Moscow accuses EU of wanting to push Russia out of Central Asia

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has accused the European Union of trying to push Russia out of Central Asia but insisted the effort was doomed to fail.

"The European Union (EU) does not hide its intention to contain Russia by all possible means and push it out of Central Asia and the South Caucasus," Lavrov said in a televised interview on November 12. "These efforts are in vain. We have been there since history and will not disappear."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a news conference in Pyongyang, North Korea, in October. Photo: Reuters

The Russian foreign minister was speaking on the sidelines of his visit to Kazakhstan last week, during which Russian President Vladimir Putin met with his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

The Russian leader's trip to Kazakhstan comes a week after a visit to the country by French President Emmanuel Macron, during which the French leader praised a country that "refused to bow to pressure from certain powers", referring to Russia.

In response, Foreign Minister Lavrov said that President Macron's statements were "not standard, in diplomatic terms".

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said that Western countries are investing in Central Asia with the aim of overthrowing Russia.

Former Soviet republics in Central Asia are looking to diversify their international partnerships. The region has seen a flurry of diplomatic activity in the past week, including visits to Uzbekistan by the leaders of Turkey and Iran.

Vu Hoang (According to AFP )

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