Lavrov: The EU does not hide its intentions to “push” Russia out of Central Asia

The European Union does not hide its intentions to contain and “push” Russia out of Central Asia and Transcaucasia, stated Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in an interview with VGTRK journalist Pavel Zarubin.

“The European Union does not hide its intentions to restrain us in every possible way, to push us out of Central Asia and Transcaucasia. It will not work. We are here historically and we will not disappear anywhere. And our partners, our allies know this very well,” the minister said.

Lavrov recalled the statement of one of the leaders of an EU country after a visit to Central Asia, who “publicly said at a press conference that the country we are visiting, we are glad that it will never be anyone’s vassal.” “It’s also true, it’s quite brazen for diplomatic language,” he added.

Presumably, Lavrov was talking about the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron. After the visit, he said that Kazakhstan “refuses to be a vassal of any powers, but is building a balanced partnership with several of them for the benefit of the Kazakh people.” According to the president, this philosophy is close to France.

Russian President Vladimir Putin paid an official visit to Kazakhstan on November 9, during which he held talks with the country’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. As a result of the visit, a joint statement was adopted by the two presidents on the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Good Neighborhood Treaty between the countries, and six other documents were signed. Among them are a joint action plan between the two countries for 2024–2026, a memorandum of the Ministry of Energy on the construction of the Kokshetau Thermal Power Plant, the Semey Thermal Power Plant and the Ust-Kamenogorsk Thermal Power Plant in Kazakhstan, an action plan between the Federal Customs Service and the State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance of Kazakhstan, etc. .

How noted political scientist, specialist on Central Asia Mars Sariev in an interview with Vedomosti, Macron’s visit did not take place without the consent of the US authorities, and Washington wants to either alienate Kazakhstan from Russia or destabilize the internal political situation in the republic. At the same time, Tokayev is an experienced politician who understands that only Russia and China can act as guarantors of security and stability, the expert specified.