Russian President Vladimir Putin regularly communicates with the leaders of Central Asian countries and maintains good relations with all of them, which is helping Russia build its own Central Asian ties, TASS news agency Thursday, presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
“President Putin is in regular contact with the leaders of Central Asia. Moreover, he has very good and cordial relations with the heads of state, which allows him to handle inter-state issues very effectively,” Peskov said.
Referring to the upcoming summits between the United States and Central Asia, Peskov noted that such forms of communication are “widespread.”
“As you know, we have our own format: Russia-Central Asia, which is something that has only recently emerged. We have China-Central Asia, Japan-Central Asia, EU-Central Asia,” he continued.
“Therefore, this is a broad format. It is natural for friends and partners of Central Asia to discuss bilateral relations on all aspects of foreign policy,” Peskov said.
The Russian Presidential Spokesperson added that Russia attaches great importance to its relations with the countries of Central Asia, and Moscow is connected with many countries on the basis of advanced integration processes, including within the framework of the CIS and the EAEU.
“It’s a completely different dimension. Above all, it is the sole right of any state to develop its foreign policy,” Peskov added.
Asked whether President Putin plans to speak by phone with Central Asian leaders after the summit, Peskov said that the leaders maintain constant communication and that not all phone calls will be made public.
MNA