Sports

Latvia, Estonia leave China-backed East Europe forum | Ap

Eastern Europe Journal 4 years ago

BEIJING (AP) — Latvia and Estonia say they have left a Chinese-backed forum aimed at boosting relations with Eastern European countries, in what appears to be a new setback for China’s increasingly assertive diplomacy.

The move follows China’s boosting of its relations with Russia, whose invasion of Ukraine is seen as a possible first step in a series of moves against countries that were once part of the Soviet Union. China has refused to criticize Russia and has condemned punishing economic sanctions imposed on Moscow by the West.

kAm(66>F?:DE !2CEJ =6256C ): y:?A:?8 9@DE65 #FDD:2? !C6D:56?E ‘=25:>:C !FE:? 😕 q6:;:?8 2?5 564=2C65 E96:C 3:=2E6C2= C6=2E:@?D 925 “?@ =:>:EDQ 😕 2 ;@:?E DE2E6>6?E]k^Am

kAm%96 >@G6 2=D@ 4@>6D 27E6C q6:;:?8 =2F?4965 64@?@>:4 2?5 5:A=@>2E:4 C6E2=:2E:@? 282:?DE 2?@E96C q2=E:4 DE2E6[ {:E9F2?:2[ 😕 C6E2=:2E:@? 7@C :ED 6IA2?565 E:6D H:E9 E96 D6=78@G6C?:?8 :D=2?5 56>@4C24J @7 %2:H2?[ H9:49 r9:?2 4=2:>D 2D :ED @H? E6CC:E@CJ 2?5 E9C62E6?D E@ 2??6I 3J 7@C46] r9:?2’D :?4C62D:?8 2DD6CE:G6?6DD 2?5 C646?E E9C62E6?:?8 >:=:E2CJ 6I6C4:D6D ?62C %2:H2? 92G6 3C@F89E 2 D92CA 324<=2D9 7C@> E96 &]$][ E96 t&[ y2A2?[ pFDEC2=:2 2?5 @E96CD]k^Am

kAm“x? G:6H @7 E96 4FCC6?E AC:@C:E:6D @7 {2EG:2? 7@C6:8? 2?5 EC256 A@=:4J[ {2EG:2 92D 564:565 E@ 462D6 :ED A2CE:4:A2E:@? 😕 E96 4@@A6C2E:@? 7C2>6H@C< @7 r6?EC2= 2?5 t2DE6C? tFC@A62? r@F?EC:6D 2?5 r9:?2[Q {2EG:2VD u@C6:8? |:?:DECJ D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E %9FCD52J]k^Am

kAm%96 4@F?ECJ “H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ DEC:G6 7@C 4@?DECF4E:G6 2?5 AC28>2E:4 C6=2E:@?D H:E9 r9:?2 3@E9 3:=2E6C2==J[ 2D H6== 2D E9C@F89 t&r9:?2 4@@A6C2E:@? 32D65 @? >FEF2= 36?67:E[ C6DA64E 7@C :?E6C?2E:@?2= =2H[ 9F>2? C:89ED 2?5 E96 :?E6C?2E:@?2= CF=6D32D65 @C56C[Q E96 DE2E6>6?E D2:5]k^Am

kAmtDE@?:2 :DDF65 2 D:>:=2C DE2E6>6?E[ D2J:?8 :E H@F=5 “4@?E:?F6 E@ H@C< E@H2C5D 4@?DECF4E:G6 2?5 AC28>2E:4 C6=2E:@?D H:E9 r9:?2[ H9:49 :?4=F56D 25G2?4:?8 t&r9:?2 C6=2E:@?D 😕 =:?6 H:E9 E96 CF=6D32D65 :?E6C?2E:@?2= @C56C 2?5 G2=F6D DF49 2D 9F>2? C:89ED]Qk^Am

kAm“tDE@?:2 A2CE:4:A2E65 😕 E96 4@@A6C2E:@? 7@C>2E @7 r6?EC2= 2?5 t2DE6C? tFC@A6 2?5 r9:?2 7C@> a_`a] tDE@?:2 92D ?@E 2EE6?565 2?J @7 E96 >66E:?8D @7 E96 7@C>2E 27E6C E96 DF>>:E =2DE u63CF2CJ[Q E96 DE2E6>6?E D2:5]k^Am

kAmr9:?2 D6E FA E96 7@CF> E@ DEC6?8E96? C6=2E:@?D H:E9 >6>36CD @7 E96 t& 2D H6== 2D $6C3:2 2?5 @E96CD[ A2CE=J E@ 7FCE96C ):VD D:8?2EFC6 q6=E 2?5 #@25 42>A2:8? E@ 3F:=5 3C:586D[ C2:=H2JD[ A@H6C A=2?ED 2?5 @E96C :?7C2DECF4EFC6 24C@DD E96 tFC2D:2? 4@?E:?6?E]k^Am

kAmr9:?2 @C:8:?2==J DEJ=65 E96 7@CF> 2D 2 “`f A=FD @?6Q 2CC2?86>6?E[ 3FE E96 ?F>36C @7 tFC@A62? A2CE?6CD 92D ?@H 72==6? E@ `c] rC:E:4D D2J E96 7@CF> H2D 2? 2EE6>AE E@ 6IA=@:E 5:776C6?46D 2>@?8 E9@D6 DE2E6D 2D A2CE @7 2 =2C86C 42>A2:8? E@ ;@:? H:E9 #FDD:2 😕 F?56C>:?:?8 E96 4FCC6?E CF=6D32D65 :?E6C?2E:@?2= @C56C 5@>:?2E65 3J E96 &]$] 2?5 :ED 2==:6D]k^Am

kAmp=@?8 H:E9 :ED DE2?46 @? &6 F?56C DEC@?8 4C:E:4:D> 7@C 7:C:?8 >:DD:=6D 2?5 D6?5:?8 D9:AD 2?5 H2CA=2?6D @77 E96 4@2DE @7 %2:H2? 😕 C6DA@?D6 E@ 2 G:D:E E96C6 3J &]$] w@FD6 $A62<6C }2?4J !6=@D:]k^Am

kAmqC:E2:? DF>>@?65 r9:?2VD 2>32DD25@C E@ C68:DE6C :ED 4@?46C? @G6C E96 “:?4C62D:?8=J 288C6DD:G6 3692G:@C 2?5 C96E@C:4 7C@> q6:;:?8 😕 C646?E >@?E9D[ H9:49 E9C62E6? A6246 2?5 DE23:=:EJ 😕 E96 C68:@?[” u@C6:8? $64C6E2CJ {:K %CFDD H2D BF@E65 2D D2J:?8] “%96 &?:E65 z:?85@> FC86D r9:?2 E@ C6D@=G6 2?J 5:776C6?46D 3J A62467F= >62?D[ H:E9@FE E96 E9C62E @C FD6 @7 7@C46 @C 4@6C4:@?]”k^Am

kAmq6:;:?8VD E9C62ED 282:?DE %2:H2? 2C6 2 >2;@C 4@?EC:3FE:?8 724E@C 😕 E96 56E6C:@C2E:@? @7 &]$]r9:?2 C6=2E:@?D E@ E96:C =@H6DE =6G6= 😕 564256D] r9:?2 92D 2=D@ 6?82865 😕 2 =6?8E9J 76F5 H:E9 pFDEC2=:2 2?5 :ED 7:C:?8 @7 >:DD:=6D =2DE H66< 5C6H 4@?56>?2E:@? 7C@> y2A2?[ H9@D6 6I4=FD:G6 64@?@>:4 K@?6 :?4=F56D H2E6CD H96C6 E96 AC@;64E:=6D =2?565]k^Am

kAmx? 2?@E96C C6;64E:@?[ $@FE9 z@C62 @? (65?6D52J D2:5 :E H:== >2<6 :ED @H? 564:D:@?D 23@FE DEC6?8E96?:?8 :ED 5676?D6D 282:?DE }@CE9 z@C62? E9C62ED 2>:5 r9:?6D6 42==D E92E :E 4@?E:?F6 E96 A@=:46D @7 $6@F=’D AC6G:@FD 8@G6C?>6?E E92E C67C2:?65 7C@> 255:?8 >@C6 &]$] 2?E:>:DD:=6 32EE6C:6D[ H9:49 2C6 DEC@?8=J @AA@D65 3J q6:;:?8]k^Am