Russia, Latin America Finding Ways to Maintain Ties Under Sanctions - Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia and Latin American countries are finding ways to continue cooperation despite Western sanctions, director of the Latin America Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexander Shchetinin told Sputnik.

"The restrictions that... the countries of the collective West are trying to impose on the entire world, including by blocking significant opportunities in the financial sector, energy, food, imposing unilateral sanctions, disrupting logistics supplies - all this is an objective environment," Shchetinin said.

"It is important that with many countries in the region of Latin America and the Caribbean, we are jointly finding ways and opportunities to continue cooperation in these situations, mechanisms to promote those ties that meet mutual interests," he said, while commenting on the prospects for cooperation with the regional countries after the West imposed anti-Russian sanctions.

According to the diplomat, among the areas of cooperation with Latin America are projects in agriculture, in ensuring food and energy security.

"It is of fundamental importance that the Latin American countries did not join the sanctions pressure exerted by Western countries, especially after February this year - these are the foundations on which our mutually beneficial ties exist and will continue to develop in the future," Shchetinin said.