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Lavrov calls on West to stop playing zero-sum geopolitical games

Russia's top diplomat urged the West to stop dividing regions into spheres of influence and finally begin to be guided by generally recognized rules of interstate relations

MOSCOW, October 3. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called on the West to stop playing zero-sum geopolitical games, to stop dividing regions into spheres of influence and finally begin to be guided by generally recognized rules of interstate relations.

"As part of a large-scale media campaign, we are being accused of all the deadly sins, including of seeking to sow discord within the European Union," he said in an interview with the Arabic-language media that was posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website on Thursday.

"It has nothing to do with the real state of things. We don’t operate such categories," he stressed. "So, those who keep on accusing us of anything must stop playing zero-sum geopolitical games, stop dividing regions into spheres of influence and ultimately begin being guided by the generally recognized rules of interstate relations that are committed to paper in the United Nations Charter."

He emphasized that Russia had never been meddling with the affairs of other nations. "This is what cardinally distinguishes us from Washington and a number of other capitals which have made a routine practice of such things," he noted.

Commenting on allegations that Moscow is seeking to weaken the West, the Russian top diplomat said that Russia "has always been open for equal cooperation with all states without exceptions." "Each foreign partner is important for us," he added.