The European Union has drawn up detailed plans for the development of cooperation with Russia-friendly Kazakhstan, Brazil, Nigeria and Chile in order to isolate Moscow. According to RBC with reference to Politico, the confidential document was distributed among the EU leadership.
The publication notes that the emphasis in it “is clearly on gingerbread, not on whips.”
“We are in a competitive geopolitical environment: not only a battle of narratives, but also a battle of proposals. We need to improve our offer and strengthen our relationship,” the document says.
The EU intends to develop trade relations with these countries, as well as to form individual proposals for them in various areas: migration, energy, economic development and security coordination. The initiatives will be discussed by the foreign ministers of the EU member states at the April 24 summit.
This is a huge reorientation <…> how we conduct foreign policy – not our foreign policy, of course, but how we conduct it,” a senior European diplomat commented to the publication. He noted the usefulness of an agreed strategy for such work.
The document notes that each of the four countries is a potential support for the European Union in those regions where Europe is forced to compete for influence and resources with China and Russia. Brazil and Chile are located in Latin America rich in raw materials, Nigeria is the economic center of West Africa, and Kazakhstan has oil and gas reserves.
Particular attention is paid to Kazakhstan in the document, with an emphasis on the side effect of European sanctions on its economy. According to the EU leadership, the goal of this state in Central Asia is “to remain a reliable mediator between East and West.” European countries should “ensure the impossibility of circumventing international sanctions” with the help of Kazakhstan, which wants to increase its oil supplies to Europe, avoiding transit through Russian territory.
Kazakhstan, writes Politico, wants to expand cooperation with the EU, increase the number of visits of high-ranking EU officials, “public support for the EU’s reform program” and a visa-free regime.
Source: Rosbalt
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