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Official channel for the Russian Embassy in the Republic of South Africa - Latest foreign policy, cultural, economic news. We take digital diplomacy seriously, share information on all things Russia-related
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🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's video address to the participants and organisers of the World Online Conference on Multipolarity (Moscow, April 29, 2023)

Key talking points:

🌐 Today, the movement towards global multipolarity is a fact, a geopolitical reality.

☝️ We see new global centres, primarily in Eurasia, the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, grow and achieve impressive success in various fields relying on their independence, state sovereignty and cultural and civilisational identity.

• We are witnessing the continued transformation of the structure of international relations. A striking example of multipolar diplomacy is the work of multilateral associations of a new type such as the SCO and BRICS.

❗️ It makes perfect sense that Washington and its satellites’ efforts to reverse the course of history and make the international community live according to the “rules-based order” they invented are failing. I will mention only one of them, the Westerners’ policy to isolate Russia.

• In today's multipolar world, in the face of cross-border challenges and threats, the only reasonable alternative to confrontation (those who initiate confrontations will lose, too) is to combine the efforts of key global centres on the principles of the UN Charter, including respect for the sovereign equality of states ensured in practice. Everyone needs to recognise the irreversibility of the emergence of a more equitable polycentric international system.

🇷🇺 Russia remains at the forefront of international efforts to strengthen the multipolar, legal and democratic principles of interstate communication. <...> We will certainly continue to closely coordinate our steps with our numerous friends, allies and countries that share our views, including our partners in the #CSTO, the #EAEU, the #CIS, #BRICS, the #SCO and other regional associations of the developing world.

#UNCharterIsOurRules
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🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with Tsargrad TV (Moscow, May 17, 2023)

Key talking points:

🔹
We will no longer rely on the West, as a partner that can be negotiated with to any extent. We will work with the rest of the world that is ready for this.

🔹The West’s share in the economy of Central Asia and the South Caucasus is growing. The West methodically and cynically demands that they refrain from taking steps contrary to its interests, promising them everything under the sun. Although in reality it only means interference in internal affairs.

🔹 The #CIS retains its important economic cooperation contacts because the CIS has a free trade zone. It is also contributing to the efforts to counter current challenges and threats (terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking) and efforts in the humanitarian area as well. The CIS has announced 2023 the Year of the Russian Language as the Language of Interethnic Communication.

🔹 Since 2001, we have been working to strengthen relations, primarily with China, India and #ASEAN nations. It is said now that Russia has turned away from the West. We haven’t, or rather the West has turned away from us, betraying its own interests.

🔹The West has made its choice. They insist that Russia must suffer “a strategic defeat,” must give up Crimea, betray the Russian people in other parts of former Ukraine. They are referring to Russians as “non-humans,” whose physical elimination is stated as a goal of the current Kiev regime.

🔹 This [Kiev] regime is killing Russians, Russian culture and the Russian world in any of its manifestations, physically exterminating the Russian people who were its citizens.

🔹 When the Moscow Patriarchate proclaimed the autonomy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, this did not change the Kiev regime’s aggressive policy of eradicating the genuine, canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine and did not stop it from cultivating “the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.”

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🛡 #OTD 22 years ago, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (#SCO) was founded - a multilateral association aimed at ensuring peace, security and stability and jointly countering new security challenges and threats to member states.

Today, the SCO is made up of eight countries: its founding members – Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan – as well as India and Pakistan, which joined in 2017. Iran is also expected to become a full SCO member at the upcoming summit (July 3-4, New Delhi).

In June 2002, the organisation's member states signed the Treaty on Long-Term Good-Neighbourliness, Friendship and Cooperation that cemented the SCO's focus on the positive promotion of multidimensional cooperation and its non-targeting of third countries and organisations. Today the SCO continues to firmly rule out bloc, ideological and confrontational approaches to solving international and regional development problems.

🤝 One of the most important areas of SCO activity is joint efforts to combat terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking and transnational organised crime. The SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure operates in Tashkent on a permanent basis to ensure effective cooperation between the competent authorities of the member states in these areas.

🌐 The SCO's legal framework for relations with the United Nations and its agencies continues to expand. Partnerships have been established with the #CIS, #CSTO, #EEC, #ASEAN and a number of other multilateral associations that share similar principles of constructive development.
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🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s greetings to the organisers, participants and guests of the University International Sports Festival

💬 I offer my greetings to the organisers, participants and guests of the University International Sports Festival. The fact that Yekaterinburg, the capital of the Urals located right in the centre of Eurasia at the crossroads of a diverse of mix of traditions and culture, hosts these competitions is a very powerful symbol.

Russia has consistently advocated honest, open and politics-free dialogue with other countries. In this context, promoting sports ties serves as an important tool for reinforcing the spirit of cooperation and mutual understanding between our nations. We have many like-minded people who share this belief, as evidenced in all clarity by the participation of our partner states from #BRICS, the #SCO and #CIS in the upcoming sports festival.

I am certain that the atmosphere of healthy competition which reigns supreme over this festival will not only help promote an active lifestyle, but will also help further consolidate the bonds of friendship and mutual sympathy among the young people of our countries.

I wish all of you more victories and achievements in sports, memorable impressions, and to get to know interesting people.
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🎙 Excerpts from the answers to media questions by President of Russia Vladimir Putin following his official visit to Kyrgyzstan and #CIS Summit events.

#Moldova

💬 President Putin: The current political elite [of Moldova] do not regard themselves as Moldovans. They say they are Romanians and have dual citizenship. <...> I do not understand entirely what advantages Moldova would have if it pursued other development paths. <...>

We have heard recently that Moldova declined to purchase Russian gas. But it turns out, it did not, and is successfully receiving it now. And where else would they get it from? Not to mention for the prices Russia’s Gazprom offered, and we accommodated them in terms of pricing.

#SouthernCaucasus

🇦🇲 Armenia recognised that Nagorno-Karabakh is part of Azerbaijan. <...> They even referred to the 1991 treaty when the state borders of the former Soviet republics were defined as coinciding with the borders they had within the USSR. That’s it, the matter is closed.

#RussiaKyrgyzstan

🇷🇺🇰🇬 The establishment of the joint air defence system [with Kyrgyzstan] is a very important endeavour, especially bearing in mind that these are high-tech and expensive elements of the security of all our countries. Everyone expressed the desire to develop this security component.

#MiddleEast

🇵🇸🇮🇱 Palestine was once promised that a Palestinian state would be established with East Jerusalem as its capital. Decisions were taken at the UN level. They have the right to expect these promises to be kept. All of this taken together should be addressed and we should think about the people who are not to blame for the current escalation.

Russia can [assist], because we have very good relations with Israel, and we have traditionally good relations with Palestine.

#Ukraine

❗️ I do not doubt that weapons are being illegally taken out of Ukraine. The scale of corruption in Ukraine is is very high; many are seeking to buy on the black market and there are many in Ukraine seeking to sell weapons.

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🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks during a meeting with Russia's young diplomats - university graduates (Moscow, October 31, 2023)

Key talking points:

💬 Congratulations to all of you on joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These meetings are a longstanding tradition and take place annually. As usual, most of you are graduates from MGIMO and the Diplomatic Academy, which are our affiliated institutions.

• I am confident that you are familiar with our assessments which align with those of the majority of the world's nations, which we refer to as the Global Majority, which constitutes 85 percent of the global population.

🌍 We maintain extensive diplomatic engagement with the Global South, including #BRICS and the #SCO, which are our closest allies and neighbours, Belarus, with which we are building a Union State, and regional organisations such as the #CSTO, the #CIS, and the #EAEU. Our ties with Africa are on the rise.

☝️ At the same time, we are not slamming the door shut to the West. If and when they come to their senses and sober up from revelling in their grandeur, and if they turn to us and say that we should capitalise on the fact that we are, indeed, neighbours, we will then consider it.

• We welcome those among you who speak rare and Eastern languages that are now being widely taught. The choice of languages is expanding at MGIMO, with traditional studies of Arabic being expanded with classes in Dari, Azerbaijani, Hebrew, Chinese, Korean, Mongolian, Tajik, Turkish, and Hindi.

• In today's world, it is essential for the diplomats to be versatile individuals and experts who are well-versed in languages and have an understanding of the world's cultural and civilisational diversity. In our days, this encompasses digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and much more.

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🎙Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with RIA Novosti and Rossiya 24 TV on current foreign policy issues

📍Moscow, December 28, 2023

• Because of this hybrid war by the entire collective West, which was unleashed by the hands, bodies and other parts of Ukrainian society against us with the use of modern Western weapons, Russia has become much stronger during this year. The unity of our people has increased substantially.

• The overwhelming majority of states, the World Majority, have not joined the sanctions but cannot raise their voice high enough during debates for the time being. However, they are coming to realise that this could happen to anyone, and that any country could become a target for sanctions by the US, Europe or any US ally.

• More and more countries are telling us that they are with us. They understand that the lengthy process of forming a multipolar world has begun. They will help us by action but will have to occasionally trot out fake excuses (excuse the rude expression) to avoid being given a hard time. This is a serious trend.

• With the special military operation underway and our ongoing confrontation with the West, including on the economic and sanctions front, the objective substantiation of our actions takes on special importance.

• In the context of the emphasis on the Global Majority, on the countries that are ready to work with us in a fair, mutually beneficial and mutually respectful manner, including in the economy, politics, and security, our chairmanships, two of them, coming next year, are of central importance. One is in the #CIS and the other in #BRICS.

• Maybe, the West is even thinking about “specifying its strategy” because if “Russia’s strategic defeat” is a strategy (excuse my tautology please), it has failed miserably. <...> It is clear what they want to achieve – to leave as soon as possible from this grievous position, one that Europe was driven into primarily by Washington.

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🇷🇺🇨🇳📞 On January 10, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke over the phone with Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China Wang Yi.

🤝 The Ministers summed up and spoke positively of the key outcomes of cooperation in 2023, expressing satisfaction with the high tempo of the political dialogue and practical cooperation, which are marked by stability and positive dynamics amid the global geopolitical instability.

They focused on the implementation of agreements reached at the top political level and highlighted the importance of Russian-Chinese strategic interaction to create a just multipolar international order and, in particular, to ensure that the foundations of Eurasian security are solid.

📈 They noted that bilateral trade and economic cooperation has successfully overcome external challenges, with Russia-China trade passing the $200 billion mark as of the end of the year.

Sergey Lavrov and Wang Yi touched on a number of priority items on the international agenda, including the Ukraine crisis, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula and the Asia-Pacific region in general.

They underscored their rejection of the Western bloc’s confrontational policy towards Russia and China, and the attempts to hold back their development using sanctions, deliberate provocations and other illegitimate means.

☝️ They also noted the purely constructive nature of interaction between Moscow and Beijing within the #UN, the #SCO, #BRICS and other multilateral formats, which is not directed against third countries. The Chinese side expressed support for Russia’s BRICS chairmanship. The Ministers exchanged views on ways to facilitate China’s contacts with the #CIS.

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✍️ Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin in an interview with TASS Agency, (February 5, 2024):

💬 Сooperation with #BRICS seems an interesting and promising item on the Eurasian Economic Union’s international agenda.

The #EAEU is interested in a dialogue with BRICS in areas of mutual interest, such as trade regulation, transport and logistics, etc.

☝️I am certain that Russia’s chairmanships of the #CIS and of #BRICS in 2024 will promote cooperation with the EAEU.

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🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at a gala meeting devoted to Diplomatic Worker’s Day (Moscow, February 9, 2024)

Key talking points:

🔵 This is not the first time that our country is at the peak of geopolitical processes. This is why Russia’s place in the emerging multipolar world and the future of the world itself largely depends on us, on our dedication and a correct understanding of the priorities.

🔵 The US-led collective West is not letting up in its attempts to impose an unfair unipolar global arrangement on the world.

🔵 Acting together with the countries of the global majority, our associates in the international arena, we will continue working for the unconditional guarantees for our lawful interests in regional security based on the principle of an indivisible Russia.

🔵 The hybrid war unleashed by the West against those who object to its global striving to maintain its domination is creating not only obstacles but also impetuses for strengthening versatile ties.

🔵 We intend to continue consolidating our strategic partnerships with the PRC, India, Brazil, South Africa, Algeria, Egypt, Syria, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and a vast number of other countries that share our conceptual approaches to the world situation and the prospects for the development of our common planet.

🔵 We attach primary importance to reaching the goals of Russia’s current presidency in the #CIS and the expanded #BRICS.

🔵 We focus in particular on advancing BRICS’ relations with regional and sub-regional association from the Global South

🔵 We will continue to work within the #G20, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, the East Asia Summit mechanisms, and other multilateral associations that include the participation of Western representatives.

🔵 We will do our best to help further strengthen the #SCO in the interests of effectively addressing pressing international issues and promoting our concept for strengthening Eurasian security across the board.

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#DiplomatsDay
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📄 President Vladimir Putin congratulated current staff and veterans of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Diplomatic Worker’s Day.

💬 Vladimir Putin: The Russian Foreign Ministry rightfully takes pride in its rich history and glorious traditions. Throughout history, its employees have honourably protected the interests of the Motherland in the international arena despite any difficulties and challenges.

In the current geopolitical landscape, amidst a hybrid war unleashed against us and attempts by the collective West to isolate Russia and undermine its security, the Foreign Ministry faces difficult and responsible tasks.

Russian diplomacy aims to make a significant contribution to creating favourable external conditions for our country’s dynamic development, fostering effective cooperation with foreign partners, and promoting a positive agenda in international relations. It also seeks to strengthen the unity of the global majority – of countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America – in order to build a just multipolar world order based on true equality, mutual respect, and universally recognised norms of international law.

❗️ Efforts to enhance cooperation with #CIS countries, expand the integration process within the #EAEU, and strengthen ties within the #CSTO and the Union State remain a top priority. Special attention should be given to the proper implementation of tasks and responsibilities during Russia’s chairmanship of the CIS and of the expanded #BRICS association.

Undoubtedly, there is significant need for efforts aimed at uniting the multinational and multi-religious Russian community through supporting our compatriots abroad, promoting the Russian language and showcasing national cultural and scientific achievements, as well as countering attempts to falsify history and revise the outcomes of World War II.

I am confident that staff members at the Ministry’s head office and foreign missions will continue to work with utmost dedication, creativity, and initiative.

#DiplomatsDay
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🗓 On February 14, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov took part in a Government Hour session of the State Duma where he made remarks on current issues related to the foreign policy of the Russian Federation.

The Foreign Minister focused on the key aspects of the Ministry’s efforts to resolve the foreign policy challenges facing the country and took questions from deputies. He concentrated on issues related to promoting partnerships with states that have a constructive attitude to Russia, ensuring favourable external conditions for its socio-economic development, and protecting the rights and interests of compatriots living abroad.

Sergey Lavrov also spoke about strengthening Russia’s role as a leading world power, deepening integration in the Union State, #EAEU, #CIS and #SCO, the Russian chairmanship of #BRICS, the resistance of the Global Majority to the dictates of the collective West, and the formation of a fair multipolar world order.

☝️ The Minister’s regular meetings with the members of both chambers of the Federal Assembly are an opportunity to “compare notes” and determine the main areas of joint effort by the executive and legislative authorities in the framework of the Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation.
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🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks during a meeting with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (Astana, May 20, 2024)

💬 Thank you for setting aside the time for this meeting and the opportunity to meet with you. On May 18, you had a telephone conversation with President Vladimir Putin. He conveys his warmest regards and best wishes on the occasion of your birthday. You maintain close communication.

You have already met in person twice this year (in addition to telephone conversations). Meetings are scheduled to be held as part of #SCO and #CSTO in Kazakhstan. We are also preparing for #BRICS summit in Kazan in October and hope that Astana will accept our invitation to participate in the events for the partner countries.

Our respective Prime Ministers maintain regular contacts and will soon meet in Ashgabat at #CIS Council of Heads of Government. Today, I have held talks with Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu, both one-on-one and as part of broader talks with the delegations’ participation. Our Foreign Ministries are consistently working to implement the agreements reached between you and President Putin, including the Joint Statement adopted in 2023 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Treaty of Neighbourliness and Alliance in the 21st century.

🤝 We have a Joint Action Plan for 2024-2026, which fills our relations substantively. We noted the leaders’ commitment to implementing other projects that will make the lives of our people more comfortable and our interactions easier. This is an important area as well.

We appreciate our economic and financial relations and look forward to the entire range of our ties that cover almost all areas of human activity continuing to expand steadily.
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🎙 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.
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🇷🇺🇺🇳 On July 1, Russia assumed the UN Security Council Presidency, which, pursuant to the UN Charter, bears the primary responsibility for finding effective responses to threats to international peace and security.

Three central events have been planned during the Russian presidency:

🗓 July 16 – open ministerial-level debate on multilateral cooperation for a more just, democratic and sustainable world order.

🗓 July 17 – open ministerial-level debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian issue.

🗓 July 19 – debate in the Security Council on UN cooperation with the #CSTO, the #CIS and the #SCO.

The first two events will be chaired by Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov.

In general, the Council has a very busy agenda. The mandate-reporting cycle will include meetings on the situation in Haiti, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, West Africa and the Sahel region, Yemen, Cyprus, Colombia, Lebanon and Syria, as well as on the activities of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia.

The mandates of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti, the UN Mission to Support the Hudaydah Agreement and the Security Council sanctions regime against the Central African Republic are scheduled for renewal.

The agenda also includes discussions on implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2720 on the humanitarian mechanism for the Gaza Strip to be attended by the UN Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kaag.

🇷🇺 The Russian Federation as a permanent member of the Security Council and a responsible participant in the international community, will traditionally make every effort to ensure a coherent and expeditious work of this agency. In this connection, Russia will urge its colleagues in the Security Council to seek common denominators, given due account of the interests of all the parties concerned.
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🌐 A meeting in the SCO Plus format was held in Astana.

Taking part in the meeting were:

• the Leaders of #SCO Member States,
• the Heads of delegations from SCO observer countries and dialogue partners,
• the Heads of international organisations (the #UN, the #EEC, the Islamic Organisation for Food Security, the #CSTO, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, #CICA, and the #CIS);
• the guests of Kazakhstan’s Presidency.

The Russian delegation attending the meeting includes Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office and Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov, and Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov.

The theme of the SCO Plus meeting is Strengthening Multilateral Dialogue – Striving for Sustainable Peace and Development. The agenda includes international and regional issues related to the SCO’s cooperation with invited countries.

***

💬 Vladimir Putin: I believe the growing interest in the work of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation stems from our core values and ideals: a commitment to pursuing a sovereign and independent policy, alongside a collaborative approach with other countries to find collective solutions to global problems. These principles resonate with many around the world. <...>

It is evident that the SCO is now one of the biggest and most influential regional organisations. <...>

☝️ The world is becoming genuinely multipolar, with an increasing number of states ready to decisively assert their legitimate rights and interests. New centres of power are emerging, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is solidifying its position as one of these key centres.

<...>

We appreciate the sincere and concrete proposals from SCO member countries for the peaceful resolution of the Ukrainian crisis, a result of the reckless and intrusive policies of the United States and its satellites.

As you know, Russia has never refused to negotiate, and is now ready to continue peace talks. It is Ukraine that withdrew from the talks, and it also did so publicly, on direct orders from London – which means Washington was also involved, there is no doubt about it – as Ukrainian officials have admitted bluntly and openly.

❗️ The Istanbul agreements – we have to give credit to the President of Türkiye, Mr Erdogan, for agreeing to be part of that process as a mediator – are still on the table.

<...>

🤝 The SCO Member States coordinate their actions on the international track, including at the United Nations, and their foreign policy approaches are largely in accord or closely aligned.

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🇺🇳 The Russian Federation completed its Presidency in the United Nations Security Council on July 31. Its packed agenda revolved around three central events, with the first two of them attended by FM Sergey Lavrov.

On July 16
, we held a high-level open debate titled “Multilateral cooperation in the interest of a more just, democratic and sustainable world order,” which reaffirmed the need to hold detailed discussions dealing with the underpinnings of the emerging multipolar world order, the objective to reinforce a UN-centred system of international relations, as well as the need to carry out a comprehensive review of the root causes of present-day conflicts and to consolidate our efforts in order to overcome them. The fact that the Global Majority tends to distrust the infamous Western concept of a rules-based world order was also mentioned during the debate.

On July 17, the Security Council held a quarterly ministerial-level debate on the agenda item titled “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.” During this meeting, participants discussed the situation in the region with all its tension, while placing a special emphasis on the escalating violence in the Arab-Israeli conflict zone for finding ways out of this unprecedented crisis. In addition to this, the UNSC held separate meetings on July 26 and 31 on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the assassination of the Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

On July 19, the UNSC held a debate titled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (#CSTO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (#CIS), and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (#SCO).” In his remarks, Deputy FM Sergey Vershinin stressed the importance for the UN to work closer with constructive regional organisations. <...>

In addition to this, Russia’s UNSC Presidency included all the events as part of the mandate-reporting cycle.

👉 The Middle East bloc included meetings on Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.
👉 The African agenda covered discussions of the situation in West Africa, the Sahara and Sahel region, and the DR Congo.
👉 The council also touched upon peacebuilding efforts in Columbia and the start of deploying the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti.
👉 We exchanged views on the activities of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia and the Cyprus settlement.

❗️The Ukraine crisis remained high on the agenda. On July 9, Western countries convened a Security Council meeting in connection with the tragic incident involving a children’s hospital in Kiev. During the debate, the Russian delegation refuted accusations by its opponents and shared evidence demonstrating that the Ukrainian air defence systems were to blame for the incident. On July 25, Russia initiated a UNSC meeting to discuss the unrelenting flow of Western weapons into Ukraine, which delays a settlement in this conflict and leads to more victims.

The Security Council adopted four resolutions in July:

on focusing the CAR arms embargo on illegal armed groups;
extending the mandates for the UN Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement and the UN Integrated Office in Haiti;
regarding the UN Focal Point on delisting-related matters and re-establishing the Informal Working Group of the Security Council on General UNSC Sanctions Issues.

🇺🇳 Russia went to great lengths to enable the Security Council to be effective and responsive in its work. We encouraged our colleagues within the Council to come up with collective responses when dealing with challenges to peace and security, while seeking guidance from a holistic view of the purposes and principles set forth in the UN Charter and their inter-connected nature. The central events on the agenda of the Russian Presidency attracted a lot of attention within the international community, reaffirming our country’s high authority and the respect it commands as a UN founding member and permanent member of the Security Council.

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