Lavrov says EU, CIS integration compatible
(RIA Novosti, September 1) – Integration programs within the post-Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) should not be viewed as incompatible with European integration, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday.
"When our neighbors are openly demanded to decide on whether they are with Moscow or with Brussels, it draws us back to the ideological stereotypes of the previous century and contradicts the Russian-EU agreement on the compatibility of integration processes in the entire European zone," Lavrov said at a meeting with students and professors at Moscow State University for International Relations.
"That's why we are surprised by attempts to present integration programs of CIS states and the European Union as incompatible," he added.
Lavrov's statement came amid ongoing speculation that Russia dominates the CIS, an alliance of former Soviet republics, and opposes Ukraine's efforts to consolidate ties with Europe and NATO. Ukraine has been a traditionally close partner with Russia.
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