Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said Russia wants India and China to have stronger ties going forward and Moscow values its relationship with both New Delhi and Beijing.
“We have excellent relations with India, as a special privileged partnership, and with China as well. We are interested in these two great nations to be friends," Lavrov said during a conversation with Observer Research Foundation (ORF) chairman Sunjoy Joshi.
Lavrov on previous occasions has accused the West of fomenting suspicion between the two neighbours by taking help of the ongoing disturbances at the India-China border.
Relations between the two neighbours remain frozen after China attempted to disturb the status quo once in 2020 by clashing with Indian troops in eastern Ladakh and later in 2022 by clashing with Indian troops in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang.
India has maintained that ties will be restored to normalcy once China stops its attempts to alter the status quo on the border areas and maintains peace and tranquillity in those areas.
However, Russia has accused the West and mostly the US for hijacking its issue and arousing suspicions between these two countries.
Lavrov has also said that Russia’s energy policy will be focused on delivering to credible partners like India and China.
“The war that was launched against us, using the great Ukrainian people, influenced the policy of Russia, including our energy policy. Russia’s energy policy will be oriented towards reliable credible partners like India and China," Lavrov said.
US ‘Blackmail’
Lavrov during his conversation with ORF’s Joshi explained Russia’s position on the war in Ukraine and said not only were promises made regarding NATO expansion broken but the rights of Russian-speaking people in Ukraine were also challenged which forced Russia to defend its ‘own interests’.
He said the G20 never questioned the American invasion of Afghanistan and Iran and said that the West and Europe will only talk peace in the event of a Russian defeat.
He said the West promotes the policy of blackmail and the global economy is suffering due to sanctions imposed by the West.
He accused NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken of blackmailing developing economies.
“They should respect the rights of other countries. Treat others like grown ups, don’t tell them what position to take," Lavrov said.
“(Russian President Vladimir) Putin explained the motive behind Russia’s move. The developing world was silent until the West started blackmailing, threatening them if they don’t join the US by sanctioning Russia," he said.
He said the US and its allies tell developing countries that if they show consensus in the UN then they will not be “punished".
“My friends in New York tell me that they know what’s going on. The American arguments are very straightforward: ‘Don’t forget you have a bank account in such and such bank. Don’t forget your kids go to Stanford.’ Bluntly," Lavrov said, claiming that the US allegedly threatens developing nations’ leaders before allegedly forcing them to toe the line ahead of UN General Assembly meetings which have resolutions against Russia.
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