VLADIVOSTOK, September 5. /TASS/. Russia is not turning east; the country is fostering its partnership with China and other countries in the region and the global South interested in friendly relations, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with aif.ru.
"No, you couldn’t say that," Peskov pointed out, replying to a question as to whether it is possible to say that President Vladimir Putin’s visit to China marked Russia’s turn toward the East. "You can't document such a turn. Plus, Russia has no intention of turning anywhere. That would be a mistake. Actually, Russia has always been part of the East," he explained.
"Russia is developing its partnership, its privileged strategic partnership with China and with all other countries in the region and the countries of the Global South that are interested in being friends with Russia," the Kremlin official emphasized.
According to him, transformative global processes are pushing Global South nations to unite around a shared vision of reshaping the international system of relations.
"The countries do not want to live as ordered by somebody in a unipolar world. They don’t want to follow rules imposed by unknown actors for unclear interests. After all, the countries would like to follow the only thing we have in common - the United Nations. And the UN spirit, principles and Charter," Peskov explained.
He specified that it is precisely the countries of the Global South that are uniting around this vision. "The events of the past couple of days are yet another confirmation that these trends are intensifying," Putin’s press secretary concluded.