Russia advocates depoliticized cooperation with Latin America

Moscow, Dec 22 (EFE) .- Russia does not see Latin America as a “space for geopolitical games” and advocates cooperation unrelated to politics with the countries of this region, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov declared today.
“Russia never built its relations with Latin America on the basis of the governments that are in power. We want to deepen friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation with countries and peoples and not with a specific government and depending on their preferences,” he said in an interview with the Russian channel RT.
In this, Russia differs from the US, he said, “we do not see Latin America as a space for geopolitical games.”
The head of Russian diplomacy stressed that Latin America is currently witnessing “a new wave of nationally-oriented healthy forces coming to power, which reflects the general trend of the great failure of the neoliberal project.”
“We work without exception with all countries and regional organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean region,” he said.
Lavrov listed the main directions of cooperation between Russia and Latin America, among which he highlighted high technologies, the energy industry, agriculture, space, nuclear energy, medicine and public health.
“Several countries in Latin America – Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Nicaragua – already have the technology for the production of our vaccines,” he said, expressing his hope that the contacts between Russia and those countries “will promote a broader interaction in the pharmaceutical and health sector “.
Lavrov highlighted Russia’s interest in actively cooperating with regional organizations “to promote the formation of a Latin American and Caribbean identity as one of the largest and most important poles of a multicenter world order.”
In particular, he especially highlighted relations with the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), with which there is a mechanism for political consultations.
“We had a small pause due to the pandemic, but now the Mexicans, who currently preside over CELAC, want to resume the meetings and we will actively support this approach,” he said.
He noted that Washington currently refrains from citing the statements of former national security adviser John Bolton on the validity of the Monroe doctrine.
“The current US administration is beginning to assess a little more pragmatically what is happening” in Latin America, he indicated, noting that the White House “has begun to understand that it must in any case have a dialogue with the Government of (Nicolás) Maduro, who he ratified his mandate after the recent elections. “
The same is true of Bolivia, he said, “where true democracy was restored after the dubious actions of the previous government,” which removed Evo Morales from power.
“I am confident that Washington will understand and assume the reality of Nicaragua,” he added.

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