CIS countries exposed to strong pressure from West due to sanctions on Russia, Belarus - CIS secretary general

MINSK. April 20 (Interfax) - The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries, China and India have to counter serious pressure from the West due to the sanctions imposed on Russia and Belarus, CIS Secretary General Sergei Lebedev said in Minsk on Thursday.

"I would like to emphasize the intensification of our interaction in the integration associations, such as the CIS, the Eurasian Economic Union, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and now the BRICS is also added. On a smaller scale, but the BRICS representatives attended the CIS Economic Forum in Moscow on March 17. And this forum took place under the slogan 'Integration of the CIS, SCO, EAEU and BRICS.' This is very relevant and in demand, because amid sanctions and the ruining of traditional ties, many Eurasian countries are being sanctioned now," Lebedev was quoted by the press service of the CIS Executive Committee as saying.

"If it used to be only Russia and Belarus, now many Eurasian countries are accused of trying to circumvent these sanctions, and are banned from trading with Belarus, Russia, and other CIS countries, as well. We can see what a terrifying pressure is being put on the Commonwealth countries, which are trying to maintain their trade within the CIS and Eurasia. Such unscrupulous pressure is being put on China and India, as well," Lebedev said.

"They are not ashamed in their pressure, in their lashing out at our CIS partners. But we find different solutions in order to preserve, which is very important, the interaction in the Eurasian space," the CIS Secretary General said.