"Confrontation with unfriendly states has opened up new opportunities for cooperation outside the historical West, with partners in the near abroad, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America," Lavrov told a session of the ruling party's commission on international cooperation and support of compatriots abroad, adding that "it is natural that these areas are given priority attention" due to their role in international affairs.
Moscow will develop its own foreign policy agenda and is not going to be integrated into systems and mechanisms that are aimed at "serving other people's interests," the Russian foreign minister also said.
Lavrov added that Russia would also be guided by its own priorities in its work in the international arena, while respecting universally recognized norms of international law set out in the UN Charter.