Growing ties between Russia, Asia ‘nightmare’ for West: Russian official

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said that Moscow’s growing relations with Asia is a “nightmare” for the West and its “anti-Russian policy.”

“The main political and economic nightmare for the West within its strategic anti-Russian line … is our dynamically developing relations with Asia,” Rudenko said in an interview with Izvestia newspaper on late Monday.

Rudenko further said that Washington and its allies are not in a position to prevent these relations from developing further, because most countries in the region do not want to follow the rules imposed by the West and are set to work in a “non-toxic space of international cooperation."

“The priorities of the Asian states, and we clearly see this, are other matters, such as co-development, the collective struggle against new challenges and threats, the well-being and prosperity of peoples,” Rudenko said.

He underlined that Russia’s relations with China and India are developing and said Moscow will approach countries that have taken “unfriendly” actions against Russia with a different approach rather than a black-and-white policy.

He also said that Russia sees prospects for the expansion of the BRICS, adding that all aspects of Moscow’s relations with the ASEAN bloc are developing.

“We develop contacts in the fields of economy, energy, security, education, tourism, healthcare, and volunteering. These topics are relevant and understandable for everyone. Therefore, we do not need to oppose something to someone,” he added.

The BRICS, a bloc of emerging economies, includes Russia, Brazil, India, China, and South Africa.