The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) does not seek to become an alternative to the Western military and political organizations, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

It is friendship for the sake of certain goals, and not for antagonizing others, Peskov told the media on Thursday.

“No one sets such tasks. Actually, all relations within the SCO are built on the basis of mutual respect for each other’s interests and mutual benefit. It is rather friendship for the sake of something, and not against someone. Therefore, there is a completely different philosophy here,” Peskov explained while, answering a corresponding question.

At the same time, he acknowledged that US attempts to “outplay” Russia in the SCO region were being felt.

“They are permanent and will remain permanent. No one is going to have any delusions on this score,” Peskov said.

While speaking about Washington’s attempts to drive a wedge between the SCO member countries, Peskov drew attention to the fact that the SCO economies shared “a fairly high degree of interdependence.”

For many countries in Central Asia, Russia is the main trading and economic partner, he pointed out.

“We are mutually integrated economically with many countries. There are many large projects on the agenda. Of course, Russia organically retains its role here and these countries organically play their role for our economy,” Peskov.

Source: Agencies