In an interview to Khabar Agency (Kazakhstan) Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov answered various questions. Among other matters, he noted, “trade wars do not benefit anyone, not even the participating sides. We care about economic interests of the Russian Federation and our partners in the Eurasian Economic Union.”
The Minister pointed out that Russia “would like the global trading system to remain open, and to remain in place in general. Of course, Washington’s actions are doing little to help – the US has already reshaped the North American free trade zone and abandoned the Trans-Pacific partnership. It is difficult to say now what will come in their stead. Our American colleagues clearly believe that their economic muscle is such that they are capable of resolving any matter alone, not really worrying about any multilateral platforms or working to fulfill the obligations the United States had assumed before and that the current administration deems obsolete”. He expressed his hope though “that in the end, the US administration will come to understand the need to work collectively and continue following the rules that have been adopted for decades for the World Trade Organization.”
With reference to the Fifth Caspian Summit, “this convention will give a powerful boost to the development of cooperation between the Caspian states in the economy, the ecology and the conservation of the sea’s biological resources for the future generations,” Lavrov said.