MOSCOW. March 7 (Interfax) - Attempts to ascribe to Moscow a confrontational stance stem from the frustration of some that Russia refuses to play the role of a follower, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declared.

"When they are now trying to attribute to us, even after the conference in Munich, confrontational intentions, I think these accusations are a clear sign of disappointment with the fact that we are refusing to play the role of a follower, to join someone, for instance, decisions that were taken unilaterally without us," the minister told a meeting of young political analysts. The text of his speech was posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry's website on Wednesday.

"We rejected the idea of confrontation, we don't see reasons for that to happen in the world, and we won't let anyone drag us into some new confrontational projects," Lavrov said.

"We are simply not going to participate in something that we do not believe in, and at the same time we'll be ready to work on the principle of equal rights, mutual interests, mutual benefits in those areas we see as beneficial both for our country and our citizens," the minister said.

He said that today "globalization has gone beyond what is normally called a Western civilization." "The West is losing its monopoly to establish the rules of the game, the standards," the foreign minister said.

"It is competition, and not confrontation, that determines the essence of today's developments in the world," he said.