Arya News - NATO intends to impose its will in Asia, far beyond its zone of responsibility, and a constructive response is needed, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday.
On NATO in AsiaToday, NATO is trying to claim that the entire territory of Eurasia is its zone of responsibility, citing the defensive nature of the alliance, the minister said, noting that it is protecting the territories of member countries, but threats to the territories now come from the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea. On Central AsiaRussia assesses the situation in Central Asia as stable and favorable for developing international cooperation, but certain risks persist, Sergey Lavrov said."We assess the situation emerging in Central Asia as stable and favorable for international cooperation, given all known risks. We appreciate the enormous contribution of the region"s leaders to the creation of all the necessary conditions for this," Lavrov said.It is important not to lose sight of the risks that are not yet known and that arise mainly as a result of the actions of certain external players, who are pursuing their geopolitical goals without taking into account the specifics and interests of the Central Asian peoples friendly to Russia, the minister said.On AfghanistanIt will take a long time to overcome the consequences of the actions of the United States and NATO in Afghanistan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.Radical groups want to use Afghanistan as a springboard to transfer threats to Central Asia and Russia, the minister said, adding that ISIS (the Islamic State terrorist organization, banned in Russia) is trying to undermine Kabul’s efforts to stabilize the situation in Afghanistan.Russia will continue providing Afghanistan with whatever humanitarian assistance it can offer, Sergey Lavrov said."Russia will continue providing the Afghan people with all possible economic and humanitarian assistance," Lavrov said.Russia welcomes similar efforts by Afghanistan"s neighbors, the minister added.Russia takes necessary actions to provide to Tajik partners with arms in a timely manner to protect the border with Afghanistan, Sergey Lavrov said."Within the framework of the CSTO, we pay special attention to implementing the targeted interstate program to strengthen the Tajik‑Afghan border. We are taking the necessary measures to ensure timely supplies of weapons, military equipment, and technical means for border protection to our Tajikistani allies," Lavrov said.On Eurasian Security ConferenceThe fourth International Conference on Eurasian Security will be held in Minsk on November 3-4, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.Russia hopes that European representatives will take part in the security conference, the minister added.