Ideas About Creating Military Blocs in Asia Carry Risks of Confrontation - Lavrov
06:45 GMT 11.10.2024 (Updated: 09:28 GMT 11.10.2024)
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VIENTIANE, Laos (Sputnik) - Any ideas about the creation of military blocs carry risks of confrontation, which can move into a hot phase, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday, commenting on Japan's proposal to create an Asian analog of NATO.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba advocated during his election campaign for strengthening Japan's defense capabilities, the creation of an "Asian NATO" and a collective security system in the region.
"Any militarization, any ideas about the creation of military blocs always carry the risk of confrontation, which can enter a hot phase," Lavrov said during a press conference, adding that Russia is concerned about Japan's re-militarization, strengthening of military potential.
Russia notes risks to the Asia-Pacific Region's security because of its militarization and the policy of Western countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov added.
"We drew attention to the risks of militarization of the region as a result of such a policy of Western countries, risks for the stability of the Asian part of our common continent and for sustainable development. We, in turn, confirmed that Russia has always supported the efforts of ASEAN countries to preserve peace and ensure equal cooperation with all partners of the Association. The West wants to make ASEAN its main partner, and to target this partnership against the interests of Russia and China, first of all," Lavrov said at press-conference on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit.
Lavrov stressed that some ASEAN countries were invited to BRICS summits and these invitations were accepted.
On Possible Iran-Israel Escalation
Russia proceeds from the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) assessments, which sees no signs that Iran is trying to turn its peaceful atom program into a military one, but an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities would be a serious provocation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
"Of course, if plans or threats to attack the peaceful nuclear facilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran are realized, it will be a very serious provocation," Lavrov said, answering to a question from Sputnik.
The IAEA, which monitors Iran's nuclear program quite tightly, "sees no indication that Iran has begun to convert the nuclear program to a military option," the minister added.
On US Clout in Asia Pacific
The final declaration of the East Asia Summit has not been adopted due to the actions of the US and its allies to politicize it, Russian Foreign Minister said, adding that Russia is concerned about Washington’s activities in the region, including remilitarization of Japan.
"The blatant abandonment of peaceful development path [by Japanese government] is, of course, troubling. This could potentially lead to the dismantling of the entire system of modern world order and its replacement with that very rule-based order that Japan’s Prime Minister [Shigeru Ishiba] extensively talked about again in the session today."
Lavrov pointed out that the Japanese leadership, having forgotten the lessons of World War II, is pursuing a course of increasing defense spending and modernizing key doctrinal documents, which include the concept of preemptive strikes.
"Japan's involvement in American plans to create a global missile defense system is expanding, with the possibility of deploying ground-based intermediate and short-range missiles on Japanese territory. Overall, Japan is working on strengthening its military potential not only in traditional spheres but also in new ones, such as cyberspace, space, and other areas," the minister stated.
According to the Russian Foreign Minister, this course of action is "actively and evidently being encouraged by the United States."
On US Involvement in Ukrainian Crisis
There have not yet been any serious proposals for resolving the Ukrainian conflict, Lavrov stated.
"All real actions are visible on the ground and in the practical steps of politicians when something serious is proposed. So far, on the ground, we see how our armed forces are consistently solving the tasks set, while in politicians' statements, we have not seen anything serious," he explained.
He added that there is no point in following Western media reports on resolving the Ukrainian conflict, as this information "pops up like a jack-in-the-box."
The Russian Foreign Minister also stated that he does not follow the information periodically voiced by Ukrainian representatives at various levels, as Russia is not interested.
"Our position was made crystal clear by the President of the Russian Federation on June 14 of this year during his speech at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This position is being consistently implemented in practice, and we will see it through to the end," Lavrov concluded.
