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No plans to destroy countries as colonial powers crumble — top Russian security official

According to Sergey Shoigu, Russia's goal is to make sure that the country remains united and indivisible for decades and centuries

MOSCOW, November 2. /TASS/. Moscow has no plans to destroy any countries, as former colonial powers are falling apart on their own, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu said.

"I don’t quite get why we should do that. We have no plans to destroy any countries. Many of them - colonial powers - are collapsing on their own," he said on the sidelines of the Peoples of Russia International Week.

"The reason is that those whom they once enslaved and turned into their colonies, are awakening and rising as their self-consciousness and self-determination are reviving," Shoigu added.

"An old man in Vietnam told me: ‘You know, I’m from the generation that still remembers and that was told about portable French guillotines in Vietnam.’ This is, in fact, what those countries brought to the colonies they ruled and sought to use for decades and centuries," he noted. "Our goal is different. The goal is to make sure that our country remains united and indivisible for decades and centuries and for us to respect and understand each other," the top Russian security official said.

According to Shoigu, this policy does not always receive support in the West because "they have a constant need for an enemy."

Peoples of Russia International Week

The Peoples of Russia International Week, organized in accordance with President Vladimir Putin’s order, is being held to coincide with People’s Unity Day, celebrated on November 4. The event is coordinated by the office of the Russian Security Council. The focus of discussions is on national unity, historical memory, the continuity of generations, service to the country and responsibility for its future, and the promotion of strong families.

The Peoples of Russia International Week brings together government officials, members of international organizations, the business community, academic and expert circles, cultural figures and public organizations from Russia, as well as about 50 delegates from 35 countries, including those considered unfriendly.

TASS is a strategic information partner of the event.