MOSCOW, May 24. /TASS/. Western countries intentionally provoke interstate and interethnic conflicts in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.

"In line with colonial practices, [the West] seeks to further exploit the rich resources of the African continent. The US continues to view Latin America and the Caribbean as its backyard and reacts nervously when these countries pursue independent, autonomous policies," he said at the XI International Meeting of High Representatives for Security Issues, "In all of the abovementioned regions, the Westerners are deliberately provoking interethnic, interconfessional and interstate conflicts."

According to Lavrov, the most recent example of such Western policies is the situation in Sudan. "The roots of the problems the country is facing today lie in the long-standing US policy, which has been aimed at dismembering the single country into Sudan and South Sudan. However, as a result, there is no peace and prosperity in any of these countries," the top Russian diplomat pointed out.