The level of interaction of Russian regions with the CIS countries, China, India, Iran, Turkey and Arab countries has increased significantly, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday at the 40th meeting of the Council of the Heads of Subjects of the Russian Federation under the Russian Foreign Ministry.
"I particularly emphasize that the level of interaction [of Russia's regions] with the CIS states, the People's Republic of China, India, Iran, Turkey and Arab countries has significantly increased over the past period, and I would also like to note a significant activation of ties between municipalities," he said.
In addition, Lavrov pointed out that Russia's relations with Central Asian countries "are being built along the lines of alliance, strategic partnership on the basis of equal rights, mutual respect, on the basis of the principles of friendship and good neighborliness." "An intensive political dialogue is characteristic of relations between the Russian Federation and Central Asian states. <...> Political dialogue helps develop active investment cooperation, helps resolve issues that ensure a stable growth in trade turnover," the minister added.
The head of the Russian diplomacy also drew attention to the scientific, educational and humanitarian ties between Russia and Central Asian countries. Lavrov explained, "in the Central Asia region there are 25 branches of leading Russian universities and two joint Slavic universities, Kyrgyz-Russian and Tajik-Russian Universities, approximately 160 thousand citizens of Central Asia annually study in our universities and 60 thousand of them study at the expense of the federal budget".
"Along with bilateral cooperation with each of the Central Asian countries, work in the six-party format 'Central Asian Five plus Russia' has been established and intensified," concluded the Russian foreign minister.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS