Lavrov: Russia doesn't need monopoly in post-Soviet region

Russia is not claiming to have a monopoly in the post-Soviet region, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said today.

"We don’t have a monopoly on the activities in this space. We acknowledge the rights of our neighbors, once soviet republics but now sovereign states, to have multifaceted foreign policies," he said.

However, he noted that "we do not consider the aspiraions of our neighbors to strengthen ties with the European Union as a tragedy, though, of course, it is necessary, developing ties with the EU, not to undermine the legitimate interests of Russia and other countries," Gazeta.ru cited the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry.