🔔Extracts from the statement of Russian Permanent Representative to the OSCE Alexander Lukashevich “On the continuing gross violations of the Russian and Russian-speaking population in some OSCE participating States”(meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council, 28 April 2022):

👉🏻The shameful phenomenon of Russophobia has become an integral part of new reality in a number of OSCE pS. Everything related to Russia is being enthusiastically eradicated, rights & freedoms of Russian/Russian-speaking population, incl. children, are flagrantly violated.

👉🏻#UN and #OSCE human rights bodies do not react properly to these blatant cases of discrimination and racism when people are persecuted simply due to their origin, language or culture

👉🏻The unfolding Russophobia has many ugly manifestations and affects almost all spheres of life, including historical memory. Barbarous dismantling of monuments takes place “on camera”, war graves are desecrated etc.

👉🏻A terrible picture is observed in Poland, where only 100 out of 561 monuments remain. Desecration and vandalism against the Soviet military memorial heritage continue continue in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia

👉🏻We call on the OSCE executive structures to give a principled assessment of the flourishing of Russophobia, and on OSCE pS to stop neglecting their commitments and to really counter discrimination against the Russian/ Russian-speaking population
 

🇷🇺🇫🇷📞 President Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron.

The Russian President informed his French counterpart about the progress of the special military operation to protect the Donbass republics, including the liberation of Mariupol and the evacuation of the civilians retained by nationalists at the Azovstal plant, with the evacuation proceeding as agreed during the April 26 meeting between Vladimir Putin and #UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

During the conversation, it was noted that the #EU member countries ignore the crimes committed by the Ukrainian forces, and massive shelling of cities and communities in the Donbass region resulting in civilian casualties. The West could help stop these atrocities by influencing the Kiev government, as well as stopping arms deliveries to Ukraine, Vladimir Putin pointed out.

The two Presidents agreed to maintain contacts at various levels.

‼️Extracts from the statement of Russian Permanent Representative to the OSCE Alexander Lukashevich “On ongoing crimes by Ukraine against civilian population with the support of Western alliance of OSCE participating States”, (meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council, 5 may 2022):


🔹Ukrainian armed nationalistic battalions & Ukrainian Armed Forces on orders of Kiev continue to commit mass crimes against civilian population of DPR & LPR, in liberated cities in south-east of Ukraine and in territories occupied by Ukrainian military

🔹By joint humanitarian efforts of 🇷🇺Russia and #UN, with involvement of relevant NGOs, it was possible to convince Ukrainian side to allow civilians to safely leave the territory of Azovstal and nearby houses

🔹Calls to militants on territory of Azovstal to lay down their arms thus saving their lives are stubbornly ignored. Nationalists showed their true attitude towards civilian hostages, offering to exchange them for food and medicine

🔹Kiev regime continues to defiantly get closer to armed nationalists, incl. nationalistic formations, which account for hundreds of military punitive attacks in DPR and LPR, as well as acts of intimidation on territory of Ukraine

🔹With Western direct support 🇺🇦 Kiev regime continues to systematically violate intl humanitarian law. This is done in order to inflict damage on civilian population and attribute everything to actions of Russian military, to denigrate 🪖🇷🇺 Russian armed forces

🔹Kiev regime bets on creating threats for neighboring states, further militarization, support of aggressive nationalism, and refuses diplomatic contacts in order to resolve the situation

🔹Actions of Kiev regime since 2014 show that its representatives want to quickly get rid of everything that reminds of 🇺🇦 Ukraine liberation from Nazi invaders & victory of Soviet people over Nazism in #WorldWarII

🔹Full-scale campaign to monuments’ demolition and other evidence of the struggle against Nazism, as well as glorification of Nazi criminals at state level is underway in Ukraine

🔹NATO countries, continuing dangerous militarization of 🇺🇦Ukraine, use its territory as a testing ground for the disposal of weapons and ammunition that have long expired

🔹Washington doesn’t hide true goal of its policy on #Ukraine - to inflict on Russia by the hands of Ukrainian nationalists “strategic defeat” in the region, i.e. undermine Russian statehood, hinder its sustainable development

🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to questions at a joint news conference following talks with Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov

📍 Moscow, December 5, 2022

Read in full

💬 We had intensive and useful talks with our Azerbaijani colleagues. They indicate that we continue to develop our relations as allies, friends and good neighbours.

Russia is one of Azerbaijan’s leading partners. In the ten months of 2022, our trade showed impressive growth, exceeding the $3 billion mark.

Our agenda includes implementation of several important and large projects like the GAZ lorry assembly plant and the development of the Russian Helicopters service, to name a few.

We value our cultural, cultural and educational cooperation. We confirmed our gratitude to our Azerbaijani friends for their careful attitude to the Russian language and culture.

We agreed to continue close cooperation within the Caspian Five, as well as the #CIS and #UN venues and support each other’s initiatives in key international formats.

#RussiaAzerbaijan

🇷🇺🇦🇲 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks during talks with Foreign Minister of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan

📍 Moscow, March 20, 2023

💬 As of now, we are the leading trade partner and investor in Armenia’s economy. Last year set a record, with trade almost doubling to about $5 billion (for the time being, we still calculate in dollars, but it is temporary). All of this has helped your country to ensure record high GDP growth of more than 12.5 percent and a surge in business activity.

An important topic at our talks today is cooperation in the Eurasian space, the #CSTO, the #CIS and the #EAEU space, as well as interaction at multilateral venues, including the #UN and the #OSCE.

We will also focus on international security issues, including the Lachin Corridor and Nagorno-Karabakh settlement process, which is one of our priorities.

Read in full

#RussiaArmenia

🇷🇺🇧🇾 Today, Belarus, a state linked to Russia by centuries of fraternal friendship and bonds of mutual assistance, is marking Independence Day.

#OnThisDay in 1944, Minsk was liberated from Nazi German invaders and occupants as a result of well-coordinated Red Army operations. Fighting shoulder to shoulder, our nations made a decisive contribution to the Victory over Nazism.

Today, Russian-Belarusian relations are those of strategic partnership and alliance. Together, our countries continue to overcome serious difficulties and defend their interests on the international scene. They collaborate closely in the field of military and military-technical cooperation and in ensuring collective security.

Moscow and Minsk jointly streamline various institutions of the Union State and promote integration projects in the Eurasian region. Our countries voice common or similar positions on many international issues and cooperate closely in the #CSTO, the #EAEU, the #CIS, the #UN, the #OSCE and other international and regional organisations.

🤝 We congratulate the fraternal people of Belarus on the national holiday. We wish them well-being and prosperity.

#RussiaBelarus #UnionState

🇷🇺🇺🇳 Russia's position at the seventy-eighth session of the UN General Assembly

The primary objective of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly is to reaffirm the central and coordinating role of the universal Organization in global affairs and to strengthen the multipolar system of international relations.

Read in full

👉 We have consistently advocated strengthening the multilateral framework of international relations and world economy based on the universal norms of international law, first and foremost the provisions of the UN Charter, focusing on the unconditional respect for the sovereign equality of states and non-interference in their internal affairs.

❗️ It is pivotal to prevent a small group of Western countries from taking control of the UN by striving to substitute generally recognized principles of cooperation between the states with non-consensual constructs.

#UN

The UN Security Council reform should aim to strengthen the representation of developing states from Africa, Asia and Latin America in the Security Council without prejudice to the UNSC's effectiveness and operational efficiency. Low twenties seems the optimum number of members of the reformed Council.

We support realistic initiatives to revitalize the work of the UN General Assembly within the relevant Ad Hoc Working Group. It is of paramount importance to fine-tune UNGA working methods, streamline its overloaded agenda and strengthen multilingualism.

#Sanctions

Sanctions are an important auxiliary tool for the UNSC to suppress activities threatening international peace and security. They must not be used as a means of punishment. They should be carefully measured, targeted and time-limited and take into account political, socio-economic, human rights and humanitarian consequences.

❗️It is unacceptable to introduce, in addition to UNSC sanctions, further unilateral coercive measures, especially those with extraterritorial effect. We advocate for including this requirement in relevant SC resolutions.

#UNGA78

🇷🇺🇰🇿 President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev made statements for the media following the Russia-Kazakhstan talks.

💬 Vladimir Putin: During the talks, we noted that bilateral trade increased by more than 10 percent in 2022. This is a positive result.

<...>

☝️ I would like to emphasise that Russia is one of the largest investors in Kazakhstan’s economy.

<...>

Bilateral cooperation in the energy sector is on the rise, as has already been said here. Most of Kazakhstan’s oil is transited to international markets via Russia, and Russian oil is shipped across Kazakhstan to China. <...> We maintain uninterrupted gas distribution to consumers in Uzbekistan, which is especially important during peak winter consumption.

<...>

President Tokayev and I also talked about strengthening our military and military-technical cooperation. Both Russia and Kazakhstan are CSTO members, and Russia has gone to great lengths to help Kazakhstan train its military personnel and specialists at academies operated by the Russian Defence Ministry and other military and law enforcement agencies. We helped Kazakhstan launch the production and servicing of Russian military equipment on its territory by issuing the relevant licences.

<...>

🌐 While reviewing international issues, we focused on our integration efforts, primarily within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union, the Commonwealth of Independent States, as well as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, currently chaired by Kazakhstan.

<...>

🤝 We also discussed the coordination of our countries’ efforts at the #UN. We will continue to jointly uphold the principles of the primacy of international law, non-interference in the domestic affairs of other states and the right to a free model of development.

Read in full

🇷🇺🇧🇾 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks during a meeting with President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko (Minsk, June 25, 2024)

💬 Thank you for your kind words about the foreign ministries of our countries. We do our best to achieve the strategic goals that you and President of Russia Vladimir Putin have set in foreign policy, and to organise our foreign political activities in a manner that provides diplomatic support for integration.

Yesterday, we signed the Joint Statement on the Main Foreign Policy Tasks of the Union Integration of Russia and Belarus. The statement directs us to always consider the interests of the Union State rather than the interests of Minsk or Moscow separately when strengthening our coordination.

All the agreements concerning the Shanghai Cooperation Organisations have been finalised. As the first act of the Summit in Astana, Belarus will be officially accepted as a full #SCO Member State. Minsk will participate in all events on par with the other members.

🌐 We can report on other matters as well. Yesterday, we held a detailed discussion about the #UN and the #OSCE. You are fortunate in that Belarus was never a member of the Council of Europe, so you did not have to withdraw.

Eurasian security are under discussion as well. Both you and Vladimir Putin have voiced your proposals.

<...>

👉 Mr Aleinik and I discussed how to promote the concept of Eurasian security and get more like-minded Parties involved. I believe this concept has good prospects.

Read in full

#RussiaBelarus #UnionState

⚡️ On the human rights situation in Czech Republic — Joint Report of Russia's and Belarus' MFAs

❌ There are chronic problems that the authorities of the country do not intend to solve, engaging instead in destructive foreign policy actions, including in their interaction with Russia.

The areas of concern from the viewpoint of human rights protection in Czech Republic include:

🔻 Neo-Nazi forces activity

The Czech publishing house "Naše vojsko" offered a calendar with photos of representatives of the leadership of the Third Reich, the occupation administration on Czech territory, and other Nazi criminals. There is evidence of monuments and memorials to the Nazis being erected (and restored).

🔻 Incidents of Russophobia

Natives of Russia living in the Czech Republic face discrimination in local universities – refusal to study and accept exams by the teaching staff.

In June 2023, Czech President Petr Pavel called on intelligence agencies to monitor all Russians living in the West, citing US World War II practices against the Japanese population, including the placement of Japanese in concentration camps. <...>

Not only the citizens of Russia, but also its diplomatic representatives have faced manifestations of aggression in the Czech Republic.

The Czech government suspended the issuance of visas and long-term and permanent residence permits to citizens of the Russian Federation.

🔻 Racism and Anti-Semitism

Multilateral universal and regional human rights monitoring bodies have documented, inter alia, the prevalence of racist ideas and prejudices in the country, racially motivated crimes such as property attacks, threats and attacks against Roma, Jews, migrants and minority activists.

In particular, that hatred against Muslims, migrants and Jews was widespread in the country, with Islamophobia and migrantophobia having become a feature of mainstream politics over the past five years. <...>

Official statistics show an increase in the number of antsemitic crimes. There have been recorded 1128 incidents motivated by antisemitism. In 2022, the number of reported incidents nearly doubled to 2277. Almost all antisemitic incidents in 2022 involved the publication of texts, illustrations or statements containing hate speech in the media or on the Internet: 2265 incidents. Of these, 2211 incidents took place online, and 1642 — on social networks.

🔻 Problems related to the protection of children's rights

The #UN Committee on the Rights of the Child expressed extreme concern about the high incidence of sexual exploitation and abuse of children in the country, as well as discrimination against Roma children.

A large number of families with children struggling to afford housing due to the "benefit-free zone" policy. <...>

📄 Read in full

🇷🇺🇦🇿 From the Joint Statement of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on the results of bilateral talks with President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev (19 August 2024)

💬 Vladimir Putin: Russia attaches great importance to developing a comprehensive and friendly relationship with Azerbaijan. This relationship is based on the principles of equality, respect for each other's interests, and, of course, the close personal and cultural ties that have brought our nations together for centuries now.

The Joint Statement we adopted outlines ambitious goals for advancing our bilateral relations dynamically. Additionally, the documents signed today will support the achievement of these goals.

The key economic cooperation issues are constantly monitored by our colleagues on the intergovernmental commission. Its latest meeting, held in Baku ahead of our visit, was highly productive.

Cultural ties are actively expanding. In June, Azerbaijan successfully hosted Days of Russian Culture, featuring exhibitions, concerts, theatrical performances, and other vibrant cultural events.

We also touched upon current international developments. In foreign policy, both our countries firmly adhere to the principles of the supremacy of international law, the sovereignty of states and non-interference in their internal affairs.

🤝 Russia and Azerbaijan closely coordinate their efforts at key multilateral platforms, including the #UN and naturally, the Commonwealth of Independent States. We will be delighted to see the President of Azerbaijan at the meeting of the CIS Heads of State Council in Moscow in October, as well as at the outreach meeting to be held in the same month as part of the #BRICS summit in Kazan. <...>

Russia will continue to make utmost efforts towards the normalisation of Azerbaijani-Armenian interaction and the conclusion of a peace treaty based on the well-known trilateral agreements reached by the presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia between 2020 and 2022.

☝️ I am sure that the talks held and the agreements reached today will serve to further strengthen the strategic partnership between Russia and Azerbaijan.

#RussiaAzerbaijan

🎙 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's interview to the newspaper "Arguments and Facts" (October 21, 2024)

Key Points:

#BRICS

• BRICS epitomises the shifts that have long been underway in the global economy. New centres of economic growth are emerging, and alongside them comes financial influence, which in turn brings political influence.

• BRICS is a consortium where no single nation leads or is led, devoid of the bureaucratic machinery akin to that observed in Brussels, where EU officials impose decisions that contravene the will and interests of several member states, failing to align with the aspirations of voters across many countries.

• BRICS does not stand in opposition to any entity, nor does it orchestrate operations or initiate projects. BRICS is committed to enhancing the combined potential of its nations and devising collaborative strategies for harnessing these potentials for mutual benefit.

• What makes BRICS and other World Majority or Global East associations that do not include Western countries stand out, is that they are not created for the purpose of struggling or fighting with anyone. They are established to collectively benefit from their competitive advantages such as geographical location, shared history, cultural and humanitarian proximity <...>.

#USA

• The US is unwilling to relinquish the reins of power that they have held since World War II through the Bretton Woods institutions and through the role assigned to the US dollar in the international monetary system, even after free exchange of US dollars for gold had been cancelled.

• The key goal of the US ruling class is to make sure no one can undermine their dominance. This goal is illusory. The historical process is objectively heading in a different direction, and this has to be reckoned with.

• We are ready to interact with any administration voted in by the American people, but only if such a dialogue is mutually respectful, and both parties listen and hear what the other party has to say.

#Ukraine

• On multiple occasions, European leaders from Brussels have repeatedly made it clear that they must support Ukraine for as long as it takes, because Ukraine is fighting for the European values.

• It turns out that European leaders are still willing to uphold Nazi values, which is why denazification is not just a motto, but an objective of utmost importance.

#UN

• The United Nations is not a valiant knight expected to “charge in and extinguish the fire” upon witnessing injustice. The UN is an assembly of its member states, each with established rules, including the Security Council's veto rights. The United States has effectively exercised this right five times over the past year, blocking a resolution proposed by several countries, including Russia, demanding an immediate ceasefire. <...> Presently, the United States is taking every measure to avoid antagonising Israel.

• Nations such as India, Brazil, and African representatives should have long held permanent seats on the Security Council. This is essential to ensure representation of the World Majority.

#Finland #Sweden #NATO

• The zeal that the Finns and Swedes are showing in NATO, advocating for defeating Russia, is not only rooted in their historical instincts. They are also eager to show their Big Brothers in the North Atlantic Alliance that they have brought added value <...>.

• I am confident that reasonable people in Europe, who have learned the lessons taught by history, see this too, including in Finland and Sweden.

#Europe

• To reiterate, the so-called right-wing conservatives are loyal to their countries and their people. We will engage with anyone who approaches us with a proposal to talk, to seek common ground, and to think about how we can jointly make the lives of our citizens better.

#EurasianSecurity

• We suggest discussing the Eurasian continent-wide security architecture, emphasising the fact that its doors will be open to everyone, including countries from the West of the Eurasian continent.

Read in full (Telegraph)

🎙 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's interview to the newspaper "Arguments and Facts" (October 21, 2024)

Key Points:

#BRICS

• BRICS epitomises the shifts that have long been underway in the global economy. New centres of economic growth are emerging, and alongside them comes financial influence, which in turn brings political influence.

• BRICS is a consortium where no single nation leads or is led, devoid of the bureaucratic machinery akin to that observed in Brussels, where EU officials impose decisions that contravene the will and interests of several member states, failing to align with the aspirations of voters across many countries.

• BRICS does not stand in opposition to any entity, nor does it orchestrate operations or initiate projects. BRICS is committed to enhancing the combined potential of its nations and devising collaborative strategies for harnessing these potentials for mutual benefit.

• What makes BRICS and other World Majority or Global East associations that do not include Western countries stand out, is that they are not created for the purpose of struggling or fighting with anyone. They are established to collectively benefit from their competitive advantages such as geographical location, shared history, cultural and humanitarian proximity <...>.

#USA

• The US is unwilling to relinquish the reins of power that they have held since World War II through the Bretton Woods institutions and through the role assigned to the US dollar in the international monetary system, even after free exchange of US dollars for gold had been cancelled.

• The key goal of the US ruling class is to make sure no one can undermine their dominance. This goal is illusory. The historical process is objectively heading in a different direction, and this has to be reckoned with.

• We are ready to interact with any administration voted in by the American people, but only if such a dialogue is mutually respectful, and both parties listen and hear what the other party has to say.

#Ukraine

• On multiple occasions, European leaders from Brussels have repeatedly made it clear that they must support Ukraine for as long as it takes, because Ukraine is fighting for the European values.

• It turns out that European leaders are still willing to uphold Nazi values, which is why denazification is not just a motto, but an objective of utmost importance.

#UN

• The United Nations is not a valiant knight expected to “charge in and extinguish the fire” upon witnessing injustice. The UN is an assembly of its member states, each with established rules, including the Security Council's veto rights. The United States has effectively exercised this right five times over the past year, blocking a resolution proposed by several countries, including Russia, demanding an immediate ceasefire. <...> Presently, the United States is taking every measure to avoid antagonising Israel.

• Nations such as India, Brazil, and African representatives should have long held permanent seats on the Security Council. This is essential to ensure representation of the World Majority.

#Finland #Sweden #NATO

• The zeal that the Finns and Swedes are showing in NATO, advocating for defeating Russia, is not only rooted in their historical instincts. They are also eager to show their Big Brothers in the North Atlantic Alliance that they have brought added value <...>.

• I am confident that reasonable people in Europe, who have learned the lessons taught by history, see this too, including in Finland and Sweden.

#Europe

• To reiterate, the so-called right-wing conservatives are loyal to their countries and their people. We will engage with anyone who approaches us with a proposal to talk, to seek common ground, and to think about how we can jointly make the lives of our citizens better.

#EurasianSecurity

• We suggest discussing the Eurasian continent-wide security architecture, emphasising the fact that its doors will be open to everyone, including countries from the West of the Eurasian continent.

Read in full (Telegraph)