Russia is not going to be torn between Europe and Asia, but will pursue an independent multi-vector foreign policy, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the students of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.
"We call our foreign policy course multi-vector, taking into account all the development directions, call it independent, because Russia as a state in all its manifestations could never and cannot have any other course but an independent one," he said.
According to Lavrov, Moscow is prepared to restore relations with the European Union and the United States, but on the basis of equality only.
"We are not going to turn away from anyone. We are ready to restore normal, full-fledged relations with the EU and the US, but only on the basis of equality, without any attempts to transform these relations into a one-way traffic," TASS cited him as saying.
Lavrov noted Moscow will be ready to work with any new US leader. "We will be ready to work with any leader who received confidence during free and democratic elections," Lavrov said.
"Of course, it is very difficult to compare these two situations (50 years ago and today), they are in stark contrast to each other. I don’t see any prerequisites for the new edition of the Cold War to become a reality," Lavrov said.
The Asia-Pacific Region has become the driving force of economic development, this is part of the process of transition to the multipolar world system, he added.
"The trend of rejecting unilateral policy of force in international affairs is based on an objective process, above all, the process of forming a polycentric system of international relations," he said. "New centers of economic power emerge in the world, and with that comes the economic impact."
"These processes are observed, in the first instance, in the Asia-Pacific region, which will remain the driving force of economic development for a long time. This is happening against the backdrop of the fact that our largest trading partner, the European Union, which remains such, in spite of sanctions, is gradually losing its positions," the Russian foreign minister added.
