Question: Can the statements of the TV presenter V.R.Solovyov about the secondary importance of the Venezuelan and Syrian directions in comparison with Armenia and Central Asia be considered as corresponding to the official position of Moscow?
Answer: First of all, we are talking about the opinion of a journalist, I emphasize – the opinion. Secondly, the opinion of the journalist and TV presenter was expressed on the private channel “Solovyov Life”. Thirdly, I have read the quotes and I am not relying on phrases taken out of context, not on indirect speech, but on direct speech. This opinion was formulated in the form of a question. There was no statement, there was a question. I don’t know if it’s rhetorical or otherwise– it’s not for me anymore. Fourthly, these phrases were clearly and absolutely obviously provocatively presented by “couch analysts” almost as an official position of Russia. It is simply unacceptable to engage in such manipulations.
Moreover, some commentators clearly took the opportunity to release into the information space a number of speculations and outright speculations about Russia’s alleged “aggressive aspirations” towards the post-Soviet states, which were not heard at all in this program or in other programs.
In this regard, I would like to note once again that the official position is expressed by authorized officials. As for Russia’s official position, it has been voiced by the country’s leadership more than a dozen times regarding our policy in the context of the common Soviet past, the post-Soviet space, and relations with today’s sovereign states. I repeat, this position has been voiced tens of thousands of times during various summits, meetings, negotiations, consultations, press conferences, and interviews by the President of the Russian Federation, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Defense, and ministers of all fields.
We regularly maintain dialogue through existing structures in the post-Soviet space, such as the CIS and the CSTO. In this regard, I would like to mention that there is a format for meetings of the secretaries of the Security Council within the framework of the CSTO. It is these structures and the people who head them, the numerous experts who work there, who discuss security issues in our common region. I do not have the opportunity to accompany this with links to position statements right now. I will briefly state what has been said countless times.
Our country and the peoples of the South Caucasus and Central Asia have historically been linked by relations of good neighborliness, strategic partnership, alliance, fraternal friendship and cooperation. The key to the progressive development of our relations is good personal contacts between the leaders of friendly states based on mutual respect and trust.
If I may, I would also like to add on my own behalf. It is necessary to judge by deeds. How many times have you come to the rescue? How many times have you extended a helping hand and friendship? How many times have you shown the most sincere emotions when you empathized and sympathized? How many times have we shown the most sincere emotions when we shared joy, when we shared common victories and victories of our colleagues and friends in the post-Soviet space? How many times have we searched together for ways out of the most difficult, seemingly dead-end stories? How many times have misunderstandings or misunderstandings been overcome? How many times have you responded to provocateurs’ calls and provocations? That’s what you need to focus on. And in any case, do not “stumble” and even more so do not focus on provocation. Unfortunately, there will be a lot of them. So let’s see the real thing, and not buy into some fakes and fakes.
