The Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov is to visit Latin American countries around the end of April to seek deepening cooperation and alliances against the West, against the background of the war waged by the Russian military in Ukraine.

He plans to visit Brazil, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba, he said in an article published in Brazilian and Cuban media and posted on the Russian diplomatic website on Thursday.

Russia wants cooperation to be strengthened “on the basis of mutual support, solidarity and mutual recognition of each side’s interests from the other,” the text explains.

“We are (…) open to expanding cooperation on a multilateral basis, especially in the context of Russia’s dialogue with the community of Latin American and Caribbean states,” insists Mr. Lavrov.

Last year, Russian grain exports to the region increased by 48.8 percent, and exports of fertilizers and petroleum products also expanded, he assures.

Moscow is seeking alliances in different parts of the world as it faces wide-ranging sanctions and efforts to isolate itself diplomatically from the West after the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022.

However, the head of Russian diplomacy notes in the text, referring to Moscow’s contacts with countries in Africa and Asia, such as India, that his country still has friends, despite the war in Ukraine, and this is what he wants to underline with the tour of in Latin America.