🎙 Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vassily Nebenzia’s remarks and answers to media questions on the occasion of assuming UNSC Presidency by Russia (July 1, 2024)

💬 It is a pleasure to see you all on the first day of the Russian Presidency in the UN Security Council. As we are immersing in mid-summer, allow me to briefly update you on what we are planning for the month, week by week.

🔹 July 2 – a briefing and consultations on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, in the context of implementation of the resolution 2720.

🔹 July 3 – a briefing on Haiti followed by consultations.

🔹 July 8 – a briefing and consultations on MONUSCO.

🔹 July 11 – in the morning session, we have consultations on UNFICYP and in the afternoon – briefing and consultations on Colombia.

🔹 July 12 – a regular briefing and consultations on UNOWAS.

🔹 July 16 – open debate on the maintenance of international peace and security: Multilateral cooperation in the interest of a more just, democratic and sustainable world order.

🔹 July 17 – open debate on the Middle East.

Both meetings – on July 16-17 – will be chaired by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. We encourage the Ministerial-level participation of other delegations as well.

🔹 July 19 – a debate on cooperation between the UN and regional and subregional organizations in maintaining international peace and security with focus on the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

🔹 July 22 – a briefing and consultations on political and humanitarian aspects of the situation in Syria.

🔹 July 23 – a briefing and consultations on Yemen.

🔹 July 24 – consultations on Lebanon to discuss the implementation of the resolution 1701.

As for the informal wrap-up, the so-called “Toledo formula”, we are planning to do it on the last day of our Presidency on July 31.

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#Opinion

✍️ Dmitry Trenin, a research professor at the Higher School of Economics and a lead research fellow at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations, member of the Russian International Affairs Council.

Europe will eventually have to choose between the US and BRICS

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Key points:

💬 Rather than setting out to organize a genuine multipolar system based on mutual recognition of each nation’s core interests, <...> the US proceeded to enhance its exclusive and comprehensive dominance.

• This year, at the #BRICS Summit in Russia’s Kazan, the group will for the first time include the leaders of Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Another major Eurasian institution is the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (#SCO) <...> to be admitted soon. A number of other Eurasian countries, from Turkey to Thailand and from the Malpes to Mongolia, have voiced their intention to join either BRICS or SCO.

• To counter that trend among the members of what we increasingly call the World Majority, Washington has raised the profile of NATO in the Indo-Pacific; strengthened its Cold War-era bilateral and trilateral alliances in the Western Pacific, and founded a new one, #AUKUS, in the South Pacific.

❗️ All these multiple arrangements are completely dominated by the US and are aimed at containing and deterring Washington’s designated primary adversaries: China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea – with one overriding goal of defending America’s hegemonic position.

• In contrast to that, neither BRICS nor the SCO is dominated by a single power, or a tandem/triumvirate of nations. BRICS’s recent expansion also suggests that it does not aspire to become a version of the West’s G7, as an elitist steering group, or directoire, for the non-Western world.

• Neither BRICS nor the SCO is overtly anti-American or anti-Western: their main focus is internal rather than external, and they have their work cut out for them.

• The emerging mutual security space within the SCO will make the continent – minus Western Europe, for the time being – far more stable, whether in terms of strategic stability in major-power relations, regional security systems, or the risks of terrorism.

☝️ Eventually, the countries of Western Europe – or far western Eurasia, if you like – will have to make a choice between staying in the US orbit as America’s power continues to shrink, or reaching out east to a vast and vibrant new world next door.

🎙 Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vassily Nebenzia’s answers to media questions on the occasion of assuming UNSC Presidency by Russia (July 1, 2024)

#Ukraine

• President Putin in his recent remarks (of June 14) said that the reality changed, and we are ready anytime not just to interrupt the conflict, but to come to ending it, but the reality should be taken into account. The new reality that emerged during the period between April 22 and July 24. It was rejected by Kiev and by the West. But the problem for them is that the longer this thing continues, the more difficult the situation on the ground for them will be. <...> So, if they don't want to be realistic, let them not be.

• We are discouraging all countries from providing arms for Ukraine. The destiny of the weapons that will be eventually exported to Ukraine is clear. They will be destroyed, as the other weapons that the West and the US are supplying Ukraine with.

#Afghanistan

• The Taliban is de facto the authorities of Afghanistan. <...> You have to recognize this fact and deal with them as such.

• The rights of women and girls in Afghanistan should be observed and the government in Afghanistan should be inclusive, inclusive not just by nationalities, but by the political spectrum that exists to represent the country fully. The case today that it is not the fact and we have to accept it for the time being and continue pragmatic dealing with the current Afghan authorities.

#Syria

• You mentioned foreign presence in Syria. Yes, indeed. There are many foreign armies there; most of them are deployed there illegally. For example, the US that justifies its presence in Syria by Article 51 of the Charter. I wonder how Article 51 of the Charter works for the US in Syria.

The Syrian conflict is not ending because the reality on the ground is not changing. The Syrian government is subject to numerous <...> sanctions, unilateral coercive measures, with most of them originating in the West of course.

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✍️ Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s greetings to the organisers and participants in the 2nd International High-Level Conference "World Treasury of Mother Tongues: Nourish and Cherish. Context, Policy and Practice of Preserving Indigenous Languages"

💬 I warmly greet the organisers and participants of the 2nd International High-Level Conference "World Treasury of Mother Tongues: Nourish and Cherish. Context, Policy and Practice of Preserving Indigenous Languages" which is taking place in the hospitable city of St Petersburg.

☝️ The conference is one of the most significant events of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022-2032. This large-scale UN initiative, implemented by UNESCO, aims to support indigenous languages as the driving force of living heritage. As part of the Decade, Russia actively shares its experience in maintaining multilingualism with other member countries of the organisation.

The fact that your meeting is being held for the second time underscores the importance of international efforts in addressing pressing issues facing indigenous peoples in Russia and beyond. These issues include the preservation of native habitats, traditional lifestyles, original cultures, and linguistic diversity. The event’s success is assured by the esteemed participants, which include language activists from numerous countries, representatives of government authorities, members of the scientific and expert communities, and the general public.

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The message was conveyed on July 1 by Tatiana Dovgalenko, Secretary General of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO, Deputy Director of the Department for Multilateral Humanitarian Cooperation and Cultural Relations of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the 2nd International High-Level Conference "World Treasury of Mother Tongues: Nourish and Cherish. Context, Policy and Practice of Preserving Indigenous Languages"

The World Bank has classified Russia as a high-income country, estimating the gross income per capita at $14,250 per year.

We are awaiting more Western sanctions.

Russia's share in the world wheat market in the 2023/24 agricultural year increased to 28%, according to the data of Russian logistics company Rusagrotrans.

🌾 Russia exported 55.4 million tonnes of wheat, which accounted for about 28% (compared to 25% in the previous year) of the total world trade volume of 200 million tonnes.

The country significantly outperformed the EU, whose countries sent 34 million tonnes of wheat to foreign markets, as well as Canada with 23.5 million tonnes, Australia with 20.5 million tonnes, and the United States with 19.6 million tonnes.

#FoodSecurity

@Sputnik_int

#BRICS2024

Russia's #NizhnyNovgorod hosted BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting on June 10-11 as well as Foreign Ministers and officials from other nations of the Global South and East. Everyone received a most warm welcome — the memorable experience condensed in a final-cut video of the event

Here's to recall:

👉 Day 0. Delegations arrive
👉 Day 0 video. Nizhny Novgorod is prepared!
👉 Day 1 video
👉 On the outcomes of the Ministerial and FM Sergey Lavrov's participation

📺 © The Nizhny Novgorod Region Government

⚡️ State Atomic Energy Corporation "Rosatom":

📝 Eight employees of the Zaporozhskaya Nuclear Power Plant were injured after the Armed Forces of Ukraine attacked the power infrastructure of Energodar.

On July 3, the Armed Forces of Ukraine attacked the Raduga substation. At that time, specialists from the Zaporozhskaya NPP were upgrading the power supply system of Energodar. Three kamikaze quadcopter drones hit the Raduga substation at 10.30, 10.37 and 10.47 am.

In the attack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine eight repairmen from the Zaporozhskaya NPP were injured. They were rushed to a medical clinic in Energodar. Doctors are closely monitoring their condition. The condition of the one patient is assessed as moderately serious, while others are treated for minor injuries.

❗️The attack damaged both of the substation’s transformers, and experts are specifying the extent of damage. The city’s standard power supply system has been disrupted, and the NPP’s facilities, including the transport department, the production and technological complete sets department and others are experiencing power outages. At the same time, measures to ensure nuclear safety are being implemented in full.

Enemy forces have been attacking vital city facilities for the past two weeks. On June 19, an attack by the AFU completely destroyed the Luch substation, and another attack partially damaged Raduga, the other city substation, on June 21. The Raduga substation remains the only power supply facility in Energodar. Today’s attack has caused power outages and water shortages in most of the city’s districts. The strike has jeopardised the city’s vital infrastructure.

👉The latest attack on the Raduga substation highlights the Kiev regime’s readiness to continue its criminal actions. We are noting that, this time, the AFU directly targeted specialists of the Zaporozhskaya NPP who were repairing damage caused by the Kiev regime’s recent attacks on the civilian infrastructure of Energodar.

“A dangerous precedent has been created, requiring a rapid and adequate response, including by international organisations. In turn, we will continue to do everything possible in these difficult conditions for defending the Zaporozhskaya NPP and Energodar from Ukrainian attacks and provocations and for maintaining worthy standards of living for NPP personnel and city residents,” Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev noted, while commenting on the situation.