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MINSK, October 28. /TASS/. The agreement on NATO's non-expansion eastward was disavowed on the principle of "a gentleman gave his word, a gentleman took it back," Russian Security Council Deputy Secretary Alexey Shevtsov said. "In my opinion, the most difficult issue is the willingness of Western countries to fulfill their commitments. We have repeatedly witnessed states leave international organizations and then return after a change in the ruling party, diametrically changing their foreign policy course. Even without a change in power, there are many negative examples. For instance, the European participants in the Minsk agreements did not initially intend to implement them. The agreement on NATO's non-expansion eastward was disavowed on the principle of ‘a gentleman gave his word, a gentleman took it back'," he said during the Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security. According to Shevtsov, any agreements, including those in the field of security, are meaningless without the willingness of all participants to comply with their obligations. "In any case, a solution will have to be found. It will be collective, taking into account the interests of all countries and peoples of Eurasia," the security official noted. He said that the willingness to talk on equal terms and respect each other's interests is a prerequisite for normal dialogue. "Unfortunately, the European elites are not yet ready for this. They would rather spend billions on the Ukrainian project and destroy their own economy," Shevtsov said. Speaking about the integration associations in which Russia participates, he pointed to the activities of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). "This organization, whose summit will be held in Bishkek in a month, effectively serves as a platform for political coordination, joint military operations and exercises, and combating threats such as terrorism, drug trafficking, cybercrime, human trafficking, illegal migration, and illegal arms trafficking," Shevtsov emphasized.
