstan. Moldova is also behaving unconstructively. Relations with Georgia seem to be better, but for some reason they also want to join the EU, just like friendly Serbia.

By the way, about the Union State. Sergei Viktorovich said that Moscow and Minsk stand shoulder to shoulder and are ready to further defend their interests. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko was just holding a meeting on the issue of integration. They say that there is a process of unification of the legislation of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus in various areas. So, infringement of Belarusian interests must not be allowed.

And here again I am tormented by vague doubts: this unification is taking a painfully long time. It’s been 25 years since the agreement was signed, and approvals continue. And it seems that there is no end to them. But nothing can be done, history is being made before our eyes. You cannot build a multipolar world right away. And the hegemony of the Anglo-Saxons cannot be destroyed in an hour. So there is still work to be done and a lot to be done.

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