MOSCOW, February 29. /TASS/. Russia will continue to look for common ground with partners in the Middle East and Latin America, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in his State of the Nation Address to the Federal Assembly.

"Russia has long-standing, positive relations with the Arab states, they represent a distinct civilization that spans North Africa to the Middle East and is rapidly developing. We also believe it is critical to seek out new channels of interaction with our Arab friends in order to broaden the scope of our cooperation. We will do the same in the Latin American direction," Putin said.

He added that "the Russia-ASEAN dialogue is also developing positively, the Russia-Africa summits have become a real breakthrough." "The African continent is progressively asserting its interests and its right to genuine sovereignty. We sincerely support all of these goals," Putin said.

"We interact with partners based on the principles of equality and respect for each other's interests, and as a result, an increasing number of governments are actively participating in the activities of the EAEU, SCO, BRICS, and other associations that include Russia. We see significant opportunities in establishing a Greater Eurasian Partnership, connecting integration procedures inside the Eurasian Economic Union, and implementing China's Belt and Road program," he said.