MOSCOW, 27 December (BelTA) – Russia understands Belarus' desire to advance relations with Europe, including within the framework of the Eastern Partnership, Russian State Secretary, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Grigory Karasin said in an interview with BelTA and the Belarus-Russian Union State media on 27 December.
“Obviously, Russia is not the only state with which Belarus advances its external contacts. Belarus also wants to be active in relations with European countries, the USA, China, and Southeast Asian countries. This is why it aspires to take part in every regional integration association. This is quite natural. In this respect, Russia is not jealous about Belarus promoting its relations with someone else, like some associations tend to claim nowadays,” Grigory Karasin remarked.
“The most important thing is that all our external contacts should fit into the framework of our alliance which we have agreed upon. This is the only criterion we take into account,” the official underlined.
