🇷🇺🇨🇳 President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin met with President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Astana.

💬 Vladimir Putin: I remember how warmly you welcomed us all in China. I would like to thank you again for the hospitality you showed us, on behalf of my colleagues and myself. <...>

Our countries stood at the cradle of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in 2001. As the number of participants grew – and tomorrow Belarus will become another full member of the organisation – the #SCO also gained a bigger role as one of the key pillars of a just multipolar world order. We will certainly support China’s chairmanship of the SCO in 2024–2025 in every way.

🤝 We have repeatedly stated with good reason that Russia-China relations, our comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation, are going through the best period in their history. They are guided by the principles of equality, mutual benefit and respect for each other’s sovereignty.

☝️ Our cooperation is not directed against anyone. We do not create any blocs or alliances; we are simply acting in the interests of our people.

Russia and China continue the series of events dedicated to the 75th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between our countries we are marking this year.

📈 Trade is on the rise – we noted this during my visit to the People’s Republic of China, and we can reaffirm this today. We saw more positive trends in the first half of this year. <...>

🌐 Russian-Chinese cooperation in global affairs serves as a main stabilising factor on the international stage, and we continue to further enhance it.

This year, Russia holds the presidency of #BRICS, another organisation created on our initiative, and we hope that you and our colleagues will take part in the Kazan Summit in October.

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#RussiaChina

🇷🇺🇰🇿 President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin met with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who will chair the 24th meeting of the SCO Summit in Astana on July 4.

💬 Vladimir Putin: Mr Tokayev, thank you for the invitation.

We appreciate the efforts Kazakhstan has invested to make this event possible. It is in its early phase, but we can already see its scale. It certainly has an international dimension not formally, but substantively. This is my first point.

Second, I would like to note that Kazakhstan, on the one hand, and Russia, on the other hand, are chairing a number of international organisations and hold forums. You are chairing the #SCO and the #CSTO, and Russia is chairing #BRICS and the #CIS. We will support and help each other in this regard.

I would like to thank you for inviting me to pay a state visit to Kazakhstan. Without a doubt, timing my visit to the CSTO Summit is the most rational choice. We will definitely do it. Thank you for the invitation. I certainly accept it.

🤝 With regard to our bilateral relations, we maintain contact at all times. Still, I would be remiss not to note that trade has expanded to almost US$30 billion, over US$28 billion, which is impressive. With over 17 percent of Kazakhstan’s trade, Russia is among its key trade and economic partners.

We are pursuing many important areas of cooperation marked by high levels of collaboration, and many interesting projects. I propose discussing this today as well.

#RussiaKazakhstan

🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov answers a question from the Moscow. Kremlin. Putin programme (Astana, July 4, 2024)

Question: How important is it that Belarus has joined us in the #SCO?

💬 Sergey Lavrov: Belarus is part of the Union State. We are interested in the Union State taking part in all international processes as a single front. I believe we are going in the right direction.

🇷🇺🇮🇷 President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin meets with Acting Head of the Executive Branch of the Islamic Republic of Iran Mohammad Mokhber on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (#SCO) Summit.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak and Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov attended the meeting from the Russian Side.

💬 Vladimir Putin: Iran-Russia relations are truly friendly and constructive. I am confident that our relations will grow stronger regardless of the outcome of the elections in your country. We wish the Iranian people a successful second round.

<...>

The free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and Iran will certainly contribute to the further strengthening of our economic ties.

The Member States of the organisation are reviewing Iran’s application for observer state status at the EAEU. For our part, we support it.

Tourist flows are expanding as well. The number of Russian tourists to Iran has increased by a quarter.

🌐 Notably, our approaches to key items on the international agenda overlap. We are united by the desire to create a multipolar world order, to observe all statutes of international law, and to preserve the central role of the United Nations.

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🎙 Russia's President Vladimir Putin took part in a SCO Heads of State Council Meeting in Astana (July 4, 2024)

💬 First of all, I want to greet everybody and, of course, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, following the accession of the Republic of Belarus as a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

Russia gives high priority to partnership within the #SCO. We can state with satisfaction that this cooperation continues to develop consistently based on the principles of equality, consideration for each other’s interests, respect for the cultural and civilisational diversity, and cooperation in addressing important security issues.

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Our countries are increasingly using national currencies for mutual settlements. For example, the share of national currencies in Russia's transactions with SCO members has exceeded 92 percent in the first four months of this year. I would like to reiterate Russia's proposal to establish a payment and settlement system within the SCO.

Regular meetings between our economic ministers, finance ministers and central bank governors are making a substantial contribution to the development of trade and investment relations in the SCO space.

<...>

Naturally, ensuring security within the Member States and along the external borders has always been a key focus of the SCO’s activities. Today, we have made decisions to upgrade the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure into a comprehensive centre that will address all security threats, as well as to establish an anti-drug centre in Dushanbe. The three-year cooperation programme we have approved will further strengthen our efforts to combat terrorism, separatism, and extremism.

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🇷🇺🇶🇦 Russia's President Vladimir Putin had a meeting with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the #SCO Summit.

💬 Vladimir Putin: #RussiaQatar relations are built on a strong foundation of friendship. Our trade in absolute figures is not large, but there are good growth prospects and positive trends.

We continue mutual investment cooperation. Our central banks are also working together. There is an ongoing dialogue on potentially including Qatar in the North-South Transport Corridor project. We are developing humanitarian links between our nations.

We remember that Qatar was extremely dedicated to the preparations for the FIFA World Cup. We have approved a memorandum of understanding between our ministries of sport to enhance cooperation in this field.

🤝 Your Highness, I would like to thank you for your efforts in resolving humanitarian issues and those arising from the Ukrainian crisis. It is through your mediation that we have been able to reunite children with their families on both the Russian and Ukrainian sides.

We are also aware that you have been one of the most effective mediators between Hamas and Israel in the Middle East crisis. We know very well that you are taking very proactive efforts to help the parties reach agreement on ceasefire and detainee exchange.

Your Highness, you know that Russia is also making efforts to help settle this crisis. It is our firm belief that this situation can only be resolved by complying with the respective decisions of the UN, especially those concerning the establishment of two states, Israel and Palestine.

Your Highness, it has been a long time since your last visit to Russia. We would be more than happy to host you in our country. Please consider this an official invitation.

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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.

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💬 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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🎙 In conclusion of his working visit to Astana, Russia's President Vladimir Putin answered questions from representatives of Russian media (July 4, 2024)

Key talking points:

• The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (#SCO) started to gain traction and definitely became more necessary in today’s world, because it is clearly an independent centre of the new multipolar world. This is the feature that attracted the organisation members and those who wanted to maintain close contacts with it at various levels

• The Taliban controls the country [Afghanistan]. In this sense, the Taliban are, of course, our allies in countering terrorism, because any authority in power is interested in its own stability and the stability of the country it leads.

• We take seriously enough the things that Mr Trump is saying as a presidential candidate about his readiness and wish to stop the war in Ukraine. Naturally, I do not know his possible proposals as to how he is going to do it – and this is, of course, the key question. However, I have no doubt that he is saying it sincerely, and we support it.

• We cannot allow the adversary to take advantage of this ceasefire to improve its positions, rearm itself, fill up its army through forced mobilization, and get prepared to continue the armed conflict. We must ensure that the opposing side agrees to take steps that would be irreversible and acceptable to the Russian Federation.

❗️ We have always been in favour of negotiations, as you know. We never rejected them. The problem is that I consider it improbable that the conflict can be settled through mediators alone, above all because a mediator will not be authorised to sign any final documents.

⚡️ If US-made medium-range and shorter-range missiles appear in some place, we reserve the right to respond tit-for-tat.

• The US has indeed destroyed the fundamental documents that underpinned international stability and security. We did not withdraw from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which was a cornerstone, or the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, or the #CTBT. <...> All of this was done by the US.

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🇷🇺🇮🇳 President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, on an official visit to Russia, held talks in the Grand Kremlin Palace.

💬 Vladimir Putin: Mr Prime Minister, this is your first official visit after your reappointment following parliamentary elections. I would like to congratulate you on this once again.

Our countries have long-time friendship and good relations that have evolved over the decades. This year, we are marking the 77th Anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Today, our relations have the status of a specially privileged strategic partnership. We are in permanent contact, and we prioritise the development of trade and economic ties. Certainly, their development meets the interests of the people of India and the peoples of the Russian Federation.

📈 Last year, our trade soared by 60 percent and even more, by 66 percent; it increased by an additional 20 percent in the first quarter of 2024.

🌐 We cooperate closely on the international arena, including at international organisations, primarily the #UN and such associations as the #SCO and #BRICS.

Yesterday, we had an opportunity to discuss virtually all practical issues in an informal setting. I am grateful to you for devoting attention to the most acute issues and for trying to find some options for resolving the Ukraine crisis, primarily by peaceful methods.

Mr Prime Minister, we will be delighted to see you in Kazan this autumn at the upcoming BRICS Summit.

At the end of my opening remarks, I would like to wish you new successes in facilitating the development of the Indian state. You and I know each other for a long time, and I know that your entire life is devoted to implementing the idea of strengthening the Indian state and improving the life of the people of India.

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🎙 Statement by FM Sergey Lavrov during the UNSC meeting on multilateral cooperation in the interest of a more just, democratic and sustainable world order

📍 New York, July 16, 2024

💬 Today, the very foundations of the international legal order - strategic stability and the UN-centric system of international politics - are put to the test. We won’t be able to resolve the mounting conflicts unless we understand their root causes and restore faith in our ability to join forces for the common good and justice for all.

Let’s face it: not all countries represented in this chamber recognise the key principle of the UN Charter which is the sovereign equality of all states. Speaking through its presidents, the US has long declared its exceptionalism. This applies to Washington’s attitude towards its allies, whom it demands to be unquestioningly obedient even to the detriment of their national interests.

👉 Rule, America! This is the thrust of the notorious “rules-based order” which presents a direct threat to multilateralism and international peace.

The most important components of international law - the UN Charter and the resolutions of our Council - are interpreted by the collective West in a perverse and selective manner, depending on the instructions coming from the White House.

Key talking points:

• Washington’s hegemonistic policy has been the same for decades. Absolutely all schemes of Euro-Atlantic security were based on America’s domination, including the subjugation of Europe and the “containment” of Russia. The main role in this was assigned to NATO, which has ultimately tramped down the European Union that had been created to serve Europeans. The alliance has unceremoniously privatised OSCE bodies in brazen violation of the Helsinki Final Act.

• The unrestrained enlargement of NATO, which went on for years contrary to Moscow’s warnings, has also provoked the Ukraine crisis that began with the state coup organised by Washington in February 2014 to seize full control of Ukraine and use the neo-Nazi regime they brought to power to prepare an attack on Russia.

• NATO’s military infrastructure is moving into the Pacific with the obvious aim of undermining the ASEAN-centric architecture, which has for many decades been built on the principles of equality, mutual interests and consensus.

• Where are the free market attributes that the US and its allies have been telling everyone to follow for so many years? Market economy, fair competition, inviolability of private property, presumption of innocence, freedom of movement of people, goods, capital and services - all of these have been scrapped.

• The pivotal element of the reform of the UN should be the reshuffle of the UN Security Council, <...> which clearly has too many representatives of the collective West. A badly needed step is to reach the broadest accord possible on the concrete parameters of the reform, which should increase the representation of Asia, Africa and Latin America.

• The personnel policy of the UN Secretariat should be changed as well to eliminate the domination of Western citizens and subjects in the administrative UN bodies. The UN Secretary-General and his staff must faithfully and with no exceptions comply with the principles of impartiality and neutrality.

• #BRICS and the #SCO are playing an increasing role in the development of a just multilateral world based on the principles of the UN Charter. Their member states represent different regions and civilisations whose interaction is based on equality, mutual respect, consensus and mutually accepted compromises, which is the golden standard of multilateral cooperation involving great powers.

❗️ The UN will be able to overcome current disagreements and to reach consensus on most issues if everyone, without exception, honours its letter and spirit. “The end of history” has failed to materialise. Let us work together in the interests of launching the history of genuine multilateralism that reflects the entire wealth of cultural and civilisational diversity of the world’s nations.

🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions following his visit to the United States within the framework of Russia’s UN Security Council Presidency

📍 New York, July 17, 2024

💬 I came to New York for two key events – open debates – that were held yesterday and today within the framework of Russia’s UN Security Council Presidency. Not only members of the Security Council but all other delegations could attend them. You saw how many of them did so.

The first issue we proposed for discussion yesterday concerned the conceptual framework of international relations, multilateralism and multipolarity. We pointed out the gradual erosion of system that was created after the Second World War on the basis of the central role of the UN.

I hope that you listened to my statement and to the statements made by other participants. We did not expect to come to agreement on the majority of issues, considering the current tensions on the international stage and the state of relations between the collective West and the Global Majority.

☝️ Although we had no big illusions, I believe that it was a useful discussion. At the very least, the overwhelming majority of participants agreed that we have problems. Many of them expressed opinions that coincide with our vision of the objective development of a multipolar world order, which I presented in my statement.

Another conclusion is that this discussion will most certainly be continued. There is an apparent interest for this, and it is growing. We will actively keep it up, and we will organise additional discussions on this issue not only at the UN but also at other multilateral platforms, including at the Group of Twenty, at associations such as #BRICS and the #SCO, as well as in the framework of our contacts with the regional organisations of Asia, Africa and Latin America.

The restoration of trust is the top priority now, as the representative of Guyana pointed out yesterday. So far, there was no hint of dialogue. Another important statement he made was that trust could only be rebuilt if all parties without exception comply with the agreements reached. This is not the case so far. Examples of that were provided yesterday in my statement and in the statements of other participants.

Overwhelming evidence of that was also provided during today’s open debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. The overwhelming majority of the UN resolutions on Palestine have not been implemented. The second debate I have mentioned is not over yet. Many speakers have called for taking resolute steps. We hold a similar view. The first steps must include the termination of hostilities, a permanent ceasefire, the settlement of critical humanitarian problems and, of course, the termination of Israel’s actions to create illegal settlements. We hope that if or when this is done, this will create conditions for resuming negotiations on the implementation of UN decisions on the establishment of the Palestinian state that would live in peace and security with Israel.

<...>

🤝 I have held a series of bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers of Arab countries, with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Peter Szijjarto, and with Head of the Federal Department (Minister) of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis.

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🎙 Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at a meeting with directors of Russian non-profit organisations (July 23, 2024)

Key talking points:

🔹The role of public diplomacy has grown compared to the earlier period, primarily when it comes to maintaining a healthy atmosphere of confidence in relations with our foreign partners and explaining problems created by the West.

🔹 This applies to the the countries which we regard as unfriendly. I believe that we should use this term for governments, whereas the mood in the countries is largely determined by people’s lives and aspirations. I do not see any nation on the planet that would be unfriendly to our people in the first place.

🔹 I am aware that pubic organisations in Western countries somehow manage to maintain ties with some of their partners in Russia. This interaction is extremely important for keeping up relations at the level of civil societies and trying to understand each other.

🔹 We are beginning to see the outlines of a new multipolar world order. Nations around the world want to see their right to rule their destinies respected, and are searching for new ways of addressing various issues as alternatives to Western solutions.

🔹 The West is not ready to engage in mutually beneficial and equal cooperation. It has been seeking to hold on to its erstwhile standing which follows the path of irreversible, albeit slow, degradation. The NATO Summit in Washington provided yet another example of this process by adopting a declaration which once again emphasised the West’s unilateral approaches.

🔹 Today, Europe has been reduced to acting as Washington’s subject. Germany, for example, is the cornerstone of European politics and economy, but it still had to stomach the terrorist attacks against the Nord Stream pipelines which undermined its economic and social wellbeing. It had to pretend that this is the way it had to be.

🔹 The process of eradicating the centralised dictatorial model that America’s globalisation has morphed into will go hand in hand with regionalisation of economic processes. Preferably, in view of their interdependence with the global economy, the developments in Eurasia, Africa and Latin America ought to be coordinated and harmonised to a certain extent. #BRICS is quite capable of doing that.

🔹 We certainly believe that the United Nations remains a unique platform for universal cooperation that has no alternative. The UN Charter principles are relevant as never before.

🔹 I said earlier that Eurasia is emerging as an independent part of the multipolar and polycentric world. We are moving forward towards creating a Greater Eurasian Partnership, something that President Vladimir Putin mentioned 10 years back.  Since then, this process has led to stronger ties between #EAEU, #SCO, and #ASEAN.

🔹 We trust that non-governmental and non-profit organisations will actively participate in these processes and continue to contribute to the overall efforts seeking to strengthen Russia’s position on the continent and around the world, including the promotion of the Russian language and our multiethnic culture.

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🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks at the meeting with Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Lao PDR Saleumxay Kommasith (Vientiane, July 25, 2024)

💬 I would like to thank our Lao and Chinese partners for agreeing to hold today's meeting in a trilateral format. This is an excellent opportunity for us to touch base on a wide range of issues aimed at promoting regional interconnectedness in Eurasia for the benefit of our peoples and all those who live on our continent. Additionally, we hope to discuss ways to address the challenges our countries face in strengthening food, energy and transportation security.

🇷🇺🇨🇳🇱🇦 Our three countries are united by common approaches to creating an extensive cooperation space on the continent, and strengthening cross-border transport, sales, production and logistics mechanisms.

This meeting is taking place on the sidelines of high-level #ASEAN events. The Association is a vital component of the emerging more equitable multipolar world order. ASEAN has been and remains the core of region-wide efforts aimed at ensuring a stable and secure non-bloc development of the Asia-Pacific region.

🤝 We believe that the significant potentials of Russia and China, as well as their participation in such new multilateral associations as #BRICS and the #SCO, can have a positive impact on our interaction with the Association. This will also enhance our cooperation with individual Member States of ASEAN, helping us address global and regional issues based on the comprehensive and interconnected principles of the UN Charter.

🎙 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks during his meeting with Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China Wang Yi (Vientiane, July 25, 2024)

💬 Our countries focused their agendas on undertaking a comprehensive effort to deliver on their national development goals, and the #RussiaChina strategic cooperation is designed to facilitate these efforts. President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of China Xi Jinping attach great importance to these relations and always keep them on their radar, including by exploring new horizons for our strategic partnership.

In May 2024, Beijing hosted summit talks between them. After that, the two Leaders had a conversation on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Astana, where they outlined the main directions for further strengthening our bilateral cooperation as well as the way we work together on the international stage.

🤝 Russia and China have been working in tandem on building a multipolar world order with better justice for all, guided by the principle of genuine multilateralism. In addition, they have been creating positive vibes within the United Nations and the Group of Twenty, while remaining proactive within #BRICS and the #SCO. There are other important international platforms too, including, of course, #ASEAN and the entire architecture revolving around this association. We share the view that we must do everything to prevent its destruction.

Today, we had a detailed conversation on this matter during our joint meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Lao PDR Saleumxay Kommasith, whose country currently chairs ASEAN.

☝️ We believe in the importance of continuing this dialogue in order to combine our efforts in countering any attempts by extra-regional forces to interfere in Southeast Asian affairs and to contribute to its wellbeing and prosperity.

🇺🇳 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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