Lavrov: CIS Countries Free to Choose Foreign Partners

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on February 20 that the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) are free to choose their foreign partners, but this should not be aimed against any other country, RIA Novosti news agency reported.

?Choosing an organization with which the countries want to cooperate is certainly their right, but the most important thing is that this process should be transparent, this should occur in favor of strengthening good relations with other countries and not at the expense of the interests of other states,? Sergey Lavrov said in an interview to the Russian RTR television on February 20.

He said that Russia has its interests in the CIS. ?We have our interests here. They [interests] are clear?[We] want to respect the interest of other states ? neighbor [states], as well as [the interests] of those states which want to have a more active presence here. But?their purposes, their interests here should be transparent and understood and should not contradict the norms of relations between civilized countries,? Sergey Lavrov said.

Lavrov emphasized that Russia considers CIS member countries as ?sovereign states, which have equal rights in the new geopolitical architecture.?