Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin lashed out on Monday at “arrogant world powers” as he hosted his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao for a regional security summit that Moscow bills as a counterpart to Nato.
Russia’s likely new head of state after next year’s presidential elections accused Western nations of hypocrisy for backing revolutions in North African countries that previously enjoyed their strong support.
“It really is just like you said — these are arrogant world powers,” Mr Putin said in response to remarks from Iran’s foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in St. Petersburg.
“They also supported the old North African regimes,” news agencies quoted Mr Putin as saying, in a clear reference to European powers and the United States.
The 10-year-old SCO joins Russia and China with four ex-Soviet states of Central Asia.
Iran is one of three nations, along with India and Pakistan, to have applied to join the organisation. — AFP