The European Union is often motivated by politics and the prospect of gaining access to a market for the sale of goods in providing assistance to Central Asia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with the International Affairs monthly.
Lavrov said Moscow would welcome EU programs that would successfully assist in resolving the social and economic challenges facing Central Asia, but argued in favor of broader economic and humanitarian cooperation in Eurasia.
“Far more promising in terms of ensuring the sustainable development of the entire Eurasian continent we see in the beginning of substantive work on the formation of a common economic and humanitarian space from Lisbon to Vladivostok based on the principles of indivisibility of security and broad cooperation,” he noted.
Moscow is concerned over Daesh terrorist group attempting to gain a foothold in northern Afghanistan and threatening Central Asia, Lavrov said.
"As for Central Asia, there are cases when European investments are politically motivated, and the main objective of the financial assistance provided is the unilateral opening of the regional countries' markets for goods from the EU," Lavrov told the monthly.
“The main security threat in Central Asia comes from the territory of Afghanistan. Of particular concern are attempts by Daesh to gain a foothold in northern Afghanistan, to fill their ranks with militants from other terrorist groups," Lavrov said.
