❗ Statement by a Russian representative during the interactive dialogue on Agenda Item 8, 57th Session of the UN Human Rights Council:

📍 October 3, 2024, Geneva

📄 The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action emphasize issues of religious identity and inadmissibility of discrimination based on religion or belief.

🔥 The problem of religious hatred and intolerance remains relevant, as evidenced by the increasing incidents of religious intolerance, widespread discrimination based on faith, as well as persecutions of believers and religious leaders.

🇺🇦 A striking example is Ukraine, which prides itself on its level of “democracy”, while actively working at the state level to eradicate the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Kiev’s actions hypocritically violate its commitments under key international human rights documents that guarantee freedom of religion and explicitly prohibit discrimination based on religion and incitement of religious hatred.

🔄 In recent years, Western countries have called for reforms in the system of multilateral cooperation. They demand to "modernize" the fundamental human rights documents, claiming that they are outdated and require "reconfirmation".

❗️ We believe the problem lies not in the documents themselves, but in the patronizing approach and persistent use of human rights issues as a means to pressure "undesirable" governments for political gain. It is high time to abandon this practice and focus instead on fulfilling obligations in a fair and responsible manner, thereby fostering constructive and respectful dialogue.

🎙 Remarks by President of Russia Vladimir Putin at the #CIS Heads of State Council meeting (October 8, 2024)

💬 President Vladimir Putin: Colleagues,

I am delighted to welcome all of you to Moscow for a regular meeting of the CIS Heads of State Council, which Russia is hosting as the current Chair of the Commonwealth.

I would like to emphasise that cooperation within the CIS is one of the Russian Federation's top foreign policy priorities. The member states of the Commonwealth are our closest neighbours, friends, and strategic partners, and we are naturally committed to strengthening our cooperation across the board.

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I am confident that we have abundant possibilities for launching new major and mutually beneficial projects in industry, agriculture, finance and infrastructure. <...>

📈 The CIS macroeconomic numbers have noticeably improved, and mutual trade and investment exchanges within the Commonwealth have expanded.

In the first half of the year, the aggregate GDP grew by 4.7%, investment in fixed assets rose by 11.2%, industrial output was up by 4.3 percent, cargo transport volume increased by 4.9%, and retail trade climbed by 8.6%.

🤝 Through our collaborative efforts, we have built a robust financial infrastructure that is immune to external influences. The use of national currencies in mutual payments has expanded, and their share in commercial transactions within the CIS has exceeded 85% and continues to grow.

Import substitution processes are moving fast thus strengthening our country’s technological sovereignty which is critically important considering the challenging global economic and political environment and the unprecedented pressure, particularly in the economy, coming from a number of countries.

Combatting terrorism and extremism, organised crime, drug trafficking, and corruption remains a priority for the CIS collaborative efforts. <...>

Humanitarian ties within the CIS continue to make strides. Partnerships in science, education, culture, and tourism are deepening. <...>

All our countries understand how important it is to preserve common history and prevent its falsification. Young people should certainly know what our peoples achieved during the long period when we lived as a single state, and about heroic deeds of our fathers, especially during the Great Patriotic War.

🏅 In 2025, we will celebrate the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War together. In the Commonwealth countries, this will be the Year of Peace and Unity in the Fight Against Nazism. <...>

We have come up with one more specific proposal which is to establish a City of Labour Glory honorary title in the CIS, and bestow it on the CIS cities which made a particularly large contribution to victory in the Great Patriotic War by ensuring the uninterrupted supply of military and civilian products. <...>

As you are aware, Russia holds the chairmanship of BRICS this year. This organisation is gaining momentum and many countries now find it quite attractive. <...>

☝️ We believe that fostering close cooperation among all CIS member states with #BRICS aligns with the interest of strengthening our Commonwealth’s position in the international arena.

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