Russia says West tries to ‘aggravate situation' in Asia-Pacific until reaches a 'hot phase'

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that the West is trying to “aggravate the situation” in the Asia-Pacific until it reaches a "hot phase," as the US, Japan, and South Korea ramp up trilateral military activities in the region.

“The Democratic People's Republic of Korea recently expressed its grave concern about these provocative actions of the US and its allies in the region, actions that are aimed at provoking, aggravating the situation until it reaches a hot phase,” Lavrov told a news conference in the Kazakh capital Astana after a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's (SCO) Foreign Ministers Council.

Russia does not exclude the possibility that the US and its allies are devising these plans to “try to provoke unrest on the Korean Peninsula,” Lavrov said, adding that SCO countries took note of the West's attempts to “take control of the entire Eurasian continent.”

Lavrov also said NATO and EU representatives are trying to introduce their structures into Asia to subordinate the countries of the region to their orders, claiming that Western structures are also “luring” Eurasian states into anti-Russian activities.

He said SCO countries understand the need to intensify the work of the organization itself under these conditions, noting that developing common approaches to ensuring Eurasian security and cooperation are “very relevant.”

The foreign minister argued that attempts by the West, particularly by some Scandinavian countries, to build walls on their borders with Russia are a “reflection of a small mind,” and actions that seek to “take control of as many spaces as possible, using blackmail, threats, sanctions and ultimatums.”

- Palestinian state

About the situation with regard to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Lavrov said the US and Israel are trying in “every possible way” to “drag out” the issue of creating a Palestinian state.

“We discussed the Middle East settlement. We have come to the general opinion that without the creation of a Palestinian state - and both Israel and the United States, which supports it in everything, are now trying to drag out this issue in every possible way - it is impossible to ensure stability in this region of our Eurasian continent,” he added.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in the enclave.

More than 35,500 Palestinians have since been killed, the vast majority of whom have been women and children, and over 79,600 others injured since last October following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas.

More than seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the ICJ, which has ordered it to ensure that its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

- SCO

Lavrov also announced that they believe the next candidate for joining the SCO is Mongolia, and that the country's geographic location “fits organically” into the SCO space.

The SCO has 14 countries in the status of dialogue partners, Lavrov said, and noted that applications from Algeria and Laos have been received to increase this number.

“The process is ongoing, and as our relations with these states develop, … having passed the status of dialogue partner, observer, they can apply for membership,” he further said.

Asked whether the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian would affect Moscow-Tehran relations, Lavrov said he received confirmation of the continuity of ties from Iran's delegation at the SCO meeting.

Iran's Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali confirmed that no changes are expected in Tehran's foreign policy, including promoting partnerships with neighboring states, Lavrov added.

Tehran confirmed Monday morning that Raisi, Amir-Abdollahian, and other officials died in a helicopter crash in a mountainous area of the country's East Azerbaijan province on Sunday afternoon.​​​​​​​