SOCHI, November 14 /TASS/. Russia needs a strong and politically stable Latin America, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after meeting with the enlarged ‘quartet’ of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) on Monday.
"The talks were constructive and in a business-like fashion. Dialogue with CELAC is a vital part of our foreign policy," Lavrov stressed.
He emphasized that Russia wanted "to see a strong and politically stable Latin America." "Together with the CELAC states, we have a common understanding that there is no alternative to encouraging democracy worldwide and we see attempts to interfere in the domestic affairs of modern states as unacceptable," the minister explained. "All this makes us natural partners and makes it possible to enhance interaction," the top diplomat said.
At Monday’s meeting, Russia and CELAC adopted a joint statement in which they had specified concrete areas of cooperation with the aim of bolstering coordination on various issues. "Priority areas for our joint efforts include training staff and sharing experience in such areas as illegal drug trafficking, risk management and minimizing global climate change consequences," the Russian foreign minister explained.
According to the Russian minister, Moscow is determined to enhance trade and investment interaction with CELAC states. Latin American sections will be formed on the sidelines of the next year St. Petersburg Economic Forum and Eastern Economic Forum to enhance this kind of cooperation.