"Relations with neighboring sovereign states - CIS members, where integration processes have various speed and format, are, certainly, a priority direction of the Russian foreign policy," says the article of Russian deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Chizhov published in the Mezhdunarodnaya Zhizn (International Life) magazine.
According to the diplomat, these relations "are not always simple since, on the one hand they are directly linked with the domestic political processes and national interests, and on the other hand, are influenced by other regional associations."
"We do not consider the existing contradictions to be insuperable and are interested in the integration processes on the post-Soviet space to be mutually complementary and harmonized with the expansion and deepening of the European integration, including within the framework of the EU," Chizhov said.
"The expansion of the European Union triggers off serious economic and political processes which concern Russia as well. In this way, the EU bears serious political and moral responsibility for the new EU members taking into account the interests of third countries and national minorities which found themselves on the territory of the EU as is the case in Latvia and Estonia," the diplomat said.
The Russian side, according to him, proceeds from the strict observance of the agreements reached in Luxembourg, including where it concerns the Kaliningrad transit and observance of the rights of the minorities in the EU, the Russian speaking population in Latvia and Estonia included.
