Moscow wants no standoff with USA in former Soviet republics - official
Interfax
Moscow, 8 October: Russia does not object to the USA's military presence in Central Asia as long as it stays within the proclaimed anti-terrorist goals and is not used to push somebody's extra-regional interests, Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Denisov has said.
"Our attitude to US bases in the region was defined by the extreme global importance to form a broad collective front to fight international terrorism and, in particular, the terrorist threat coming from Afghanistan," Denisov said in an interview to Interfax today.
"These were the goals in the context of deploying military bases that Washington formulated in the very beginning. We have no reason to accuse the USA side of violating their obligations," the diplomat said.
"The bases have played and continue to play an important role in providing infrastructural support to international forces on Afghan territory," he said.
"This position is yet another proof of Russia's principled rather than opportunistic approach. We are planning to be guided by this principle provided the nature and parameters of the US military presence in Central Asia do not go beyond the proclaimed antiterrorist goals, nor will they be used to start pushing somebody's extra-regional interests in the region at the expense of the interests of Central Asian states, their neighbours and traditional partners," Denisov said.
He stressed that Russia "does not initiate a new confrontation with the USA" on post-Soviet territories.
"Confrontation is not our choice. We are ready to continue the dialog but on the principles of openness, mutual respect, equality and with regard to each other's interests," Denisov said.
"Post-Soviet territories are our civilizational habitat. Its importance for Russia is obvious and self-explanatory. We have every right to defend our national interest and we will continue to do so, quite firmly if necessary," he said.
He also noted that Russia believes "it is unacceptable to regard these territories as somebody's zone of influence."