#PhotoOfTheDay

📸 Heads of delegations take part in the traditional #FamilyPhoto ceremony ahead of the #BRICS Ministerial

📍 Nizhny Novgorod, June 10

#BRICS2024

🎙 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks at the #BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting

Full video (dubbed in English)

📍 Nizhny Novgorod, June 10, 2024

🇷🇺🇹🇭 Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Foreign Minister of Thailand Maris Sangiampongsa hold a meeting on the sidelines of the #BRICS Ministerial

📍 Nizhny Novgorod, June 10

#RussiaThailand

⚡ Russian trade relations with Asia have increased by 60%, with the Middle East by two times, with Africa by 69%, and with Latin America by 42%.

Vladimir Putin provided the data at the plenary session of SPIEF 2024. Here are the key takeaways on international agenda from his speech:

Shifting trade dynamics
🔹 Russia remains a key player in global trade, actively expanding its geographical reach.
🔹 Russia is restructuring its import and export flows, with friendly nations now accounting for three-quarters of its trade turnover.
🔹 The focus will be on supporting non-resource and non-energy exports.
🔹 Exports of finished high-tech products have increased. Russia is prepared to offer other countries full-fledged, full-cycle technological partnerships.

Transport and Logistics
🔹 The volume of cargo transportation along international routes through Russia is expected to grow by 50%.
🔹 A key project in this area is the development of the Eastern Polygon of railways.

Northern Sea Route and Arctic Development
🔹 Recognizing the demand for global transportation arteries, Russia will continue developing the Northern Sea Route (NSR).
🔹 In 2023, 36 million tons of cargo were transported via the NSR. This figure could exceed 150 million tons in the future.
🔹 A commission dedicated to the development of the Arctic and the NSR will be established within the Russian State Council.

Financial sovereignty and BRICS expansion
🔹 The share of settlements in rubles for Russian exports has tripled to 39%.
🔹 Russia will enhance the security of cross-border payment infrastructure, particularly within the BRICS framework.
🔹 The BRICS’ share of global GDP has reached 36%, while its population share stands at 46%.

@RoscongressDirect
#SPIEF2024

🇷🇺🇱🇦 Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Laos Saleumxay Kommasith hold a meeting on the sidelines of the #BRICS Ministerial

📍 Nizhny Novgorod, June 10

#RussiaLaos

❗️ Joint Statement of the BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs/International Relations (Nizhny Novgorod, June 10, 2024)

📄 Full Statement

1. The BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs/International Relations met on 10 June 2024 in Nizhny Novgorod, Russian Federation. They exchanged views on major global and regional trends and issues. They reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the framework of #BRICS Strategic Partnership under the three pillars of cooperation – politics and security, economy and finance, cultural and people-to-people exchanges. They reaffirmed their commitment to the BRICS spirit featuring mutual respect and understanding, equality, solidarity, openness, inclusiveness, and consensus.

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5. Mindful of the 2023 Johannesburg II Declaration the Ministers voiced their support for a comprehensive reform of the #UnitedNations, including its Security Council, with a view to making it more democratic, representative, effective and efficient, and to increase the representation of developing countries in the Council’s memberships so that it can adequately respond to prevailing global challenges and support the legitimate aspirations of emerging and developing countries from Africa, Asia and Latin America, including BRICS countries, to play a greater role in international affairs, in particular in the United Nations, including its Security Council. They also recognized the legitimate aspirations of African countries, reflected in the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration.

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15. The Ministers recognised the negative impact on the world economy and sustainable development from unilateral approaches in breach of international law. They expressed concern about the use of unilateral coercive measures, which are incompatible with the principles of the Charter of the UN and produce negative effects on economic growth, trade, energy, health and food security notably in the developing world.

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32. The Ministers recalled their national positions concerning the situation in and around #Ukraine as expressed in the appropriate fora, including the UN Security Council and UN General Assembly. They noted with appreciation relevant proposals of mediation and good offices aimed at peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

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34. The Ministers expressed grave concern at the deterioration of the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, in particular the unprecedented escalation of violence in the #Gaza Strip as a result of the Israeli military operation that led to mass civilian displacement, death and casualties, and destruction of civilian infrastructure. In this regard they called for the effective implementation of the relevant UNGA resolutions and UNSC resolution 2720 and for immediate safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale directly to the Palestinian civilian population throughout the Gaza Strip <…>

36. The Ministers reiterated that the principle “African solutions to African problems” should continue to serve as the basis for conflict resolution on the African continent. In this regard they reiterated their support for African peace efforts on the continent, including those undertaken by the African Union, and African sub-regional organisations.

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40. The Ministers expressed strong condemnation of any acts of #terrorism as criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, whenever, wherever and by whomsoever committed. They strongly condemned the inhumane terrorist attack on 22 March 2024 at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow <…>

54. The Ministers expressed their full support to the Russian Federation’s BRICS Chairship in 2024 under the theme “Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security”. They expressed their commitment to working together to ensure the success of the XVI BRICS Summit. The Ministers looked forward to the next BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs/International Relations meeting to be held on the margins of UNGA79 and hosted by Brazil as incoming Chair of BRICS in 2025.

Dear friends!

As you might have noticed we haven't been active on Facebook lately. It is due to the fact that we had technical difficulties with our old page.

We cherish every subscriber we had on this platform and believe it is important to continue to share with you developments and achievements of the #ASEANRussia Strategic Partnership.
So warm welcome to all of you at our new official page! 🥳🙏👏

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560523492146&mibextid=ZbWKwL

🎥 Ambassador of Russia to #ASEAN Evgeny Zagaynov’s video greetings on the Day of Russia 🇷🇺.

👨‍🚀 🩰🔬📚Major achievements and famous names in Russian history.
🇷🇺🌏 Foreign policy and #ASEANRussia relations.

🇷🇺 Happy Russia Day!

#RussiaDay #IloveRussia #WeAreRussia #RussiaDay2024

🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at an extended meeting with the participation of the Foreign Ministers from the Global South and the Global East (June 11, 2024, Nizhny Novgorod)

💬 Welcome to Russia and Nizhny Novgorod, a beautiful city, the beauty of which and the feelings of the residents of which you had the chance to enjoy yesterday.

Today’s meeting reflects the efforts of #BRICS members to develop ties with the stakeholder countries from the Global South and the Global East, the countries of the Global Majority,

in order to identify solutions to the most pressing global issues faced by all members of the international community without exception.

We are witnessing a profound transformation of international relations triggered by the formation of a fairer and polycentric system of international order, which would reflect the entire gamut of cultural and civilisational diversity of the modern-day world and ensure the right of every nation to determine its own future and its own path of development.

The stronger voice of the Global Majority, i.e. the countries of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean, which are not part of the collective West, is a major trend now.

Only by uniting our ranks can we truly effectively promote a vision of a just future shared by all of us. In this context, it is important to strengthen the role of the country-to-country groups that advocate balanced and equitable approaches to international development.

We are talking about the formats which reflect the principles of equitable cooperation in practice rather than in words. These include, along with BRICS, #SCO, #AfricanUnion, #EAEU, #CIS, #ASEAN, #LAS, #CELAC, #GCC, #IORA and many other organisations. The chairs of many of these organisations are here with us.

We believe it is important to establish contacts between all such integration entities which operate at regional levels, on the one hand, and our global association BRICS, on the other hand. This will promote gradual and mutually respectful harmonisation of approaches to the issues facing all associations.

The strengthening the international legal framework and collective decision-making on global issues is now at the forefront. Only in this case will those decisions be effective and legitimate.

This principle is laid down in the UN Charter. Unfortunately, the collective West’s decisions, especially in the economy, finance, trade and more, increasingly fail to comply with the fundamental principles of the UN Charter.

Our countries have largely overlapping approaches to reforming the system of multilateral institutions, including the UN and the UN Security Council, as well as addressing the post-pandemic recovery of the global economy and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals approved by the UN General Assembly.

🤝 We look forward to discussing all these issues today.

🇵🇭 Today the Republic of #Philippines celebrates #IndependenceDay!

🎉 We congratulate our Philippine colleagues and friends on the National Day! We wish them peace, prosperity and well-being!

📰 Russia's Ambassador to ASEAN Evgeny Zagaynov's article “Russian National Day: Celebrating Unity and Heritage" in Antara News (12 June, 2024)

👉 Read in full

Key talking points:

🔹 Russia 🇷🇺 is a country with a centuries-long history and unique cultural heritage. Remarkable achievements and contribution of the Russian people to the world's science, literature, and arts are an inherent and essential part of the global heritage.

🔹As one of the founders of the United Nations, Russia has consistently advocated respect for the UN Charter while being committed to the values of multilateralism, universally recognized principles and norms of international law, and equitable international cooperation.

🔹Today, Russia develops amid the continuing tectonic changes in the geopolitical landscape. Despite rampant anti-Russian propaganda as well as the unprecedented avalanche of illegal unilateral coercive measures, Russia remains one of the key actors in global political and economic affairs.

🔹 The #ASEANRussia Partnership has evolved steadily, with both sides working together to promote regional stability, economic development, connectivity, resilience, and people-to-people exchanges. As confirmed recently by the President of the Russian Federation, “promoting strategic partnership with #ASEAN is a major foreign policy priority for us”.

🔹Russia strongly supports the pivotal principles of ASEAN centrality and unity. They are of particular importance nowadays, when the same countries that instigated the Ukrainian crisis pursue their policy of division and confrontation in regional processes and structures.

🔹Russia's joint initiatives have deepened its mutual understanding and collaboration with ASEAN Member States, contributing to peace and progress in the Asia-Pacific region.

🇷🇺🇹🇭 On June 10, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand Maris Sangiampongsa on the sidelines of the meeting of the #BRICS Foreign Ministers in Nizhny Novgorod.

During the conversation, prospects for the development of Russian-Thai cooperation in priority areas were discussed, including promoting political dialogue, further building up trade and economic ties and cultural exchanges, as well as issues of combining efforts on international platforms.

Current issues on the regional agenda were discussed.

#RussiaThailand

🇷🇺🇱🇦 On June 10, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic Saleumxay Kommasith in the BRICS Plus/Outreach format on the sidelines of the #BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting in Nizhny Novgorod.

During the meeting, the Ministers discussed the state of Russia-Laos strategic partnership, as well as the prospects for further advancement. They focused on the implementation of agreements reached following talks between the Leaders of the two countries in Moscow on May 9.

The discussion also covered regional and global issues of mutual interest, as well as the #RussiaASEAN Dialogue Partnership in the context of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic’s chairmanship of #ASEAN in 2024. Additionally, they exchanged views on interaction within the #SCO and other multilateral formats, including BRICS.

The conversation took place in a friendly and trust-based atmosphere, which is a traditional feature of Russia-Laos relations.

#RussiaLaos

🖋 Article «The humanity should get rid of the colonial system heritage. Colonial powers’ time is up» by Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russian Federation, Chairman of the United Russia Party

Key points:

• There is brazen interference in the affairs of independent states, which, unfortunately, still continues in various forms. Despite humanity’s persistent efforts to eradicate neocolonialism, the Western world vehemently resists it.

• The former colonial powers persist in exploiting dependent countries, enhancing their own comfort through the humiliation and oppression of others – albeit employing more sophisticated tools and methods.

• According to experts (American experts, for all their bias), between 1946 and 2000, the United States interfered in elections in other countries more than 80 times. Since 1945, there have been more than 50 attempted coups and military interventions. Of the 174 cases of restrictive measures applied in the 20th century, the United States was responsible for 109. <…> In fact, America has become a global sanctions neo-metropolis.

• In order to preserve its geopolitical presence in various parts of the world, the West relies on the so-called debt neo-colonialism . <…> The neo-colonial powers are using financial institutions under their control and extensively exploiting the difficult socioeconomic situation in many countries of the Global South to induce them to borrow at interest rates that are higher than those offered to the so-called golden billion countries.

• Neo-metropolitan powers have also been targeting certain countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa with their disruptive efforts in order to control their natural wealth, including critical minerals. They focus on gaining unrestricted access to lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt and rear earth deposits they need for transitioning to a low-carbon economy.

❗️ The fight against neocolonialism is not an eternal confrontation for the sake of confrontation itself. It is primarily a progressive movement of states towards civilisational sovereignty, which is crucial in avoiding degradation and devastation in the 21st century. <…> Only fully sovereign countries that have independence in domestic and foreign affairs will be able to effectively counteract the deliberate efforts of the former metropolises to impose unequal economic and political deals on them.

• Investigation of colonial crimes that do not have a statute of limitations should be placed at the forefront of this activity. It is necessary to consider the creation of a single public database (register) of crimes of the colonial period, as well as modern neocolonial practices, at the UN, and work out a scale to evaluate the damage caused by war crimes committed on their territory.

• Neo-metropoles should be hit where it hurts the most, in their wallets, which they are filling largely by exploiting the rest of the world. We believe that the payment of compensations to the victims of neocolonial practices should be based on clear, legally considered and substantiated evidence. Political and diplomatic assessments must be complemented with a legal evaluation of their actions.

• We wish the best of luck to our African and Latin American colleagues. Their success, including in establishing an anticolonial tribunal (akin to the Nuremberg Trials), will be a major step towards depriving the Global North of its domination and towards building a fair multipolar world order.

📄 Read in full