Some Central Asian countries may join Western sanctions against Moscow: Russian official

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - A Russian diplomat said on Tuesday that some Central Asian countries may join Western sanctions against Moscow.

“Even as we share the view that unilateral economic restrictions are unacceptable and illegitimate, some Central Asian countries nevertheless do not want to take risks and indicate they are prepared to comply with Western restrictive measures,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said at the third Central Asian Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club in the city of Tomsk.

Galuzin said that Russia does not dictate anyone what foreign or domestic policies they should follow unless they contradict “mutual obligations,” including those within the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Eurasian Economic Union and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

"We are confident that this much is clearly visible and understood in the Central Asian capitals: Artificial destruction of ties with Russia can result in more serious damage than the costs of the notorious secondary sanctions," he said.

Galuzin also said Russia is focused on strengthening strategic partnership with Central Asian countries, expressing that this is a “contiguous region” with which Moscow is connected by “a common history, a multi-level and widely branched system of mutually beneficial and equal relations based on alliance and strategic partnership and integration."

"We should not forget about the binding role of the Russian language as a means of interethnic communication, including between the peoples inhabiting Central Asia," he added.

“Central Asia is viewed by Western countries only as an instrument to contain Russia and China,” the deputy foreign minister said.