Strengthening ties and cooperation with BRICS is in the best interest of all members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in an interview with aif.ru.
“I believe that, in the end, our southern neighbors, particularly our allies in the CSTO and EAEU, will recognize the clear benefits of closer relations with BRICS,” Lavrov noted. “There’s no need to join, but there is no doubt that cooperation on specific projects aligns with all our interests.”
Addressing recent comments by Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who stated that his country is unlikely to apply for BRICS membership due to the presence of the United Nations (UN) as a universal and irreplaceable organization, Lavrov suggested the need for some clarification on this stance.
“Kazakhstan is a member of many other organizations—such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the CSTO, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)—and an active member of the Organization of Turkic States, which, driven by Turkey’s initiatives, is currently strengthening its ties and gaining momentum,” Lavrov pointed out. “This organization pays significant attention to our Central Asian allies and strategic partners. None of these memberships prevent Kazakhstan or other Central Asian nations from actively participating in the UN, which remains a universal structure, though it is currently facing a crisis that is not of our making.”
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Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on TASS materials