MOSCOW, January 26. /TASS/. Russia traditionally maintains close and good relations with Latin American countries, and the number of Moscow-friendly countries in this region has been on the rise lately, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the State Duma on Wednesday.

"We actually have very close, good, long-standing relations with Latin American countries. Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela are our closest partners and friends, however, lately, the number of [our] Latin American friends has increased," Lavrov noted.

He pointed out that Russia has very close contacts with Argentina, Bolivia, and also Brazil as a BRICS member country. The top diplomat stressed that the new Chilean government is "interested in ensuring that relations with the Russian Federation do not fall victim to the so-called Monroe Doctrine, which Washington remains committed to."

"Former Trump administration officials publicly stated this. Under Joe Biden, there were no such official statements, but still, Latin America is seen by the United States as something untouchable. Although everyone understands that these realities have long since changed," Lavrov noted.

The left-leaning political trend and a more conservative political process in Latin America and the Caribbean are evident, Russia’s diplomatic chief highlighted. "And Washington is openly raising alarm bells about this development," he added.

The foreign minister also underscored that Moscow's cooperation with the Community of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (CELAC), was developing consistently.

"We have a mechanism of meetings between the foreign ministers of Russia and the Troika or the Quartet of CELAC. We will move forward with it. This was recently confirmed by our Mexican colleagues who are now in charge of this format," Lavrov said.