MOSCOW, Nov. 19 (UPI) -- Developing a foreign policy vision that emphasizes ties in the Asia-Pacific is a national priority for the Kremlin, Russia's foreign minister said Wednesday.
"The dynamic development of our eastern territories is a national priority for the whole 21st century," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. "Hence, our interest towards more active and productive involvement in integration processes in the Asia-Pacific Region and in tapping its potential for an economic upturn in Siberia and the Far East."
A Russian economy hobbled by a reliance on Europe as a destination for oil and natural gas, from which it draws on heavily for sustenance, has pivoted toward energy-hungry Asia-Pacific.
Exports of crude oil, petroleum products and natural gas accounted for 68 percent of all export revenues for Russia in 2013.
Western powers have sanctioned the Russian energy sector in response to Moscow's reaction to political upheaval in Ukraine in November, which resulted in the former Soviet republic drawing closer to the European Union.
On Tuesday, Russian Natural Resources Minister Sergei Donskoy said oil company Rosneft may focus more on Asia as it looks for new partners for exploration and production work in the arctic. He said Rosneft needs to find partners in countries that have not sanctioned Russia.
For Lavrov, the shift is part of a broader geopolitical realignment.
"The Moscow-Beijing tie is a key factor of preserving stability and security on the planet, establishing a steady multi-polar global system, ensuring the supremacy of law in world affairs and democratizing international relations," he said.
The U.S. Defense Department is changing its focus to the Asia-Pacific as military obligations in the Middle East and Afghanistan end.
About 60 percent of the U.S. Navy's assets will be assigned to the region by 2020.
