Russia does not seek exclusive influence over Central Asia and is not worried by other world powers trying to advance their interests in the region, Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said on Wednesday.
"Russia is not laying claim to any exclusive role in Central Asian affairs and is open to cooperation with other states, including on a competitive basis," Karasin said.
Russia has held considerable influence over the former Soviet states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan since the break up of the Soviet Union. The United States has strategic interests in the region due to its close proximity to Afghanistan, where NATO forces are fighting a terrorist insurgency.
China, the United States, and the European Union already have a firm foothold in Central Asia, Karasin said, while Japan, Turkey, India, Iran, South Korea and a number of Arab states are developing cooperation in the region.
However, Moscow "acts on the premise that Russia's traditional strategic interests in this region should be fully ensured," he added.
"Russia still believes that the Central Asian region can be an arena of broad international cooperation in the interests of ensuring its stability, security and sustained economic development," Karasin said.
MOSCOW, April 13 (RIA Novosti)
