VIENTIANE, May 23. /TASS/: Russia views certain alliances, such as AUKUS and QUAD, as unfriendly "because NATO is poking around," the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, told the media on Tuesday.
"It is quite obvious that some alliances and relations are neutral with regard to our country. We take part in certain alliances, for example ASEAN, as invited participants," he said, recalling the existence of the ASEAN+ format.
"Some of the alliances being formed are almost unfriendly towards the countries of the region. This is how we see QUAD, AUKUS and some other alliances, connected with the creation of partnerships with extra-regional players. NATO has been trying to gain a foothold here," Medvedev said.
The North Atlantic Alliance is beginning to engage in its own projects in the Asia-Pacific Region and Indochina, he pointed out.
In the meantime, NATO’s officially proclaimed aim is totally different, he stressed.
"Nevertheless, they have created similar alliances and are getting directly involved in destabilizing the situation here. This is very bad. We have also discussed these issues with our partners," Medvedev concluded.
