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Lavrov Optimistic about CIS
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was upbeat about the Commonwealth of Independent States at a press conference on Wednesday. He pointed out that the organization has existed for over 16 years and that economic, security, migration and humanitarian issues were discussed at its summit in October of last year. “Russia has understandable, legal interests in the post-Soviet space and we intend to realize them through mutually respectful cooperation,” Sergey said. “We will not throw our weight around and will only commit to decisions that are made voluntarily by our partners.”
Lavrov said that Russia acknowledges that our countries have interests in the post-Soviet space as well. “We are ready for competition. We are not afraid of it. The main thing is that it be honest,” he said. When asked about Georgia's intention of joining NATO, Lavrov commented that the country must make its own decisions. He expressed hope that Georgia would “give attention to the interests of its neighbors and the region from the point of view of security and stability.”
Lavrov strongly condemned Ukraine's recent attempt to take possession of the Mars 75 radar facilities in the Crimea but disagreed with the claim that the new Ukrainian Foreign Minister is anti-Russian, saying that Russian and Ukraine have “thousand of ties in economy and culture and simply between people.”
Lavrov stated in reference to the status of Kosovo that the issue should be decided in accordance with international law and the principle of the OSCE that borders cannot be changed without agreement on both sides of them. He claimed that granting independence to Kosovo would set a precedent for 200 territories around the world and added that Russia has never said that it would recognize the independence of Abkhazia in reaction to Kosovar independence.
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