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Putin highlights relations with ex-Soviet nations as Russia’s foreign policy priority

Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a video conference meeting with the permanent members of the country’s Security Council on Tuesday

© Sergei Ilyin/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS

SOCHI, June 1. /TASS/. Relations with former Soviet countries are among Moscow’s foreign policy priorities, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a video conference meeting with the permanent members of the country’s Security Council on Tuesday.

"Relations with our closest neighbors, the former Soviet countries, are among Russia’s most important foreign policy priorities," the president pointed out.

The meeting involved Russian Prime Mikhail Mishustin, Federation Council Chairperson Valentina Matviyenko, State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin, Deputy Head of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, Kremlin Chief of Staff Anton Vaino, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergei Naryshkin and Presidential Envoy for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergei Ivanov.

Putin usually chairs Security Council meetings on Fridays but this week, he is scheduled to attend the St. Petersburg Economic Forum on Friday, June 4.

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