Sergei Lavrov: AUKUS Obviously Serves as Extension of NATO Interests

© UK Ministry of DefenseSuccessor-class submarine
Successor-class submarine - Sputnik International, 1920, 05.08.2022
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In September 2021, the US, the UK and Australia signed a trilateral pact to help Canberra acquire nuclear-powered submarines.
The AUKUS deal obviously serves as an extension of NATO interests in the region, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on the sidelines of the ASEAN ministerial meetings in Cambodia.
"There is an obvious tendency to use AUKUS to advance NATO interests in the Indo-Pacific region. Actually, the NATO members do not hide this," Lavrov told reporters.
Last year, the US, the UK and Australia signed the so-called AUKUS trilateral partnership which promised to strengthen Australia's fleet with nuclear-powered submarines and boost defense cooperation between the countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
FILE - In this file photo provided by U.S. Navy, the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Missouri (SSN 780) departs Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for a scheduled deployment in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility, Sept. 1, 2021. The foreign ministers of Malaysia and Indonesia expressed concern Monday, Oct. 18, 2021, that Australia’s plan to acquire nuclear-powered submarines from the U.S. in a security alliance may increase the rivalry of major powers in Southeast Asia - Sputnik International, 1920, 20.07.2022
AUKUS
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The announcement led to a diplomatic rift between Australia and France after Canberra reneged on a $66Bln contract with Paris to develop 12 state-of-the-art conventionally powered attack submarines.
As soon as the AUKUS deal was revealed, Russia voiced its concerns about the pact, saying that the partnership would have a destabilizing effect on the Non-Proliferation Treaty and undermine international security in general.
China slammed AUKUS, adding that by agreeing to it, Australia, the US and UK had demonstrated their "Cold War mentality".
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