Zakharova: The topic of labor migration occupies an important place on the agenda of relations between the Russian Federation and Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan

Traditionally, The Moscow Post also had the opportunity to ask its own question.

Our question sounded like this, is it true that Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan through diplomatic channels express their dissatisfaction with Russia's policy towards citizens of these countries, in particular, the tightening of migration legislation. Could this lead to a cooling of relations with Russia and the replacement of Russia's role in Central Asia by China, Turkey and the United States?

"I would say that assessments are also publicly expressed by politicians, even officials of these countries, that policy, that migration legislation that is in force or being developed, or is being discussed in our country, in the context of the fact that citizens of these countries work in Russia, come, are migrants and so on. Therefore, there is no need to look for any hidden agenda, it is quite open to itself, that is, there are even public statements in this regard, "said Maria Zakharova.

As for diplomatic channels, they just exist so that these issues, which are indicated, for example, problems, are solved, removed, various kinds of explanations are given, information would be clarified, the position of a particular country would be taken into account.

She added: "This process in our country is actively going on precisely to reconcile positions, to resolve complex issues and prevent them from developing into problematic ones."

To date, work is underway to streamline migration flows in Russia.

First of all, we are talking about friendly CIS member states that use a visa-free regime. What is the task, I think, is also understandable, but I repeat: to nullify the illegal shadow side of this process. I think that every state in which there are migration processes of the phenomenon knows what it is, said Maria Vladimirovna. These are always questions that are not very simple, but require resolution, so that, again, they do not develop into big problems.

Our partners, the diplomat continued, are no less interested than we are in restoring clear rules, according to which migrant workers arriving to us will be able not only to work on understandable and legal grounds, but also to receive all the necessary social protection and legal assistance if necessary.

The conversation is conducted openly through the relevant departments, such as the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Labor, and partly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia. Also, during inter-parliamentary contacts, this topic is discussed with our foreign partners, and the whole complex is discussed, not only some positive nuances, but the whole complex.

"We speak very frankly," she stressed.

Thus, according to the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, the topic of labor migration really occupies an important place on the agenda of our relations with the mentioned countries. We are making the necessary efforts to preserve and strengthen the long-standing friendly strategic allied ties that bind us.

Moscow is convinced that the partners also fully understand the exceptional importance of such relations with Moscow, including in their own interests.

She stressed that in the public sphere, they certainly must proceed from a mutually respectful discussion of such topics.

"In no case should they be discussed in such a way as to incite ethnic, interethnic, interreligious hatred. And in general, with at least some disrespect or, so to speak, provoke any conflicts in any case. Here you must always proceed from, in my opinion, including the use of that thesis, that postulate that guides medicine: "do no harm." Every word, every phrase, participation in debates and defending one's position should proceed and should be built just from this thesis, "Zakharova explained.

You can harm so much even with a word that then it will be difficult not only to solve global issues, even with this new problem it can be difficult to deal with this.

In such matters, one must always restrain emotions, whatever they may be, and proceed from the interests of people, proceed from the interests of stable, peaceful relations, both at the state level and at the level of simple human contacts and connections.

And in no case should you give nutritious soil to the slightest manifestations of some kind of xenophobia, and so on, Maria Vladimirovna emphasized.