EU Investment in Central Asia Motivated by Unilateral Market Access - Lavrov

The European Union is often motivated by politics and the prospect of gaining access to a market for the sale of goods in providing assistance to Central Asia, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Lavrov said Moscow would welcome EU programs that would successfully assist in resolving the social and economic challenges facing Central Asia, but argued in favor of broader economic and humanitarian cooperation in Eurasia.

"As for Central Asia, there are cases when European investments are politically motivated, and the main objective of the financial assistance provided is the unilateral opening of the regional countries' markets for goods from the EU," Lavrov told the International Affairs monthly.

"Far more promising in terms of ensuring the sustainable development of the entire Eurasian continent we see in the beginning of substantive work on the formation of a common economic and humanitarian space from Lisbon to Vladivostok based on the principles of indivisibility of security and broad cooperation," he said.

Moscow is concerned over Daesh terrorist group attempting to gain a foothold in northern Afghanistan and threatening Central Asia, Lavrov said.

"The main security threat in Central Asia comes from the territory of Afghanistan. Of particular concern are attempts by Daesh to gain a foothold in northern Afghanistan, to fill their ranks with militants from other terrorist groups," Lavrov said in an interview with the International Affairs monthly.

He pointed to the August 30, 2016, suicide attack on the Chinese Embassy in Kyrgyzstan as one of the examples of the threat posed by Daesh terrorist group.

The suicide bomber rammed a car rigged with explosives into the gates of the Chinese mission in Bishkek, killing himself and wounding at least three Kyrgyz nationals.