«Relations of the Central Asian countries with their neighbors do not affect the EU’s cooperation with the region,» Member of the European Parliament Iveta Grigule told reporters.
According to her, Central Asian countries have the right to conduct foreign policy in the way they want. The European Union does not assess the way of work.
Iveta Grigule noted that recently, at one of the meetings in the region, the term that the European Union was the third largest neighbor of Central Asia was voiced.
«Of course, we are not neighbors, rather neighbors of the neighbors. But we really feel like your big neighbor. There is no such a thing that we will better cooperate with you if you are with China, or worse, if you are with Russia. If you are willing to cooperate, then so we are. This is an open dialogue based on respect and points of contact. We will look for things that unite us. We do not choose neighbors. It is necessary to live with them as friendly as possible. This is a reality which we have to reckon with,» the MEP summed up.
