Russia calls for establishment of 'pan-Eurasian' platform to address common challenges, opportunities

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called for the creation of a "pan-Eurasian" platform, enabling all countries across the continent to convene and address shared challenges and opportunities for collaboration.

At a meeting hosted by the Gorchakov Diplomacy Fund in Moscow on Monday, Lavrov emphasized that unlike Africa and Latin America, Eurasia lacks a unified continental organization or forum where all Eurasian nations without exclusion can meet regularly.

The minister encouraged experts from the Gorchakov Diplomacy Fund to explore the feasibility of establishing such a platform.

In addressing the current global landscape, Lavrov identified the emergence of a "fairer multipolar world order" as a key trend, adding that new global powerhouses beyond the Western sphere continue to strengthen, highlighting China and India as notable examples.

Lavrov criticized the West's resistance to these objective geopolitical shifts, describing it as going into a defensive posture whenever efforts toward democratizing international relations arise.

Turning to Russia's foreign policy, Lavrov highlighted its proactive expansion of partnerships with various nations, including China, India, Iran, North Korea, and members of the Commonwealth of Independent States, as well as countries across Africa.

He also mentioned the maintenance of robust political dialogues, including at the highest levels, with members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS economic bloc, along with countries such as Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cuba, and Venezuela.

Lavrov concluded by asserting Russia's commitment to fostering an impartial global perception, saying: "I disfavor claims about promoting a 'positive image' of Russia. We don't seek additional advantages -- we simply require objective recognition."