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2019-11-30 13:30:54+00:00
❗🗞️Excerpts from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's interview to Sergey Brilyov, anchor of the Vesti v Subbotu (News on Saturday) programme on Rossiya 1 television channel, Moscow, November 30, 2019
💬Sergey Lavrov: Indeed, a number of countries – Great Britain, Norway, Chile, Australia and New Zealand – made claims for a part of the continent and adjacent waters of the Southern Ocean last century, which are called 'sectors.'
🔹Sergey Brilyov: They marked triangles on the map.
💬Sergey Lavrov: That’s right, triangles. Back then, the Soviet Union and the United States made a joint statement on peremptory non-recognition of any claims and refusal to divide Antarctica into sectors, in order to preserve the continent as the common heritage of the humankind.
🔹Sergey Brilyov: It appears that Russia’s and the United States’ stance on Antarctica is one of the issues that they have complete unanimity on.
💬Sergey Lavrov: That is true – and this is not the only issue. Since its discovery, Antarctica has been a sort of honeypot, a continent that everyone sought to claim a part of. It even came to serious interstate disputes.
🔹Sergey Brilyov: There was even shooting.
💬Sergey Lavrov: There was. But ultimately everything was settled by peaceful means, and I think this experience should be used to settle today's conflicts.
🔹Sergey Brilyov: How sure can we be that the Antarctic Treaty will remain in effect and the world will not descend into another armed conflict?
💬Sergey Lavrov: I believe no one wants to undermine the Treaty. There are no signs of putting the Treaty at risk.
The full interview will be posted soon.
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2019-11-30 11:46:22+00:00
Excerpts from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's interview to Sergey Brilyov, anchor of the Vesti v Subbotu (News on Saturday) programme on Rossiya 1 television channel, Moscow, November 30, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3925748
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2019-11-30 08:25:38+00:00
🇷🇺🇦🇲🇧🇾🇰🇿🇹🇯🇰🇬
Press release on Russia’s Collective Security Treaty Organisation chairmanship
🔹Russia took up chairmanship of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (#CSTO) in Bishkek on November 28.
🔹Speaking at a session of the CSTO Collective Security Council, President Putin reviewed the organisation’s priority areas for the upcoming period.
🔹The Russian chairmanship’s efforts will be aimed at ensuring the collective interests of the CSTO member states and creating conditions for safe and stable development based on the CSTO Collective Security Strategy to 2025.
🔹Special efforts will be made to expand the member states’ foreign policy coordination on important matters of international and regional security, to develop joint political and diplomatic initiatives, to popularise CSTO activities and to improve its international status.
🔹Developing the collective security system’s forces and means with consideration for the dynamics and forecasted development of the military-political situation in the world and the regions located in close proximity to the CSTO zone of responsibility are among the top priorities. Increasing the level of the CSTO Collective Forces’ preparedness to provide the guaranteed defence of its member states and improving the governance system and its comprehensive supplies will be the most important areas of focus. Emphasis will be placed on forming practical mechanisms for a joint response to information security threats and countering today’s combined forms of destructive impact on the CSTO member states.
🔹During Russia's chairmanship of the CSTO, the organisation will continue to improve its crisis response system, primarily through establishing cooperation within the CSTO Crisis Response Centre.
🔹Russia wants to expand the collaborative fight against terrorism and drug trafficking. Particular focus will go to identifying and suppressing activities of international terrorist organisations within the CSTO space, neutralising their resource base, counteracting the recruitment and foreign travel of CSTO member state citizens who intend to participate in terrorist activities. Plans are in place to build up the ability of the collective security system’s forces and means to deal with antiterrorist tasks, and to use the Russian army’s experience of fighting illegal armed units in Syria in their training. Anti-drug cooperation will be strengthened within the CSTO, including as part of the regional operation Channel.
🔹Russia also plans to focus on expanding CSTO peacekeeping potential. This involves improving the peacekeeping personnel training system, increasing the interoperation of the CSTO member states’ peacekeeping contingents and the effectiveness of the CSTO Collective Peacekeeping Forces’ command. The Enduring Brotherhood 2020 joint exercise will be of great importance in these efforts. Improving the regulatory framework and developing a mechanism for engaging CSTO contingents in UN peacekeeping efforts will continue.
🔹Priorities include improving cooperation and establishing partnerships between the CSTO and international organisations and any states that may be interested in this cooperation. In the context of ensuring security in the Eurasian space, developing CSTO contacts with the CIS and the SCO with a focus on countering terrorist threats is of particular importance. The CSTO will continue its dialogue with the #UN and the OSCE in areas of mutual interest. During the Russian chairmanship, new opportunities for establishing CSTO interaction with third countries are opening up in connection with establishing CSTO observer and partner status.
🔹The CSTO member states’ joint celebration of the 75th anniversary of Victory in the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War will be a major area of focus. The celebration will follow the Collective Security Council-approved list of events.
Russia’s CSTO Chairmanship website is: https://cstorussia2020.mid.ru/
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2019-11-30 08:23:28+00:00
🇷🇺🇷🇸Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko’s political consultations in Belgrade
🔹On November 29, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko held another round of political consultations at the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He had talks with First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic and was received by the President of the Republic of #Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic.
🔹They discussed core issues of bilateral relations with an emphasis on the implementation of the agreements reached at the top level. Special attention was given to the building of the Russian-Serbian strategic partnership, to the execution of major joint projects as well as to investment, trade and economic cooperation.
🔹The #Kosovo settlement situation was considered in detail. The parties emphasised the importance of continuing close coordination in this area based on #UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and international law.
🔹During an exchange of views on Balkan affairs the parties stated their mutual interest in creating a climate of neighbourliness and security in the region as well as in the sustainable development of the countries in southeastern #Europe. The Russian side reaffirmed its complete support for Belgrade’s commitment to a policy of military neutrality as a factor of stability in the Balkans, among other things.
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2019-11-30 06:46:21+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko’s political consultations in Belgrade https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3925678
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2019-11-30 06:46:20+00:00
Press release on Russia’s Collective Security Treaty Organisation chairmanship https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3925531
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2019-11-29 19:49:27+00:00
☝️❗On November 21, the Spanish newspaper,El Pais published a series of articles that give a shot in the arm to the half-forgotten theme of Russian meddling in #Spain’s internal affairs in connection with the Catalan events.
☝️❗Apart from allegations about the complicity of the Russian secret services in the so-called “sovereignisation process” in Catalonia, they repeat speculations about #Russia’s attempts to weaken the #EU by way of an intentional dissemination of disinformation and fakes in #Europe. It is also claimed that Spain has supposedly refused to cooperate with Russia in the field of cybersecurity.
☝️❗We would like to note that these claims were refuted by acting Foreign Minister of Spain Josep Borrell in his remarks to the press in Madrid on November 21. He called these allegations “sheer lies” and a “figment of hectic imagination.” We fully share his assessment. Moreover, we regard the El Pais publications as an attempt to undermine the successfully developing Russian-Spanish cooperation, including in the sphere of cybersecurity and anti-disinformation.
https://elpais.com/politica/2019/11/20/actualidad/1574276025_237776.html
https://elpais.com/politica/2019/11/20/actualidad/1574277507_317498.html
https://elpais.com/politica/2019/11/20/actualidad/1574276622_659075.html
Comment by Russian Ambassador to Spain Yury Korchagin:
https://spain.mid.ru/ru/web/spain_ru/-/posol-rossii-u-p-korcagin-dal-interv-u-ria-i-tass-po-povodu-statej-v-gazete-el-pais-nacelennyh-na-to-ctoby-brosit-ten-na-konstruktivno-razvivausiesa-r?redirect=https%3A//spain.mid.ru/ru_RU/web/spain_ru
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2019-11-29 19:10:25+00:00
🇷🇺🇺🇳On November 29, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had a meeting with #UN Special Coordinator for the #MiddleEast Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov.
🇷🇺🇺🇳Their conversation focused on methods to overcome a deadlock in the Middle East peace process and to rally international efforts toward preventing the demolition of the international legal framework for the settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The officials expressed support for the two-state solution to the #Palestinian problem, which has been approved by the overwhelming majority of UN member states and set out in UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions. It provides for the establishment of an independent state of #Palestine with the capital in East Jerusalem that will live in peace and security with its neighbours. They also confirmed the need for relaunching direct talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
🇷🇺🇺🇳Special Coordinator Nickolay Mladenov also met with Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin for consultations.
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2019-11-29 17:34:10+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s meeting with UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3925427
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2019-11-29 17:11:15+00:00
⚔️ On November 29, 1943, during the Tehran Conference, Head of the Soviet Union Josef Stalin received a ceremonial sword forged under special decree by King of Great Britain George VI, on behalf of the British people, in recognition of the courage of the defenders of Stalingrad.
⚔️The British monarch informed Chairman of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Soviet, Mikhail Kalinin, about the making of the gift sword in February 1943 after the victorious end of the Battle of Stalingrad. The inscription is engraved on the blade in Russian and English: “To the citizens of Stalingrad, as strong as steel, from King George VI as a sign of deep admiration for the British people.”
⚔️Now the honorary sword is kept in the Battle of Stalingrad Panorama Museum in Volgograd as a memory of the joint fight against Nazism which rallied the peoples of the Soviet Union, Great Britain and other Allied countries.
#Russia #USSR #SovietUnion #UK #Stalingrad #GreatPatrioticWar #WWII #WorldWarII #Tehran #Stalin #Churchill
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2019-11-29 16:39:36+00:00
Press release on awarding Ambassador of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh to Russia Saiful Hoque https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3925437
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2019-11-29 16:25:42+00:00
🔹We have taken note of some encouraging shifts in the context of the ongoing conflict in the Republic of #Yemen.
🔹It was announced on November 26 that the Saudi-led coalition decided to release 200 Houthi fighters who had been taken prisoner and to ease restrictions on WHO aircraft flying to Sanaa to evacuate wounded and gravely ill people for medical treatment abroad.
🔹A similar step was taken in late September by the Houthi movement, officially called Ansar Allah, which released 350 people who had fought on the side of the groups loyal to Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, including three Saudi servicemen.
🔹#Moscow welcomes such gestures of goodwill by the warring Yemeni sides. We believe that they help to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and are creating the necessary atmosphere for building trust and facilitating the transition to a political and diplomatic settlement.
🔹We are pleased to state that the intensity of hostilities and air raids on the Houthi-controlled positions has decreased, and that the Ansar Alla has suspended drone attacks on Saudi territory. Despite individual outbreaks of violence, the sides are largely adhering to the ceasefire conditions in the Hudaydah Governorate on the Red Sea coast. Thanks to an arrangement regarding the use of customs duties collected in the port of Hudaydah to pay the salaries of public employees, commercial vessels are again entering the port and unloading their cargo.
🔹We urge the parties to the Yemeni conflict to do everything in their power to keep up this positive change so as to be able to stop the hostilities altogether and to launch a #UN-led process of peaceful settlement based on the regard for the interests of all the main political forces as well as religious and regional groups in Yemen. We are still convinced that these developments will not only benefit friendly Yemen but will also help to ensure security of all the neighbouring countries.
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2019-11-29 15:34:18+00:00
Press release on the 100th meeting of the Joint Russian-Kazakh Demarcation Commission https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3925350
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2019-11-29 15:19:30+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department on the developments in Yemen https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3925333
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2019-11-29 13:38:54+00:00
🇷🇺🇺🇳 Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov at a meeting with #UN Special Coordinator for the #MiddleEast Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov:
💬 We are delighted that you have come to the Russian Federation.
Today is a notable day, UN International Day of Solidarity with the #Palestinian People. President of #Russia Vladimir #Putin has sent a message on this occasion to President of the State of #Palestine Mahmoud Abbas.
The Palestinian-#Israeli settlement, which is your mandate, has been deadlocked for quite some time. This is really alarming. We would like to exchange views on this matter and to listen to your opinions regarding what can be done to get back to the solid ground of international law and to prevent a revision of the decisions of the UN General Assembly and #SecurityCouncil, the Madrid Principles and the #Arab Peace Initiative.
It is vitally important to involve the international community in the efforts to preserve the universally approved basis for a settlement and to prevent the replacement of collective efforts with unilateral steps, which are only eroding this basis and are hindering the creation of a Palestinian state based on the two-state solution.
In short, it is a well-timed meeting. I fully appreciate your decision to come to #Moscow.
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2019-11-29 13:31:46+00:00
🔹 On November 29, Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, who is taking part in the fifth meeting of the Russia - Islamic World Strategic Vision Group underway in Ufa, read out a message of greetings from Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov to the organisers and participants of the forum:
💬 “I welcome the organisers and participants of the fifth meeting of the #Russia-#Islamic World Strategic Vision Group, which on this occasion is taking place in Ufa.
Russia appreciates its fruitful cooperation with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which has marked its 50th anniversary this year, in the interests of finding effective solutions to current problems.
Your traditional meetings, which make a positive contribution to our collective efforts, invariably have a packed agenda and are attended by prominent government officials as well as religious and public leaders.
The theme of this year’s meeting can hardly be overestimated. With the continued volatility in international affairs, the strengthening of inter-religious accord is of vital importance in order to maintain global and regional stability. Russia, where different religious groups have lived in peace and harmony with each other for centuries, is ready to share this positive experience with its foreign partners.
I am confident that you will have constructive discussions, which will help you to implement joint projects in the name of stronger trust and mutual understanding among nations. Besides, the forum’s participants will be able to learn more about Bashkortostan, a rapidly developing Russian region with an identity of its own.
I wish you every success and all the best.”
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2019-11-29 13:19:39+00:00
🔹 On November 25-29, #China hosted the 41st session of the Joint Control Group Monitoring the Implementation of Agreements on Strengthening Military Confidence-Building Measures and on Reductions of Armed Forces in the Border Area between #Kazakhstan, #Kyrgyzstan, #Russia and #Tajikistan (the Joint Side) and China.
It was noted that the five states were implementing the agreements in full and without violations. The plan for joint inspections has been fulfilled, and information exchanges are conducted strictly in keeping with the established procedure. The plan of inspections for 2020 has been approved.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Joint Control Group. Its activities are a successful example of strengthening neighbourliness and maintaining stability in the #border area.
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2019-11-29 13:19:23+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks at a meeting with UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov, Moscow, November 29, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3925211
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2019-11-29 13:16:11+00:00
🇷🇺🇬🇪 On November 28 in Prague, member of the Russian Federation Council Grigory Karasin met with Special Representative of the Prime Minister of Georgia Zurab Abashidze within the framework of the #Russia-#Georgia dialogue mechanism established in 2012 on instructions from the leaders of the two countries.
🔹 The representatives confirmed their countries’ mutual intention to seek ways to overcome the difficulties in Russian-Georgian relations caused by the events in Tbilisi in June and July 2019.
🔹 A review of Russian-Georgian trade and economic cooperation over the first nine months of this year revealed a 12 percent decline in trade. This notwithstanding, Russia remains Georgia’s second largest foreign trade partner and a major importer of Georgian products, primarily wine.
🔹 After Russia was forced to introduce measures to ensure the security of Russian nationals, the tourist flow from Russia to Georgia continues to dwindle monthly.
🔹 For Russia’s part, Grigory Karasin stressed that it was important for Tbilisi to draw lessons from these developments and display a more responsible approach to its relations with Moscow, which would clear the way for further normalisation, including possible resumption of air flights between the two countries.
🔹 The Georgian side was updated on the ongoing upgrade at the Verkhny Lars border checkpoint that will increase the checkpoint’s capacity to 2,560 vehicles per day by November 2021.
🔹 The sides discussed the prospects for implementing the 2011 Russia-Georgia Intergovernmental Agreement on Customs Administration and Trade Monitoring. They agreed to continue the non-politicised discussion in order to resolve outstanding issues and proceed with practical implementation of the agreement in strict conformity with its terms.
🔹 Zurab Abashidze raised the issue of Georgian national Vazha Gaprindashvili’s detention in South Ossetia. The Russian representative informed him that Russia was facilitating a positive resolution of this problem.
🔹 Grigory Karasin noted that Georgia’s military cooperation with #NATO and the United States remained a major irritant in bilateral relations.
🔹 He also urged the Georgian side to use Georgia’s upcoming chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to promote constructive interaction with Russia.
🔹 The sides confirmed their mutual interest in maintaining contacts and agreed to hold the next meeting in March 2020.
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2019-11-29 12:59:12+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s greetings to the organisers and participants of the fifth meeting of the Russia-Islamic World Strategic Vision Group https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3924538
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2019-11-29 12:49:22+00:00
Maria #Zakharova:
Pursuant to Paragraph 3 of General Assembly Resolution 73/295 of May 22, 2019, which was supported by #Russia and titled “Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on Legal Consequences of the Separation of the #Chagos Archipelago from #Mauritius in 1965”, and with due account taken of the court’s opinion rendered in February 2019, the United Kingdom was required to withdraw its colonial administration from the archipelago within six months of the adoption of the resolution. We noted the African Union’s communiqué of November 22, which expressed concern that #Britain had not comply with the General Assembly's instruction by that deadline. I feel like adding: and was not going to.
I’d like to say a few words about the archipelago and international law. The archipelago includes the island of Diego Garcia, which, since 1973, has been home to guess what? No, not the Loch Ness monster, but a US military base, which, I think, is even worse. The checkered past of this archipelago has much to do with this circumstance. It was under British rule until 1965 as part of the Mauritius colony. After Mauritius was granted independence, Chagos remained under British control, but its inhabitants were relocated. Then, the correspondence or analytical material of the corresponding Western political figures came to light and dispelled any and all thoughts about tolerance and even respect for the people who are not your country’s nationals. The #UN General Assembly resolutions adopted back in 1965 and 1966 reiterated that this kind of practice is at odds with the UN Charter and the UN Declaration on the Granting of #Independence to #Colonial Countries and Peoples of 1960.
Even though the UN General Assembly does not have a mandate for the status of territories, and the advisory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice is not applicable for resolving bilateral issues, the resolution focuses precisely on decolonisation, and the General Assembly has a special responsibility regarding decolonisation. Our country has consistently adhered to the generally recognised principles of international law, including the right of peoples to self-determination, and has made a significant contribution to the #decolonisation process by supporting the peoples of #Africa and #Asia in their struggle for independence. We are contemplating General Assembly Resolution 73/295 in this context and hope that Great Britain will comply with it, and the decolonisation of Mauritius will thus be completed.
https://cutt.ly/oe05439
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2019-11-29 12:24:12+00:00
Press release on the 41st session of the Joint Control Group Monitoring the Implementation of Agreements on Strengthening Military Confidence-Building Measures and on Reductions of Armed Forces in the Border Area https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3924523
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2019-11-29 12:24:12+00:00
Press release on Federation Council member Grigory Karasin’s meeting with Special Representative of the Prime Minister of Georgia Zurab Abashidze https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3924509
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2019-11-29 12:19:02+00:00
Press release on Federation Council member Grigory Karasin’s meeting with Special Representative of the Prime Minister of Georgia Zurab Abashidze https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3924509
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2019-11-29 11:09:32+00:00
💬 #Opinion by Maria #Zakharova:
🔹 The Bolivian Maidan
Do you remember that Evo Morales was removed from power in Bolivia on November 10, allegedly for “grave electoral irregularities,” followed by accusations of election fraud?
So, it has been over a month since the October 20 presidential elections in Bolivia, but so far the Organisation of American States has not come to any definitive conclusions on the results of the electoral audit. This means that the decision to remove the presidential candidate has been passed but the grounds for this remain unclear.
According to the information of the director of the Latin American Strategic Centre for Geopolitics (CELAG) Alfredo Serrano, assessments of the electoral process provided by Secretary General of the Organisation of American States Luis Almagro do not contain a single piece of evidence that could corroborate the charges of irregularities committed in the Bolivian presidential elections.
Given the hypersonic speed with which facts are forgotten today, few people remember that it was Almagro who, while addressing the OAS emergency session in Washington on November 13, declared that there was “fraud,” “manipulations with votes” and a “coup d’etat” at the Bolivian presidential elections which Evo Morales was winning in the first round.
So, it was a garden variety Latin American coup, albeit modelled on the 2004 Ukrainian Maidan, when the West refused to recognise the results of the second round in the Ukrainian presidential election. The only difference is that Yanukovych did not leave Ukraine in 2004 and accepted the rules of the game in the shape of a West-imposed “third” round of voting, where Yushchenko was helped to steal the show.
Characteristically, during her first days in office, “acting president of Bolivia” Anez, contrary to her previous statements, announced an intention to resume full-scale diplomatic relations with the United States and send an ambassador to Washington. This is outside of the interim government’s jurisdiction and takes place in parallel with expulsion of the entire diplomatic staff of the Venezuelan embassy, recognition of Guaido as acting president of Venezuela, invitation of his diplomatic representatives to La Paz, withdrawal from ALBA, and the incipient withdrawal from UNASUR.
Ten years ago, Evo Morales prophetically declared US Ambassador Philip Goldberg persona non grata, accusing him of collusion against his administration. But this did not save Bolivia from Washington’s meddling and the implementation of a tested scenario.
#Bolivia #LatinAmerica #USA
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2019-11-29 08:09:39+00:00
🇷🇺🇹🇩Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Minister for Foreign Affairs, African Integration and International Cooperation of the Republic of Chad Mahamat Zene Cherif exchanging greetings on the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations
🔹November 24 marks the 55th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Chad.
🔹Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Minister for Foreign Affairs, African Integration and International Cooperation of the Republic of Chad Mahamat Zene Cherif exchanged messages of greetings in connection with this significant event.
🔹The foreign ministers highly praised the state of Russian-Chadian ties and expressed their desire to step up joint efforts to strengthen cooperation in various fields in the interests of the two nations and to ensure sustainable development on the African continent.
🔹Both sides reaffirmed their willingness to strengthen coordination in international affairs in order to maintain regional stability and security.
#Russia #Chad
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2019-11-29 06:34:22+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Minister for Foreign Affairs, African Integration and International Cooperation of the Republic of Chad Mahamat Zene Cherif exchanging greetings on the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3924383
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2019-11-28 20:39:09+00:00
❗️ Article by Rector of the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexander Yakovenko, Russia and the Islamic World: Looking into the Future.
💬 A feature of our rapidly changing world is the influence of the ummah [Muslim community] on international developments. #Russia views the development of ties with Muslim states as a foreign policy priority.
A #Eurasian power that has been multinational and multireligious for ages, Russia has rich experience of the coexistence of widely different cultures. Its ties with the #Muslim world go back centuries. There have not been any clashes between #Orthodoxy and Islam in Russia, and religious tolerance has been a vital factor of the Russian domestic policy since the days of Empress Catherine the Great. President Vladimir #Putin once said, “Russia is a state-civilisation that has absorbed many traditions and cultures while preserving their distinctive nature and unique character, as well as – this is extremely important – the unity of its peoples.”
Russia has made a huge contribution to decolonisation and the rise of independent states, including many Muslim ones. Russia was among those who initiated and contributed to the creation of the #UN as the basis of post-war world order and the embodiment of the idea of cultural and civilisational unity. The importance of this idea has only increased since then.
The cultural and civilisational uniformity, which the West is peddling in the world, has been compounded by growing Islamophobia as well as Christianophobia, which is fraught with a religious and civilisational split. The Western countries, in particular the #UnitedStates, have been trying to replace international law with a “rules-based order”, which they themselves have formulated and which nobody can clearly explain. They are doing this to justify the arbitrariness that has led to the Iraq war, the armed intervention of Libya, the sanctions pressure on #Syria, #Iran and #Turkey, the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran’s nuclear programme, as well as Washington’s disregard for the globally accepted basis for a Middle East settlement. These actions are not only destabilising the world, but they are also encouraging the West to use military forces without seeking the approval of the UN Security Council, as was the case in Yemen.
The Western attitude to the “rest of the world” as a periphery and space for expansion (Lebensraum) has outlived its usefulness and it is totally destructive. The international community has rejected the geopolitical hierarchy of the unipolar world, which the Western elites have been pursuing for the past 30 years. I believe that Russia has basically accepted a forward-looking alternative option, which is focused on accord, network diplomacy and respect for the fundamental values of the post-war world.
🔗 Full article: https://is.gd/2241DD
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2019-11-28 20:30:50+00:00
with the participation of all countries of the region. We believe that in addition to its main role (developing a universally acceptable draft treaty), the conference can be used as a convenient platform, on the sidelines of which the interested states of the region will informally discuss related general security issues in the region.
At any rate, the decisive role and primary responsibility for creating the Middle East WMD-free zone belongs to the states of the region. No one can or should impose anything on them.
For our part, we are ready to provide all-round expert and political support to these efforts if the Middle Eastern countries consider it useful and appropriate. Russia has significant political and diplomatic advantages, since we maintain equal partner-like relations with all countries of the region without exception. We have been carefully building them up for decades so as to take into account the national security interests of each country and the region in general based on the fundamental principles of common, equal and indivisible security for all.
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2019-11-28 20:30:50+00:00
onsors of the 1995 resolution on the Middle East and involved international organisations were invited), as well as a fundamental understanding that any agreement on the Middle East WMD-free zone can only be achieved by way of a free dialogue between the countries of the region.
I will take a moment to discuss Russia’s position.
We have invariably and strongly supported the idea of establishing a WMD-free zone in the Middle East and, as consistent co-sponsors of the 1995 resolution, have done our fair share to strike a compromise between the zone proponents and the sceptics.
We have been in favour of convening the conference from day one of the discussions.
We clearly see the complex and unique nature of the efforts required to create a WMD-free zone in the Middle East. In addition to nuclear weapons, it would exclude chemical and biological weapons. So, it is important to use the experience of the existing nuclear-free zones and other related international treaties, such as the NPT, the BTWC and the CWC.
We welcome the outcome of the Conference.
Most importantly, it did take place despite the ill-wishers’ resistance. The hosts managed to make it a representative forum with the participation of all countries of the region except Israel.
The United States was the only country of the Group of Five nuclear nations to abstain from participation in the forum (it is comforting to know, however, that Great Britain and France made a last-moment decision to send their representatives to the conference).
Naturally, Washington doing nothing to comply with its obligations as a co-sponsor of the 1995 Resolution and even trying to prevent other countries from doing so raised a few eyebrows.
It is likewise regrettable that Israel did not participate in the conference.
We should pay tribute to the Arab countries, whose representatives withheld their criticism of Israel during the discussions, thus leaving the door open to Tel Aviv if it decides to join this process in the future.
A substantive final declaration was agreed by consensus during the conference. It sets out the plans to continue to draft the Agreement on the Middle East WMD-free zone with the participation of all invited states and based on agreements concluded by the countries of the region on the basis of expression of free will and consensus.
The declaration contains an open invitation to the Middle Eastern states to join the process, as well as a call to other countries not to impede the achievement of the goal of creating the Middle East WMD-free zone. The declaration also states that the very process of drafting the treaty during the conference can significantly contribute to strengthening regional and international peace and security, as well as mutual trust.
The final declaration is indicative of the participating states’ focus on constructive interaction. We hope that more will be done for creating the Middle East WMD-free zone during future conferences.
We will urge the United States and Israel to join in this discussion which is crucial for international security.
It is gratifying to see that the participants expressed serious commitment to continuing their expert activities and their interest in face-to-face meetings with representatives of existing nuclear-free zones in order to take advantage of their experience. Meetings will be organised by the UN Secretariat during the time left before the next session. Separate expert consultations are also planned to be held in one of the countries of the region.
It is important for everyone to continue to uphold the constructive and non-confrontational spirit of the conference, and to try to conduct the discussion professionally and diplomatically without a propaganda bias.
There are actual problems that need to be addressed. All countries of the region without exception are interested in this. Therefore, it makes sense to focus on identifying mutually acceptable compromises and constructive solutions.
Any step in this sensitive area can be made only on the basis of phased-in consensus-based decisions
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2019-11-28 20:30:49+00:00
🇷🇺 Director of the Foreign Ministry Department for #NonProliferation and #ArmsControl Vladimir Yermakov:
💬 A conference to support the establishment of a #MiddleEast zone free of nuclear #weapons and other weapons of mass destruction was held at the UN headquarters in New York on November 18-22.
The event is one of this year’s most important international forums designed to consolidate the #WMD nonproliferation regime.
Our delegation was led by #Russia’s Permanent Representative to international organisations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov who made a major personal contribution to implementing this initiative and identifying possible solutions by all its prospective participants.
We note the sizable contribution by President of the Conference and Permanent Representative of Jordan to the United Nations Sima Sami Bahous to overcoming the daunting challenges involved in convening the Conference and drafting its final document.
We should go back and briefly overview the origins of this matter if we want to correctly assess the conference’s importance.
The first proposal to create a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East was put forward by #Iran and #Egypt back in 1974, when, on their initiative, the #UN General Assembly adopted the first resolution titled “Creating a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in the Middle East.”
The resolution was adopted by consensus without voting from 1980 to 2017, but was not acted upon. In conjunction with Israel, the #UnitedStates put it up for vote in 2018 and voted against it.
A resolution on the need to create a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction adopted during the 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) was another important step in reviewing this issue.
All #NPT depositories, including Russia, the United States and #GreatBritain, have sponsored the resolution.
Another important event took place at the 2010 NPT Review Conference (RC NPT 2010) when the NPT depositories (Russia, the United States and Great Britain) and the UN Secretary-General were instructed to convene a conference on establishing a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in 2012. The conference wasn’t held due to Israel’s unwillingness to take part in it and the United States’ opposition, which did not want to make Tel Aviv feel uncomfortable.
Nevertheless, the preparations continued, and a series of multilateral consultations with the participation of most of the Middle Eastern countries, including Israel, took place upon our initiative in 2013-2014.
At RC NPT 2015, the #Russian delegation circulated a draft document on establishing a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, which contained proposals to update the mandate for convening the conference. Our proposals on creating this zone were incorporated into the final draft document of the NPT Review Conference almost in full. However, the delegations from the United States, Great Britain and Canada were against adopting it (the absence of the right of the three co-sponsors of the 1995 resolution to veto the conference on the Middle East WMD-free zone was a deal breaker for them).
Due to lack of progress in convening the conference and actual refusal by the United States to discuss this matter in the NPT context, the League of #Arab States came up with the initiative to transfer this issue to the UN General Assembly, where decisions are made by a simple majority vote. The decision was approved at the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly in December 2018, and the UN Secretary-General was instructed to convene the conference in 2019 and to subsequently hold it on an annual basis with an eye towards drafting a legally binding agreement on establishing the Middle East WMD-free zone. The decision was quite balanced and included important factors such as consensus-based decision-making, inclusiveness (all countries of the region, five nuclear states, including three co-sp
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2019-11-28 20:21:16+00:00
We are grateful to the Chairman of the Working Group A (WGA) Permanent Representative of Namibia Ms. Nada Kruger for her efforts to find a possible consensus solution on the use of cash surplus for 2016-2017. At the same time, we would like to emphasize that the selection of projects to be funded from the cash surplus should be done at the earliest date with the involvement of participating states and due account of their opinions. We also note that such decisions should be exceptional in nature and preserve the right of states to voluntarily decide on the distribution of their cash surplus share.
We support the candidacy of the Permanent Representative of Algeria Ms. Faouzia Boumaiza Mebarki for the post of Chairwoman of the Preparatory Commission in 2020. We have no objection to the proposal of the Executive Secretary to extend the contract of the Director of the Department of Legal and External Relations of the PTS Wang Xiaoning.
In conclusion, I wish you, Mr. Chairperson, and all our colleagues a productive session. In this you can count on the assistance of the Russian delegation.
#Russia #Diplomacy #Disarmament #NonProliferation
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2019-11-28 20:21:16+00:00
🇷🇺 Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov:
💬 We welcome #Cuba’s decision to sign the #CTBT and look forward to its early implementation. We hope that Havana’s decision will serve as a good example for Latin American states and countries from other regions that remain outside the CTBT and which, for various reasons, postpone signing and / or ratification of the Treaty. In this context, we note the tireless efforts of the Executive Secretary of the CTBTO Preparatory Commission Lassina Zerbo, who personally makes a significant contribution to the work on the universalization and early entry into force of the Treaty.
In the current deadlock around the CTBT the importance of collective work on facilitating the entry into force of the Treaty in order to qualitatively change the state of affairs in this area is increasing. We are satisfied with the outcome of the 11th Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the CTBT and the adoption of its Final Declaration. We are grateful to the Co-Chairs of the Conference - #Algeria and #Germany - for organizing the work and taking into account the views of all interested delegations at consultations on the mentioned document. We hope that if the current state of affairs does not change in the future, we will give a more precise negative assessment of the US decision not to ratify the CTBT.
At the same time, we would like to recall the unacceptable situation with the issuance of visas to the members of the Russian delegation that took place at the Conference. Practically all members of our delegation did not receive visas, although all the requirements on their part were duly met. We consider this as Washington’s deliberate actions aimed at hindering the normal functioning of the forum. In order not to make this event depending on a State that is not interested in the entry into force of the CTBT, we consider it’s necessary to move the Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the CTBT from New York to more welcoming venues – Vienna or Geneva.
As a consistent advocate of the CTBT Russia voted in favor of the resolution on CTBT at the First Committee of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly. However, the last two years we are not among its co-sponsors, since the resolution has ceased to reflect the real state of affairs around the Treaty. This year, the General Assembly resolution does not take into account and even disavows the consensus decisions of the 11th Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Treaty that were hardly achieved in Vienna. This movement backwards does not benefit the CTBT, but, on the contrary, complicates the already difficult situation around it.
We attach great importance to the balanced establishment of all elements of the CTBT verification mechanism by the Treaty’s entry into force, including the on-site inspection (OSI). We note the proper level of preparation and organization of the first OSI Build-Up exercise held on November 11-15 and aimed at developing the procedures for the initial stage of inspection. Russian experts were involved in the control and scenario groups, as well as the evaluation team. We hope that the results of the first Build-Up exercise will be thoroughly studied and taken into account when preparing the following two Build-Up exercises in June and September 2020 in Slovakia, which should complete series of exercises in the framework of the OSI Exercise Plan for 2016-2020.
We are grateful to the PTS for the preparation of the final draft 2020-2021 Program and Budget Proposals of the Preparatory Commission. We take into account that the level of expenditures provided for by this document fits zero real growth. We note the austerity measures taken by the PTS. We are ready to support the decision to approve the draft Program and Budget Proposals for the next two years during the current session.
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2019-11-28 19:14:05+00:00
#repost www.instagram.com/unishkov
・・・
Keanu Areeves
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Music by ASAP Mob & Juicy J
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2019-11-28 19:04:12+00:00
Statement by the Foreign Ministers of the Member States of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation on Stabilisation Efforts in the Middle East and North Africa, Bishkek, November 27, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3922655
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2019-11-28 19:01:33+00:00
🇷🇺 Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria #Zakharova 🔗 https://is.gd/5sxhbG #Russia #Diplomacy #Lavrov #UN #OSCE #USA #Syria #Bolivia #Venezuela #Azerbaijan #Italy #Afghanistan #Iran #Spain #UK #Mauritius #Ecuador #Prague #AntiFascism #Decolonisation #EU #NATO #Media
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2019-11-28 18:24:41+00:00
Article by Rector of the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexander Yakovenko, Russia and the Islamic World: Looking into the Future, for the Interfax News Agency, published on November 27, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3922592
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2019-11-28 17:14:21+00:00
Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, November 28, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3923846
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2019-11-28 17:04:27+00:00
Director of the Foreign Ministry Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Vladimir Yermakov’s remarks at a news conference held at Rossiya Segodnya news agency on the outcome of a UN Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction, 27 November 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3922506
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2019-11-28 16:24:29+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin’s meeting with Indian Ambassador to Russia Bala Venkatesh Varma https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3924280
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2019-11-28 15:14:06+00:00
Statement by Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov at the 53rd session of the CTBTO Preparatory Commission, Vienna, 25 November 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3924261
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2019-11-28 14:34:16+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Algerian Ambassador to Russia Mohamed Sherif Kourta https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3922334
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2019-11-28 14:09:30+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko’s meeting with Director-General for Political Affairs of the Foreign Ministry of The Netherlands Thijs van der Plas https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3923805
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2019-11-28 13:51:15+00:00
❗ On November 27, #Bishkek hosted a joint meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation’s Council of Foreign Ministers, Council of Defence Ministers and Committee of Security Council Secretaries, as part of the preparations for a session of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (#CSTO).
🔹 The sides exchanged views on the military-political situation in the CSTO’s collective #security regions. They discussed military cooperation between CSTO members and joint efforts to combat international terrorism and focused on the need to streamline foreign policy coordination of the CSTO member states.
🔹 They approved draft documents, due to be signed at the session of the CSTO Collective Security Council, including a draft of the Statement on Improving Interaction and Cooperation to Strengthen International and Regional Security and an Action Plan to Celebrate the 75th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941−1945.
🔹 The parties adopted a Statement of Foreign Ministers of the CSTO Member States on Stablisation Efforts in the #MiddleEast and North #Africa. The heads of foreign ministries also approved a List of Topics for Joint Statements in 2020.
🇷🇺 Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov informed the meeting participants on the priorities of #Russia’s CSTO chairmanship. The Russian Federation will take over the CSTO chairmanship for next year from the #Kyrgyz Republic.
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2019-11-28 13:41:58+00:00
🇷🇺🇮🇱 Responding to a number of media stories, the Foreign Ministry considers it necessary to comment on the situation regarding social security for certain categories of citizen living in the State of Israel and entitlement to pensions and other payments.
🔹 The Russian Federation and the State of #Israel abide by the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Social Security signed on June 6, 2016. Since its initial implementation, the sides have adopted over 20,000 decisions to provide #pensions for persons who had worked in #Russia and the RSFSR. Since May 2019, the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation and the National Insurance Institute of the State of Israel have been exchanging electronic pension files, and this makes it possible to process applicants’ requests much faster. In all, over 870 million roubles have been allocated for pension payments over this period.
🔹 Lifetime benefits are paid in compliance with Russian Presidential Executive Order No. 311 of July 8, 2017, Measures to Improve the Financial Standing of Certain Categories of Veterans of the Great Patriotic War of 1941−1945 Living in the State of Israel. As of November 2019, over 800 million roubles have been spent for these purposes.
🔹 To obtain the relevant payments, applicants should submit the necessary documents under the established procedure to the Consular Department of the Russian Embassy in Tel Aviv and the Russian Consulate General in Haifa.
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2019-11-28 13:33:13+00:00
🇷🇺 Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov’s remarks following the joint meeting of the #CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers, Council of Defence Ministers and Committee of Security Council Secretaries:
💬 The meeting had a fully packed agenda. We focused on the ways to strengthen the CSTO potential in many spheres. We discussed the draft documents which will be submitted to the CSTO Collective Security Council tomorrow for consideration by the heads of state. The package is really impressive. One of the main political documents is the draft of the joint Statement on Improving Interaction and Cooperation to Strengthen International and Regional Security, which the heads of the CSTO states will approve tomorrow. It is clear that in the context of eroding global security the international community must ensure respect for the agreements set out in legally binding documents, primarily #UN Security Council decisions, conventions and all the other documents that make up the body of international law based on the UN Charter.
🔹 The heads of state will focus on the CSTO efforts to combat new challenges and threats. They will discuss an action programme for the implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy for 2019−2021 within the CSTO and proposals on improving the CSTO efforts to combat information crime.
🔹 Of course, the heads of state are expected to approve an Action Plan to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Victory in the #GreatPatrioticWar of 1941−1945.
🔹 The participants in the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting adopted documents related to their activities, including a joint Statement on Stabilisation Efforts in the Middle East and North Africa and one more vital document that has been drafted on the basis of coordinated CSTO recommendations to our countries’ ambassadors and permanent representatives, that is, a list of 14 joint statements to be adopted and distributed in 2020 on behalf of the CSTO member states at the UN, the OSCE and other international platforms.
🔹 We also held bilateral meetings with our #Kyrgyz friends and signed yet another plan of consultations between our foreign ministries.
🔹 Following the CSTO Collective Security Council, Russia will take over the CSTO chairmanship for next year from the Kyrgyz Republic. In this connection, we updated our friends on the priorities of #Russia’s CSTO Chairmanship. President Putin will speak about this in more detail at the council meeting tomorrow.
🔗 Full transcript: https://is.gd/syJ7U0
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2019-11-28 13:09:09+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department on social support for certain categories of citizen living in Israel https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3923366
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2019-11-28 13:04:09+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov’s meeting with Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the PRC Ma Zhaoxu https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3922762
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2019-11-28 12:39:31+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko’s consultations with Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Khalaf Khalafov https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3922716
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2019-11-28 12:39:31+00:00
Press release on the results of the joint meeting of the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers, Council of Defence Ministers and Committee of Security Council Secretaries https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3922682
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2019-11-28 10:04:32+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to questions following the joint meeting of the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers, Council of Defence Ministers and Committee of Security Council Secretaries, Bishkek, November 27, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3922602
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2019-11-28 09:30:18+00:00
🔴 #Live: #Briefing by the Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria #Zakharova. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DdZThtEW1w
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2019-11-28 06:33:25+00:00
🇷🇺🇨🇳Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov's opening remarks at talks with #Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Chingiz Aidarbekov, #Bishkek, November 27, 2019
💬Esteemed Mr Aidarbekov,
I am happy to be in Bishkek again. Bishkek is getting more beautiful, it is progressing. This is really an important matter for us because we want all of our friends and allies to develop their economy to the benefit of their people.
Thank you for your high assessment of our bilateral cooperation. We cooperate in the economy, something that is increasing with the #EAEU. Military technical cooperation is advancing. We are resolving the security issues in our entire region, in #CSTO collective security. Cultural and humanitarian ties are developing. Cultural cross years are another confirmation of our peoples’ interest in personal contact; this will include tours by respective performing companies, exhibits and other events allowing for free and beneficial communication.
I would like to congratulate you on your very successful CSTO presidency this year. The results are substantial. Tomorrow we are submitting a large package of draft documents to the heads of state. I am sure that by promoting foreign policy cooperation, we will lay special emphasis on supporting each other, coordinating all our steps as we stated today at the meeting of the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers, Council of Defence Ministers and Committee of Security Council Secretaries.
Thank you once again for you cooperation and the organising of this work.
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2019-11-28 06:14:19+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's opening remarks at talks with Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Chingiz Aidarbekov, Bishkek, November 27, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3922582
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2019-11-27 19:35:37+00:00
❗🇷🇺🇰🇬💬Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry’s Diplomatic Academy and answers to student and faculty questions, Bishkek, November 27, 2019
💬Ms Adamkulova, colleagues, friends,
I would like to begin by saying that I am honoured to be awarded the title of Professor Emeritus of the Foreign Ministry of Kyrgyzstan’s Diplomatic Academy. I am aware that many outstanding people have been given this honour, and of course, I am flattered to be among them knowing that the great writer Chinghiz Aitmatov, the great son of the Kyrgyz people, also was a Diplomatic Academy professor emeritus. I am deeply grateful for this gesture of appreciation.
This honour wouldn’t be possible if we didn’t make a common effort to advance our interests and prepare new generations to uphold the goals of our peoples and countries and ensure the most favourable external environment. Interest in an environment like that is natural for any nation, and we are interested in having it. This is a critical prerequisite for the peaceful, stable and safe development of any state. In this regard, I note with satisfaction that Russia and the Central Asian countries are more than just good neighbours, but are time-tested partners as well. Our peoples are connected by a centuries-old common history, cultural heritage and, most importantly, friendship and mutual sympathy.
🔗http://bit.do/fiM5u
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2019-11-27 19:33:59+00:00
🇷🇺🇵🇸Press release on the exchange of greetings between Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine Riyad al-Maliki on the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations
🔹Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine Riyad al-Maliki exchanged messages of greetings on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of Russian-Palestinian diplomatic relations.
🔹The foreign ministers expressed satisfaction with the state of traditionally friendly ties between Russia and Palestine and reaffirmed their mutual desire to expand mutually beneficial cooperation in various areas.
🔹The Russian side reaffirmed its invariable support for the people of Palestine and their legitimate aspirations to establish an independent state within the 1967 borders that would have its capital in East Jerusalem and would co-exist in peace and security with its neighbours.
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2019-11-27 19:32:30+00:00
🇷🇺🇰🇬Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s meeting with Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan Chingiz Aidarbekov
🔹On November 27, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Foreign Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic Chingiz Aidarbekov on the sidelines of the meetings of the CSTO charter bodies held in Bishkek.
🔹The ministers discussed a number of issues related to bilateral cooperation, exchanged views on the most pressing topics on the international and regional agenda, and signed a cooperation programme between the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry for 2020-2021.
🔹Sergey Lavrov also visited the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan which conferred the title of Professor Emeritus on him. The minister spoke to the teaching staff and students about the priorities of Russian foreign policy in Central Asia.
#Russia #Kyrgyzstan #Lavrov #MFA_Russia #diplomacy
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2019-11-27 19:14:11+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s meeting with Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan Chingiz Aidarbekov https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3922363
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2019-11-27 19:04:17+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov’s meeting with South Korean Ambassador Lee Sok-bae https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3921913
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2019-11-27 18:54:32+00:00
Press release on the exchange of greetings between Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the State of Palestine Riyad al-Maliki on the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3922324
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2019-11-27 18:49:34+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry’s Diplomatic Academy and answers to student and faculty questions, Bishkek, November 27, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3922292
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2019-11-27 13:46:27+00:00
🔴#Live: Sergey #Lavrov talks to the press following the joint meeting of the #CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers, Council of Defence Ministers and Committee of Security Council Secretaries. #Russia #Belarus #Kazakhstan #Kyrgyzstan #Tajikistan #Bishkek https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6e1gljSjP1A
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2019-11-27 12:47:35+00:00
🇷🇺🇦🇲🇧🇾🇰🇿🇰🇬🇹🇯 Sergey Lavrov took part in the joint meeting of the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers, Council of Defence Ministers and Committee of Security Council Secretaries. #Russia #Lavrov #CSTO #Belarus #Kazakhstan #Kyrgyzstan #Tajikistan #Bishkek
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2019-11-27 12:47:10+00:00
🇷🇺🇰🇬 Sergey Lavrov arrived to the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan and addressed the students and the faculty. #Russia #Kyrgyzstan #Bishkek #Lavrov
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2019-11-27 12:34:29+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Singaporean Ambassador to Russia Premjith Sadasivan https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3922099
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2019-11-27 12:34:28+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Italian Ambassador Pasquale Terracciano https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3922078
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2019-11-27 10:59:19+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko’s meeting with EU Ambassador to the Russian Federation Markus Ederer https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3921891
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2019-11-27 08:24:21+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko’s participation in the Congress on European Security and Defence and the Berlin Foreign Policy Forum https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3919787
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2019-11-27 06:40:27+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov’s conversation with US Special Envoy for North Korea Stephen Biegun https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3919743
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2019-11-26 17:49:12+00:00
Press release on a meeting between Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and Deputy Secretary General of the Syrian Party of the Arab Socialist Renaissance Ba'ath Hilal Hilal https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3919701
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2019-11-26 17:42:33+00:00
FM Sergey #Lavrov:
💬Despite the sanctions pressure, 🇷🇺Russia & 🇮🇸Iceland managed to reverse the negative trend in trade last year, when bilateral trade increased by over 20 percent.
🔗https://is.gd/8czrcI
#Russia #Iceland #Diplomacy #Economy #Trade
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2019-11-26 16:34:28+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions at a joint news conference with Foreign Minister of Iceland Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson, Moscow, November 26, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3919554
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2019-11-26 16:19:36+00:00
🇷🇺🇲🇦On November 26, Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov spoke by phone with #Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates Nasser Bourita at the latter’s initiative.
🇷🇺🇲🇦The ministers discussed the practical factors of the development of multifaceted bilateral ties, including the convocation of the eighth meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation in #Moscow.
🇷🇺🇲🇦They also reaffirmed the two countries’ resolve to promote their political dialogue regarding the main international and regional topics, in particular, the settlement plan for Western #Sahara.
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2019-11-26 15:44:28+00:00
Press release on First Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov’s consultations with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3919583
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2019-11-26 15:34:28+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov’s consultations with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3919487
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2019-11-26 15:34:27+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s telephone conversation with Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Morocco Nasser Bourita https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3919477
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2019-11-26 13:15:16+00:00
❗Comment by the Information and Press Department on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s participation in the joint meeting of the #CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers, Council of Defence Ministers and Committee of Security Council Secretaries
🔹On November 27, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will take part in a joint meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers, the Council of Defence Ministers and the Committee of Security Council Secretaries of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO). The event will be held in Bishkek ahead of the November 28 upcoming meeting of the CSTO Collective Security Council.
🔹The joint meeting will be chaired by Foreign Minister of the #Kyrgyz Republic Chingiz Aidarbekov. The participants will discuss the CSTO performance between the council’s meetings (2018-2019). They will also exchange opinions on the military-political developments in the sphere of the CSTO’s joint responsibility and on the topics submitted to the council for discussion, including the council’s Statement on Improving Interaction and Cooperation to Strengthen International and Regional Security and an Action Plan to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.
🔹The CSTO foreign ministers will discuss the draft of a joint statement on stabilisation efforts in the Middle East and North Africa and approve a list of joint statements to be adopted in 2020.
🔹During the meeting, the chairmanship of the CSTO will be transferred from the Kyrgyz Republic to the Russian Federation. Sergey #Lavrov will update his colleagues on Russia’s priorities during its chairmanship of the organisation.
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2019-11-26 13:13:13+00:00
🇷🇺🇮🇸Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks at talks with Foreign Minister of #Iceland Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson, Moscow, November 26, 2019
💬Mr Minister,
💬Colleagues,
🔹We are delighted to welcome you to Moscow. According to statistics, this is the first visit to #Russia by a foreign minister of Iceland since 2011.
🔹Mr Minister, we have met with you several times before, including on the sidelines of the Arctic Council meetings and the Arctic events held in Russia.
🔹Russian-Icelandic relations are, on the whole, developing positively despite the complicated international conditions. Our trade and cooperation in the economy, investment and high technology, as well as at the Arctic Council, are developing apace and have positive growth prospects. We are working on a number of draft agreements to strengthen the legal framework of our cooperation. I hope we will be able to hold an in-depth discussion on all of these topics today.
Once again, welcome to Moscow.
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2019-11-26 11:49:04+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks at talks with Foreign Minister of Iceland Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson, Moscow, November 26, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3919006
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2019-11-26 11:04:10+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s participation in the joint meeting of the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers, Council of Defence Ministers and Committee of Security Council Secretaries https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3918601
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2019-11-26 10:10:59+00:00
🇷🇺🇨🇳On November 25, Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov received First Vice Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of #China Le Yucheng, who arrived in #Moscow to take part in bilateral consultations with First Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov and meet with Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov and Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko.
🇷🇺🇨🇳The officials commended the current state of strategic partnership between #Russia and China, as well as the pace at which it was developing, and discussed issues relating to the practical implementation of top-level agreements. They emphasised the importance of further efforts to boost coordination [between the two countries], including through a mechanism allowing the foreign ministries of both countries to hold regular consultations.
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2019-11-26 09:54:22+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s meeting with Chinese First Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3916606
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2019-11-26 09:49:00+00:00
🇷🇺A wreath-laying ceremony at the monument to outstanding Russian politician Yevgeny #Primakov took place on November 25. It was organised by the Council of Arab Ambassadors in #Moscow and was also attended by Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and #Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov.
💬The doyen of the Arab diplomatic corps and Ambassador of the Sultanate of #Oman to the Russian Federation, Yousef bin Issa al Zadjali, had the following to say:
“The members of the Council of Arab Ambassadors in Moscow have come today to the monument of the late Yevgeny Primakov, an academician, a renowned expert in Arab studies and a statesman, to pay tribute to his major role in promoting Russian-Arab-Islamic relations and his achievements in the Arab world. We express our gratitude to the Russian Foreign Ministry for providing an opportunity to speak here and for erecting this monument, which graces the park across from the Foreign Ministry building.
Mr Primakov led an active life filled with scientific, political, parliamentary and social achievements in the name of serving his homeland, its people, as well as people seeking independence, freedom and prosperity.
He was a loyal and caring friend of the Arabs. He supported them as they were building their independent states and striving to preserve their national identities. He opposed all manifestations of aggression suffered by the #Arab countries on the part of those who wanted to seize their wealth and thwart their development.
Mr Primakov was a staunch defender of the Palestinian people. Whatever position he held, he never stopped making an effort to promote the Palestinians’ legitimate rights and create an independent state in accordance with well-known international resolutions. He always took an active part in finding a solution and resolving crises that arose in the Arab countries and the #MiddleEast in general.
He clearly understood the negative consequences of the so-called Arab Spring, warned about them and anticipated the adverse outcomes of these perturbations, which the involved international forces used to attain their self-serving goals, as they opened the door to oppression and terrorism. We remember him saying that terror has no religion, and that Islam has nothing to do with it.
Mr Primakov was behind a number of initiatives to create forums and associations that united Russians, Arabs and Muslims to find common ground and mutual understanding in the interests of all parties. He stood behind the Russian-Arab Business Council, which was designed to promote trade, mutually beneficial economic cooperation and the search for major projects for universal development and progress. He also initiated the creation of the Strategic Vision Group “Russia-Islamic World,” which played and continues to play a tangible role in promoting relations and bringing the world outlook between Russia and the Islamic world closer. Mr Primakov’s ideas and projects have come true and are bringing the desired results today.
We, in Oman, appreciate and respect Mr Primakov for his tremendous efforts to establish relations between the Sultanate and the Soviet Union, and then the Russian Federation. He really was an architect and a patron in these relations.
Mr Primakov remains one of the most prominent Russian figures on the modern political stage, a fact that is confirmed by President #Putin’s statement: “Yevgeny Primakov was a true statesman with a unique status who possessed the professionalism, administrative experience and insight that were needed in the most challenging and critical areas of his work.”
❗He was a true friend of the Arabs. May his memory forever remain in our hearts, and his political and cultural heritage serve as a guide for the Arab peoples and states in strengthening their independence, sovereignty and prosperity.”
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2019-11-26 06:09:18+00:00
Press release on the wreath-laying ceremony at the monument to Yevgeny Primakov by the Council of Arab Ambassadors in Moscow https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3918326
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2019-11-26 06:09:17+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Palestinian Ambassador to Russia Abdel Hafiz Nofal https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3918081
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2019-11-25 20:14:05+00:00
🔹 On November 25, Foreign Minister of Nepal Pradeep Kumar Gyawali was in Moscow on a working visit.
During the talks the two foreign ministers discussed the current state of and prospects for the development of #Russian-#Nepalese relations. They expressed mutual interest in maintaining a regular political dialogue and expanding cooperation in various practical fields. They noted a mutual willingness to continue cooperation within the #UN, the #SCO and other international organisations.
#Russia #Nepal
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2019-11-25 19:28:11+00:00
We highly praised the role of Nepal as a country which is among the largest suppliers of contingents for UN peacekeeping operations. We will support strengthening the positions of our Nepalese friends in the executive bodies of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations and the corresponding peacekeeping operations on the ground in a variety of regions.
I am quite satisfied with the outcome of the talks which showed the parties’ mutual willingness to expand cooperation. The Minister conveyed an invitation to representatives of the Russian leadership to visit Nepal. We will consider these invitations in a constructive manner. We will agree on the dates of the visits through diplomatic channels.
🔗 Full transcript: https://is.gd/qAAxnk
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2019-11-25 19:28:08+00:00
🔹 Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov during a joint news conference with Foreign Minister of Nepal Pradeep Kumar Gyawali:
💬 The talks were quite productive. This is our first meeting, which we think is particularly important. The previous full-format visit by #Nepal’s foreign minister to #Russia was in 2005.
The talks confirmed that the meeting was very opportune for comprehensive development of all areas of our relations. Nepal is our long-standing partner in South #Asia. Since diplomatic relations were established in 1956, our interaction has always been based on mutual respect, trust and consideration for each other's interests.
The bonds of friendship linking our peoples were tested in 2015 when, after a devastating earthquake in Nepal, Russia promptly sent a first responder team including doctors and humanitarian aid to the disaster area. We contributed to the speedy adoption by the #UN General Assembly of a resolution to urgently mobilise additional aid to Nepal.
Today, we noted sustainable development of the political dialogue, including between our parliaments. The chairs of the supreme courts of Russia and Nepal visited each other’s countries this year. We noted positive trade dynamics, although the absolute figures are still not too impressive. Trade can be expanded through increasing exchanges in traditional goods and finding ways to diversify trade, economic and investment ties. In this regard, we noted the prospects in the energy sector.
The Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation of Nepal Barshaman Pun visited Russia last month to participate in the International Forum, Russian Energy Week, and also held bilateral meetings where good prospects for joint development of Nepal’s hydroelectric power resources were identified. Russian aviation has a good track record in the Nepalese highlands. Previously delivered Mi-17 helicopters operate in Nepal. There are further plans for cooperation in this area. Military-technical cooperation has good prospects as well. We agreed to sign a corresponding agreement.
As for other issues related to the strengthening of our agreement framework, I would like to note the approaches we have agreed on today to expedite the work on documents in the law enforcement area, migration, readmission, emergency response, and cooperation between television channels of Russia and Nepal.
We specifically focused on the need to expedite the coordination of the bilateral consular convention, which will help resolve issues of aligning the requirements for Russians’ stay in Nepal and the Nepalese in Russia, especially in cases of mixed families.
Nepal is popular with #Russian #tourists. Although the number is relatively small now at 11,000 people according to last year’s statistics, it is growing steadily. We thanked our Nepalese colleague for updating us on the efforts to further develop the national tourism industry under the Visit Nepal 2020 programme. We will try to send Russian representatives responsible for the official, sports and cultural areas to participate in the relevant events at the invitation of our friends.
We are satisfied with the interaction between our foreign affairs agencies. The inter-MFA consultations format has been active and productive since 1995. We also coordinate our activities in multilateral platforms, primarily at the UN and its bodies. This is facilitated by the proximity of our approaches to key and fundamental issues on the regional and global agendas, primarily with regard to strengthening the principles of multilateralism on the solid foundation of the UN Charter and relying on and strengthening the central role of the UN, while respecting the identity of all peoples and their right to determine their own future.
We have reaffirmed our commitment to the further consolidation of efforts on an equal, democratic, and multilateral basis to counter the numerous global challenges including terrorism, climate change and various regional conflicts.
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2019-11-25 19:16:15+00:00
🔹 Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov during talks with Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal Pradeep Kumar Gyawali:
💬 #Nepal is our long-standing partner in South #Asia. Our relations are traditionally built on the principles of mutual respect and friendship. We have always supported each other in situations that warranted support, such as natural disasters in your country. We always try to help. This attitude is also evident at the #UN, where we support each other's initiatives.
We note with satisfaction that contact between our ministries has been developing very intensively of late, although the ministers have not met for full-format negotiations for quite some time, since 2005.
We are delighted that contact is increasing through other agencies, including those responsible for economic affairs. Today we look forward to discussing all aspects of our bilateral relations in detail, as well as cooperation in the regional and international arenas.
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2019-11-25 19:13:54+00:00
❗️ On November 22, the Interstate Arbitral Tribunal established at #Ukraine’s initiative based on the 1982 #UN Convention on the Law of the Sea for reviewing Ukraine’s dispute with Russia over the #KerchIncident, adopted its first document that endorsed the order of work and arbitral procedural rules.
🇷🇺 The Russian Federation is fully content with this decision that takes into account all of its provisions of principle, which it voiced during the arbitral session in The Hague.
Ukraine’s demands on the renunciation of the jurisdictional process and the ultimate reduction of the investigation timeframe were ignored. The tribunal accepted Russia’s demands and decided to divide the process into two independent parts – the jurisdiction stage and a trial on merit. Each side was given six months to prepare its memorandum (Ukraine insisted on two months), which conforms to the practice of interstate courts of arbitration established under the 1982 convention.
◾️ The tribunal supported #Russia’s approaches to other important aspects, which eliminated #Kiev’s attempts to complicate Russia’s procedural position in this case as much as possible.
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2019-11-25 18:34:10+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov’s meeting with US political analyst Thomas Graham https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3918272
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2019-11-25 18:34:09+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s talks with Foreign Minister of Nepal Pradeep Gyawali https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3918153
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2019-11-25 18:29:04+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko’s meeting with Vice Foreign Minister of China Le Yucheng https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3918121
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2019-11-25 18:29:04+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko’s meeting with Ambassador of Spain to Russia Fernando Valderrama Pareja https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3918111
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2019-11-25 17:59:26+00:00
Press release on the adoption of procedural documents by interstate arbitration on the dispute between Ukraine and Russia regarding the “seizing of Ukrainian warships.” https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3914536
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2019-11-25 16:49:51+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statement and answer to a media question during a joint news conference with Foreign Minister of Nepal Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Moscow, November 25, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3918020
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2019-11-25 15:59:14+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks during talks with Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Moscow, November 25, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3914838
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2019-11-25 15:22:40+00:00
🇷🇺 Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova will hold a briefing concerning current foreign policy issues on November 28 at the Foreign Ministry’s press centre, (Building 1, 30/2 Smolenskaya-Sennaya Square, located on the right of the Ministry’s central building). Representatives of Russian and foreign media are invited.
❗ The briefing will begin at 12:00 (Moscow time). Accreditation is open until 5 pm on November 27. Admission by press cards (for Russian journalists) and accreditation cards (for foreign journalists).
Coordinator: Irma Kvantiliani (tel.: 7(499) 244 3583, mob.: 7(916) 563 8085, email: briefingmid@rambler.ru; midbriefing@yandex.ru).
Questions on accreditation procedure please address to the press centre (tel. +7 (499) 244-20-87, email: pc.mid@yandex.ru).
ℹ️ The Foreign Ministry will broadcast the briefing online in the Video section of its website (http://www.mid.ru/ru/press_service/video) and in MFA’s Social Media: «Periscope» (https://www.periscope.tv/MID_RF), «Facebook» (https://www.facebook.com/MIDRussia), «ВКонтакте» (https://vk.com/mid).
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2019-11-25 15:14:22+00:00
Press release on a briefing by the Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson on November 28, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3914616
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2019-11-25 14:37:10+00:00
▪️It is with profound regret that the Foreign Ministry learned about the crash in the Democratic Republic of the #Congo (DRC) of a Dornier-228 #aircraft owned by Busy Bee, a private Congolese carrier, on November 24. It happened in the city of Goma in the east of the country. More than 25 people lost their lives in this tragedy. The regional authorities, together with the staff of United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) are investigating the crash site.
According to the information available to the Russian Embassy in Kinshasa, no Russian nationals were killed or injured in the crash.
#Moscow expresses its sincere condolences to the relatives and close ones of the deceased, and wishes the injured a speedy recovery.
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2019-11-25 14:29:07+00:00
Press release on plane crash in the Democratic Republic of the Congo https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3914587
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2019-11-25 13:04:20+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Syrian Ambassador to Russia Riad Haddad https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3914508
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2019-11-25 11:59:48+00:00
The Russian film week held annually in a number of Icelandic cities (the most recent one took place last September) enjoys popularity among audiences. The festival programme includes both new films and Russian cinema classics.
To mark the 75th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Russia and Iceland, on October 4, 2018, Russkiy Mir Foundation opened a library room at the Cultural and Spiritual Centre of the Russian-Speaking Compatriots in Reykjavik.
Our countries work closely together in the context of Iceland’s ongoing chairmanship in the Arctic Council (2019−2021) and the upcoming chairmanship of the Russian Federation (2021−2023). During Foreign Minister Thordarson’s visit, the ministers will sign a joint statement on ensuring continuity from one chairmanship to another within this organisation.
On our part, we are aiming for progressive and constructive development of bilateral relations based on pragmatism and mutual respect – and to the extent that our Icelandic partners see appropriate. We expect that in its approach to the collaboration with Russia, #Reykjavik will be guided by its own national interests, without submitting to the influence of the momentary political situation.
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2019-11-25 11:59:47+00:00
🇷🇺🇮🇸 On November 26, Foreign Minister of Iceland Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson will make a working visit to #Moscow.
During the upcoming talks, the foreign ministers of #Russia and #Iceland will continue to discuss the topics that were on the agenda of a meeting they held on the sidelines of the Arctic Council Ministerial meeting in Rovaniemi, Finland, on May 6, 2019.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Icelandic Minister for Foreign Affairs Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson will discuss Russian-Icelandic relations and their future development, as well as possibilities for reinvigorating bilateral cooperation. They will also exchange views on current international and regional affairs.
In 2018, Russia and Iceland marked the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, which were established on October 4, 1943. The foreign ministers exchanged messages of greetings in this connection.
Russia and Iceland have a common history of combating fascism. Russia is grateful to Iceland for its contribution to the #Arctic convoys, which played a vital part in reinforcing the Soviet Union’s defensive and offensive capabilities during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.
Relations between Russia and Iceland have always been constructive and based on mutual understanding. However, their progressive development was hampered in 2014 when Reykjavik supported the anti-Russia stance taken by Brussels and Washington and curtailed some spheres of bilateral cooperation. Although Iceland is not an #EU member state, it joined the anti-Russia sanctions. This has had a negative political effect and has seriously affected bilateral trade, which is not in the interests of Russia or Iceland.
Recent developments show that Iceland is rethinking its approaches and that it is ready to develop bilateral ties and cooperation in areas that are not affected by the sanctions.
Political dialogue at the top level has become more active in 2019. On April 10, President Vladimir Putin held talks with President of Iceland Gudni Thorlacius Johannesson on the sidelines of the International Arctic Forum The Arctic: Territory of Dialogue.
Ties between our parliaments are being revitalised. In October 2019, Speaker of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of Russia Vyacheslav Volodin had a meeting with Althing Speaker Steingrimur Johann Sigfusson during the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament. Steingrimur Johann Sigfusson has been invited to visit Russia in 2020.
The foreign ministries of Russia and Iceland maintain dialogue. In 2019, they had consultations at the levels of first deputy foreign ministers and directors of related departments on Arctic cooperation and the #UN agenda.
Positive trends have grown ever stronger in bilateral trade which increased by 71.9 percent in January to September compared to 2018, reaching $50 million, which leaves room for improvement. The mechanism of Russian-Icelandic consultations on trade and economic cooperation is a useful format for improving the situation, since regular sessions within this framework were held even during the rough patches of bilateral relations. The next meeting is scheduled to take place in Reykjavik in the second quarter of 2020.
We welcome the establishment of the Icelandic-Russian Chamber of Commerce at the initiative of Iceland that took place last month. More than 30 Icelandic companies interested in conducting business on the Russian market have joined the chamber.
Our countries have very good prospects in terms of expanding cooperation in such areas as innovative technology, telecommunications, geothermal energy, shipbuilding, fish processing, aviation, dairy production and tourism.
Russian regions, including the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Area, the Kamchatka Territory, the Chukotka Autonomous Area and the Murmansk Region, are consistently interested in scaling up cooperation with their Icelandic partners.
Cultural and humanitarian links are an important part of our bilateral relations.
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2019-11-25 10:49:11+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department on a working visit by Foreign Minister of Iceland Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3913818
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2019-11-25 10:31:41+00:00
🇷🇺 Comment for media by Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov on Oleg Troyanovsky’s centenary birthday anniversary:
💬 This autumn we are marking a series of anniversaries of great diplomats – the 110th birthday anniversary of Andrey #Gromyko, the 100th anniversaries of Alexander #Dobrynin and Oleg #Troyanovsky.
📖 Oleg Troyanovsky is a great person who comes from a diplomat family. His father was Ambassador of the #USSR to the #USA. He started his diplomatic career in #London, was deeply engaged during talks following the Second World War when the fate of specific matters was resolved to bring this tragedy to complete end, when the parameters of the post-war world order were agreed. He was particularly known for being the USSR Ambassador to #Japan and the USSR Permanent Representative at the #UN in New York. That was the time when I was blessed to work under his direct guidance.
🇺🇳 Oleg Troyanovsky was famous in UN circles for his erudition, diplomatic intuition and hit ability to find an excellent way out from any situation, even the most complicated ones. He was also famous for his sense of humour. Once during a UN General Assembly mission – it was the time when the USSR and China’s relations were far from good – Chinese radical NGOs representatives, who were active in #NewYork City back then, poured red paint on Oleg Troyanovsky and his US colleague, the US Representative to the UN, as they were leaving the conference room. Oleg Troyanovsky then uttered a phrase that became what we now call “a meme” at the UN headquarters – Better red than dead. The sagacity, which was revealed in this not really momentous episode, was peculiar to him both in minor and very important issues.
🇷🇺🇨🇳 After New York, he worked in the People’s Republic of China where he reconfirmed his top-level qualifications, professionalism and ability to find a solution for the most convoluted situations.
☝️ We will always remember Oleg Troyanovsky. He left several books behind that have been a priceless source of information for our diplomats. We will be doing everything possible to pass on his experience to younger generations and carry on these traditions.
#Diplomacy #History #Diplomat
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2019-11-25 10:13:52+00:00
🇷🇺🇳🇵 On November 24, #Nepali Minister of Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali came to #Moscow on a working visit at the invitation of Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov. The previous official visit by the Nepali foreign minister to Russia was paid in 2005.
🔹 During their talks scheduled to take place on November 25, the ministers will discuss #Russian-Nepali cooperation and its prospects, as well as compare notes on current international and regional affairs.
🔹 Diplomatic relations between #Russia and #Nepal were established on July 20, 1956.
🔹 The two countries have maintained a political dialogue, including at the top level. They also interact at the UN and its specialised agencies, as well as at other multilateral organisations, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (#SCO), where Nepal has the status of dialogue partner. Consultations between the Russian and Nepali foreign ministries were launched in 1995 and continue ever since. Their previous round was held in Kathmandu in April 2018.
🔹 Bilateral ties include interagency and inter-parliamentary contacts. This year, the chairs of the Russian and Nepali supreme courts exchanged visits. Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation of Nepal Barshaman Pun visited Russia to attend the Russian Energy Week International Forum held on October 2-5. In June, a delegation of the Russian parliament’s Federation Council visited Kathmandu. In July, members of the Federal Parliament of Nepal took part in the Second International Forum Development of Parliamentarism, held in Moscow at the initiative of the State Duma.
🔹 Russian-Nepali cooperation in trade and the economy began in the 1960s, when industrial enterprises, including the Panauti Hydropower Plant, several factories, motorways and a hospital, were built in Nepal with Soviet assistance. Bilateral trade is modest so far having reached only $9.1 million in 2018, with Russian exports estimated at $7 million and Nepali imports at $2.1 million. However, it increased by 5.5 percent in January-June 2019 year on year. Russia mostly delivers food products to Nepal and imports tea, carpets plus hides and skins.
🔹 Nepal is very popular among Russian tourists. Some 11,000 Russian tourists visited the Himalayan country in 2018.
🔹 There is potential for promoting bilateral cooperation in the field of culture and education. Days of Russian Culture held in Nepal in November 2014 were a great success. The Russian government allocates an annual quota of scholarships for Nepali students at Russian universities, including 14 scholarships for the 2019/2020 academic year.
🔹 Friendship between Russia and Nepal was convincingly confirmed in 2015, when Nepal was hit by a destructive earthquake. Russia dispatched an integrated team of some 100 rescue specialists and medics and co-authored a resolution on strengthening emergency relief to Nepal, adopted at the 69th UN General Assembly in May 2015.
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2019-11-25 10:04:33+00:00
🔹 On November 21, The Hague was the venue of the first meeting of the interstate arbitral tribunal convened by Ukraine on the basis of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in connection with the “#Kerch incident” of November 25, 2018. The event was attended by representatives of both sides.
The character of the meeting was technical, limited to the reconciliation of documents (the tribunal’s status, proceedings and rules of procedure). Despite the sides’ previous attempts to reach an agreement on the disputed issues, there are persisting differences concerning the fundamental nature between them, which were submitted to the meeting. In the course of the proceedings, however, the sides failed to solve any of these.
In the final analysis, the arbitral tribunal will have to deal with the “hung” issues on its own discretion, including the need to divide the legal procedure into two stages: “jurisdictional” (establishing whether or not the arbitral tribunal is competent enough to try this case) and “substantive” (considering the merits of the case), something that the #Russian side insists on firmly and consistently. The tribunal will also have to draw up a schedule for submitting the procedural instruments and to decide on the degree of openness of the upcoming hearings to the public.
The arbitral tribunal is expected to accept the procedural instruments in the near future. After this, the litigation between #Ukraine and #Russia in connection with the “Kerch incident” will enter into the practical stage.
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2019-11-25 09:34:34+00:00
Press release on the first meeting of the interstate arbitral tribunal concerning the dispute between Ukraine and the Russian Federation over the “detention of Ukrainian warships” https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3911780
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2019-11-25 08:24:22+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department on a working visit by Nepali Minister of Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3911948
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2019-11-24 09:04:30+00:00
Comment for media by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Oleg Troyanovsky’s centenary birthday anniversary https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3911876
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2019-11-23 15:20:40+00:00
✅On November 22-23, Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov took part in the regular #G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Nagoya, #Japan.
✅The meeting was the final event of Japan's Presidency this year in this major international economic forum, which has allowed participants to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the agreements reached and outline further steps for their practical implementation.
✅The participants paid special attention to the opportunities offered by today's multilateral diplomacy in restoring trust in inter-state relations, affirming the paramount importance of universal norms of the international law, and strengthening the system of global economic governance. They held a substantial exchange of opinions on three pressing issues on the G20's current agenda: promoting free trade and global governance, implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, and providing assistance to #Africa.
✅During the open and constructive dialogue, many participants emphasised the need for greater multilateralisation in global affairs, as well as providing an impetus to the World Trade Organisation reform and combating protectionism and unilateral restrictive measures in trade. They expressed broad support for strengthening the #IMF's resource base and expanding developing countries' involvement in the Fund's capital and governing bodies.
✅The Russian side stressed the importance of preserving the central role of the United Nations in regulating inter-state processes, which should be based solely on the #UN Charter principles and universally acknowledged international regulations. The outcomes of the first Russia-Africa Summit, which took place in Sochi in October 2019, were also mentioned, with emphasis on #Russia's cooperation with and assistance to African countries in solving economic and social issues and ensuring peace and security on the African continent.
✅The Russian Foreign Minister's schedule also included a number of bilateral meetings with his counterparts, which took place on the sidelines of the meeting.
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2019-11-23 14:34:32+00:00
FM Sergey #Lavrov:
💬Global governance needs to be improved considering all the issues that have accumulated in the global economy and the world trade system. In this regard, #G20 is an optimal format, which has been proved by today's discussions.
🔗http://bit.do/fig5G
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2019-11-23 14:20:32+00:00
🇷🇺🇺🇸On November 23, Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov had a separate meeting with #US Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan, the head of the US delegation, on the sidelines of the #G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting.
🇷🇺🇺🇸The officials discussed the prospects for Russian-US relations, including in connection with Mr Sullivan’s nomination for the post of US Ambassador to #Russia. Mr Lavrov emphasised that #Moscow is open to constructive interaction with #Washington on the basis of respect for mutual interests.
🇷🇺🇺🇸They also touched upon a number of international issues, including the problem of maintaining strategic stability.
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2019-11-23 14:08:51+00:00
🇷🇺🇪🇸On November 23, Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov met with Spanish Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation Josep Borrell on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in #Nagoya, #Japan.
🇷🇺🇪🇸The ministers discussed the prospects for #Russian-#Spanish cooperation in various areas.
🇷🇺🇪🇸With a view to Mr Borrell's upcoming assumption of office as #EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the officials also touched upon certain aspects of Russia-EU relations, as well as a number of international issues.
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2019-11-23 13:53:07+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks and answers to media questions following the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Nagoya, Japan, November 23, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3911585
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2019-11-23 13:38:10+00:00
🇷🇺🇨🇳On November 23, Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov met with Wang Yi, member of the Council of State and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of #China, on the sidelines of the #G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in #Nagoya, Japan.
🇷🇺🇨🇳The ministers spoke highly of the general state of the Russian-Chinese strategic partnership and discussed a number of bilateral issues of practical cooperation.
🇷🇺🇨🇳They had a thorough and trust-based exchange of opinions on the issues on the international agenda, with a focus on the activity and prospects of the G20 and the #Russia-China cooperation in this format. The most urgent regional problems were also discussed, including the situation around Iran, the #Afghan settlement, and the developments in the #Korean Peninsula.
🇷🇺🇨🇳The ministers noted the similarity of their stances on all the issues discussed, and reaffirmed the importance of further regular trust-based contacts for boosting foreign political cooperation, which plays a stabilising role in global affairs and facilitates the process of establishing a more just and rational political world order.
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2019-11-23 13:25:17+00:00
🇷🇺🇯🇵On November 22, Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov met with Foreign Minister of #Japan Toshimitsu Motegi on the sidelines of the #G20 Aichi-Nagoya Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
🇷🇺🇯🇵The ministers exchanged views on the state of bilateral relations and the prospects for developing them, including a schedule of political dialogue and a number of current issues related to practical cooperation in trade, the economy and other fields.
🇷🇺🇯🇵It was agreed that the Japanese Foreign Minister would visit #Moscow in mid-December of this year at the invitation of Sergey Lavrov to continue the dialogue.
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2019-11-23 12:08:11+00:00
Russian Permanent Representative to the OSCE Alexander Lukashevich’s statement at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on the situation in Ukraine and the need to comply with the Minsk Agreements, Vienna, November 21, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3909673
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2019-11-23 12:01:56+00:00
FM Sergey #Lavrov:
💬Concerning the world economy, just as in international politics, #China🇨🇳, #Russia🇷🇺 and many other countries uphold the principles of equality, justice and mutual benefit.#G20
https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3911545
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2019-11-23 11:53:23+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3911529
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2019-11-23 11:53:23+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Egyptian Ambassador to Russia Ihab Nasr https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3911471
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2019-11-23 11:43:40+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's participation in the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3911766
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2019-11-23 11:43:39+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's meeting with Spanish Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation Josep Borrell https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3911565
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2019-11-23 11:38:27+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's meeting with US Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3911575
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2019-11-23 11:38:26+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin’s meeting with Ambassador of China to Russia Zhang Hanhui https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3911446
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2019-11-23 11:38:25+00:00
Press release on a session of the Interdepartmental Commission for Handling Applications from Russian Nationals Whose Right to Exit the Russian Federation Has Been Restricted https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3911380
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2019-11-23 11:38:25+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Lebanese Acting Prime Minister’s Personal Representative George Shaaban https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3911370
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2019-11-23 11:33:27+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's meeting with Wang Yi, member of the Council of State and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3911555
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2019-11-23 11:33:26+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's opening remarks at talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China Wang Yi on the sidelines of G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Nagoya, November 23, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3911545
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2019-11-23 10:08:33+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Ambassador of Qatar to Russia Fahad bin Mohammed al-Attiyah https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3911456
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2019-11-23 04:02:24+00:00
🇷🇺🇪🇸 Sergey #Lavrov had a meeting with Foreign Minister of Spain Josep Borrell. #Russia #Spain #G20 #Japan #Diplomacy
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2019-11-23 03:52:18+00:00
🔴 #Live: FM Sergey #Lavrov talks to the press at Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the Group of Twenty in #Nagoya. #Russia #G20 #Japan #Diplomacy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTL9YZr59Xg
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2019-11-23 02:47:43+00:00
🇷🇺🇨🇳 In #Nagoya (Japan), Sergey #Lavrov met with Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi. #Russia #China #G20 #Japan #Diplomacy
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2019-11-22 19:23:16+00:00
🇷🇺 Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov:
💬 Regrettably, the allegations of #Russia’s cyber interference in elections in the US and anywhere else have become a ritual. I doubt that anyone anymore can regard them seriously. However, some political forces may use the alleged Russian cyber threat in political infighting.
As for cooperating with the #Americans in the field of international information security (IIS), we have more than once urged #Washington to relaunch a dialogue on this subject, primarily so as to be able to develop direct interaction between the concerned agencies and with a view to signing an intergovernmental bilateral agreement on the prevention of incidents in the information space, similar to the 1972 Soviet-American agreement on the prevention of incidents on and over the high seas.
During the election campaign in 2016, we officially contacted Washington over our concerns via the existing bilateral channels. We more than once provided exhaustive information to the American side, confirming our readiness to continue to cooperate in this sphere. However, we have not received any response to this.
But we try not to remember offences when the matter concerns global stability and common interests all the states have in the field of strengthening the IIS. Russia is still open for dialogue on cyber matters with the United States. I would like to point out that we are ready to hold a concrete and pragmatic exchange of views on the entire range of subjects related to the IIS and to discuss mutual concerns.
🔗 Read the full interview: https://is.gd/1gxmli
#Information #Security #Diplomacy
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2019-11-22 18:19:01+00:00
🇷🇺🇮🇹 Russian Ambassador to Italy Sergey Razov:
💬 Despite the varied political landscape in #Italy, there is a steady consensus among the main political forces and their leaders regarding the importance of maintaining constructive relations with #Russia and developing mutually beneficial cooperation. The experience gained over many years of successful cooperation in many areas serves as a kind of safety net against sharp fluctuations in the bilateral dialogue, making it possible to maintain it even in the current, not very favourable climate in relations between Russia and Western countries.
🔗 Read the full interview: https://is.gd/uwdnDR
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2019-11-22 18:08:18+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin’s meeting with Ambassador of Portugal to Russia Paulo Vizeu Pinheiro https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3911360
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2019-11-22 18:08:17+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Rwandan Ambassador to Russia Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3911350
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2019-11-22 18:03:18+00:00
Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov’s interview with Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency, November 22, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3909134
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2019-11-22 17:53:33+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov’s consultations with First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Choe Son-hui https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3911326
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2019-11-22 17:28:14+00:00
Russian Ambassador to Italy Sergey Razov's interview with the International Life magazine published on November 21, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3909304
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2019-11-22 16:55:32+00:00
❗️ On 20 November 2019 under the chairmanship of the Russian Federation in the #SCO the first thematic consultations of the SCO Member States on biological security took place in #Moscow with participation of SCO Member States experts and representatives from capitals and embassies in Moscow as well as with the contribution of the SCO Secretariat.
The SCO Member States exchanged views on the situation in the field of biological security and considered further practical steps for strengthening biological disarmament and non-proliferation regime and international biosecurity at the relevant multilateral venues, including UN General Assembly, Conference on Disarmament, Biological and Toxin #Weapons Convention (BTWC) meetings. They highlighted the need to comply with and strengthen the BTWC, including by adopting a legally binding Protocol to the Convention, which provides for, inter alia, an effective mechanism to verify compliance with the BTWC. They agree that the establishment of international mechanisms duplicating the functions of the BTWC and circumventing the UN Security Council was unacceptable.
🔹 The consultations confirmed the unity of approaches of the SCO Member States on the issue of biological security. The sides noted the need for further close coordination on this issue at specialized multilateral platforms. The majority of the SCO Member States expressed readiness to hold further consultations on biological security within the SCO format on a regular basis.
#Russia #Diplomacy
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2019-11-22 16:53:21+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department on observer assessments of the parliamentary elections in the Republic of Belarus https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3908552
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2019-11-22 14:18:30+00:00
Press Release on the First Thematic Consultations of the SCO Member States on Biological Security https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3911390
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2019-11-22 13:51:45+00:00
🇷🇺 The #Russia-initiated resolution on countering the criminal use of information and communication technology was adopted by a majority of the vote at a meeting of the Third Committee of the 74th #UN General Assembly in New York on November 18.
🔹 The document was co-sponsored by 47 states: Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Benin, Bolivia, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, China, Congo, Cuba, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, India, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Libya, Madagascar, Myanmar, Nauru, Nicaragua, Niger, North Korea, Russia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Zimbabwe. The resolution was supported by 88 countries while 58 voted against it, including Canada, the EU, Georgia, Israel, the US, the UK and Ukraine, with 34 countries abstained.
🔹 The approval by the Third Committee shows the great relevance of this resolution in the international community and the need to develop a universal and equally accessible comprehensive convention on combating cybercrime, a transnational phenomenon that has a trans-border nature.
🔹 The Russia-sponsored resolution effectively secures the digital sovereignty of states over their information space and opens a new page in the history of the global fight against cybercrime. In practical terms, it creates a negotiation platform under the auspices of the UN General Assembly to develop a universal convention to combat #cybercrime. A relevant Ad Hoc Committee will include experts from around the world. The UN conventions against corruption and transnational organised crime have been developed through a similar procedure.
🔹 Russia and its supporters view this convention as another universal international criminal #law instrument focused on crimes involving the use of information and communication technology, aimed at combating the unlawful use of ICT, and comprehensive in content, based on the principles of respect for each state’s sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of others.
🔹 The resolution expressly stipulates that the Committee will rely on the existing relevant international and regional instruments, and will take into account the final recommendations of the Vienna Expert Group on Cybercrime.
🔹 The Committee is expected to hold its first session in New York in 2020, and substantive work on the text of the convention will begin in 2021.
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2019-11-22 13:47:31+00:00
🇷🇺 #Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria #Zakharova, #Moscow, November 21, 2019: 🔗 https://is.gd/H44y1V #Russia #Lavrov #Japan #G20 #Nagoya #Nepal #China #Iceland #CSTO #Syria #Venezuela #Bolivia #MiddleEast #NPT #Egypt #US #NATO #UN #Latvia
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2019-11-22 13:33:20+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department on the UN General Assembly Third Committee vote on the Russian-led resolution on combating cybercrime https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3909516
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2019-11-22 13:01:53+00:00
🇷🇺 Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov:
💬 Since it was established in 2001, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has asserted itself as a universal interstate association with activities covering all spheres, including politics, security, economics and humanitarian ties. Today, as mentioned earlier, the #SCO is regarded as a credible international organisation, and a recognised and reliable partner. The SCO space, comprising 18 member states, observer states and dialogue partners, is home to almost half of the global population, and accounts for about a quarter of the world’s GDP.
The powerful political, defence, economic, cultural and civilisational potential of the SCO space and its impressive geography, stretching from Southeast #Asia to #Europe, offers excellent prospects for furthering meaningful cooperation with the United Nations. This understanding was confirmed at a #UN Security Council meeting in September, held as part of #Russia’s UNSC presidency, on cooperation between the UN and regional organisations. It was attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The SCO is guided in its undertakings by a strong commitment to the fundamental principles and international norms held in the UN Charter. Through their joint efforts, the SCO member states seek to facilitate the emergence of a global architecture for reliable security and sustainable development.
Proactively promoting this approach is among the priorities of Russia’s SCO presidency in 2019-2020, as defined by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir #Putin.
Russia pays particular attention to further consolidating the positions of the SCO member states within the UN and other international organisations. This event proves this. We believe in the importance of enhancing a constructive political dialogue, finding effective solutions to the issues of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and arms control, countering terrorism and extremism and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, as well as strengthening mutual trust and cooperation among peoples.
🔗 Full transcript: https://is.gd/RIhw85
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2019-11-22 12:35:38+00:00
🇷🇺🇪🇺 Permanent Representative of #Russia to the #EU and Euratom Ambassador Vladimir Chizhov:
💬 I would say #NATO has been on life support since 1991, since the collapse of the #SovietUnion and the Warsaw Pact. It has been artificially maintained, during several years, by outreach to #Afghanistan, and when that was finished, NATO started looking around for a reason for being.
🔗 Full interview: https://is.gd/Jq9enV
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2019-11-22 12:25:04+00:00
🇷🇺🇯🇵 Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov during talks with Foreign Minister of Japan Toshimitsu Motegi:
💬 I also have fond memories of our latest meeting in New York, where we had the first meeting with you in your new capacity.
Japan is our neighbour, and we are interested in promoting neighbourly relations in all spheres without exception, as was agreed by President of Russia Vladimir #Putin and Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe. We are sincere in our commitment to overcoming outstanding challenges, including of course the question of the peace treaty.
As President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin has said on numerous occasions, what matters the most at this point in time is to ensure that we cooperate in such a way that our relations will be elevated to a new level in all spheres without exception, including on economic and foreign policy matters. It will be much easier to resolve any problems if we achieve substantial progress in our relations.
I am ready to engage in close cooperation with you and your team so that we can move in this direction. We will discuss this today, to be followed by a more detailed conversation in #Moscow.
#Russia #G20 #Japan #Diplomacy
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2019-11-22 12:19:16+00:00
🇷🇺 FM Sergey #Lavrov attended a working dinner for heads of the delegations at the Group of Twenty Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in #Nagoya. #Russia #G20 #Japan #Diplomacy
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2019-11-22 12:18:43+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks during talks with Foreign Minister of Japan Toshimitsu Motegi, Nagoya, November 22, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3909601
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2019-11-22 11:23:29+00:00
Permanent Representative of Russia to the EU and Euratom Ambassador Vladimir Chizhov’s interview with Euractiv, 18 November 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3909688
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2019-11-22 09:58:17+00:00
Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, November 21, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3908615
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2019-11-22 09:52:01+00:00
🇷🇺🇯🇵 In #Nagoya (Japan), Sergey #Lavrov met with Foreign Minister of Japan Toshimitsu Motegi. #Russia #G20 #Japan #Diplomacy
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2019-11-22 08:58:28+00:00
Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov’s remarks at a high-level UN-SCO function, New York, November 19, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3908341
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2019-11-22 07:58:28+00:00
🔹 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the Anatoly Dobrynin commemoration event:
💬 Anatoly #Dobrynin spent almost a quarter century as the Soviet Ambassador to the #UnitedStates – I think this is a unique term not only for our diplomatic service but for other countries as well. As you know, six presidents changed during his time there. He established very durable, comradely, highly professional relations with all Administrations and every Secretary of State. He had a closed telephone communication line with the White House. This fact alone shows how he was seen by #Washington. They say Mr Dobrynin had his own entrance at the Department of State where no other foreigners were admitted, not even from among the #US’s closest allies. What we read in the memoirs of Americans about him shows their attitude towards this man, a representative of a great country.
The Caribbean Crisis (Cuban Missile Crisis) is the brightest page in Mr Dobrynin’s biography. It is right to emphasise this episode in his outstanding biography. The world was on the brink of a nuclear war and several people, including Mr Dobrynin, made enormous efforts that allowed us and the Americans to turn back from this brink. An enormous role in this was played by his ability to explain to the #Americans in simple terms the current position and what we now call the “red lines” of the #USSR, and at the same time his honest reports in which he described the situation without embellishment. He had the ability to convince the Soviet leaders. We honour such diplomats, and let his experience and example become a beacon for those who chose a diplomatic career.
🔗 Full transcript: https://is.gd/OkzcDz
#Dobrynin100 #Russia #Diplomacy
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2019-11-22 07:44:17+00:00
We also discussed the situation in the #MiddleEast and North #Africa, the ongoing conflicts in #Syria, #Yemen and #Libya. The situation in Iraq and Lebanon is aggravating. Of course, we must not forget about the oldest conflict in the region between Palestine and Israel as we deal with these very acute problems. Here our positions overlap and we believe it is necessary to strictly follow #UN Security Council resolutions, the Madrid Principles and the Arab Peace Initiative, which was supported by all OIC members. Statements such as those made by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that #Washington no longer considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegitimate are directly at odds with all existing decisions signed by all countries. By and large, they lead the situation into a dead-end. We will advocate a return to full and unconditional respect for all decisions made so far.
🔗 Full transcript: https://is.gd/STz20V
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2019-11-22 07:44:17+00:00
🇷🇺🇲🇾 Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov at a joint news conference with Foreign Minister of #Malaysia Saifuddin Abdullah:
💬 I had talks with my #Malaysian colleague Saifuddin Abdullah in a traditionally friendly atmosphere, as befits good and long-standing partners. Our relations are based on a long tradition of trust, mutual understanding and cooperation.
We discussed important issues on the bilateral agenda in line with the agreements reached in Vladivostok in September on the sidelines of the 5th Eastern Economic Forum between #Russian President Vladimir #Putin and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. We agreed to give additional impetus to cooperation in all areas covered by our leaders.
We emphasised the importance of the security dialogue. In this regard, we positively assessed the contacts between the Russian Security Council and our partners from the corresponding unit of the Malaysian Prime Minister’s Administration. Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolay Patrushev visited Kuala Lumpur in August this year. We agreed to continue cooperating on these matters.
We focused on #trade and economic cooperation. Sustainable growth in trade gives us hope that this trend will continue. Trade increased by another 10 percent in the first nine months of this year to over $2.2 billion. This figure will grow significantly by the end of the year.
We noted the effective work of Russian businesspeople in Malaysia, and Malaysian businesses in Russia. Joint investments are being made and important industrial enterprises are being opened in #Malaysia and #Russia. In particular, a Malaysian company opened a wood processing plant in the Khabarovsk Territory recently. We agreed to maintain direct contacts between our business people, especially since they have important formats for this such as the Russian-Malaysian Business Council and the Russia-#ASEAN Business Council, which is a platform for concluding mutually beneficial agreements.
We support the dynamic growth of relations in research and technology, culture, education and tourism. We welcome Malaysia’s interest in the Russian language and education in Russia. At least 1,200 Malaysian students are currently studying in our country. We agreed to resolve all issues related to practical training for these students.
This year we had an important event. In October, the Joint Russian-Malaysian Commission on Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation met in Moscow for the first time where it reviewed all areas of bilateral cooperation and drew up corresponding action plans.
We discussed global challenges. Our positions coincide on key issues. We are on the same page when it comes to respecting international law, not undermining the agreements reached in a universal format, respecting the UN Charter, resolving crises and conflicts exclusively by peaceful means and respecting the identity of all peoples and their right to decide on their future.
We have also discussed regional affairs and ways to promote cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, relations between Russia and ASEAN and Russia's participation in ASEAN-related formats such as the East Asia Summit, the ASEAN Regional Security Forum and APEC, which Malaysia will chair next year. Today, our friends informed us about preparations for the APEC summit which will be held in November 2020.
We share the view that the regional security architecture in Asia-Pacific should continue to rely on the formats created at ASEAN’s initiative. We will promote this position.
An exchange of views on cooperation between Russia and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation took place as well. Contacts with this organisation were established upon Prime Minister of Malaysia Mahathir Mohamad’s initiative. Back in 2003, he invited President Putin to join the OIC as an observer. Since then, we have enjoyed observer status and interacted with this organisation.
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2019-11-22 07:36:12+00:00
❗All public #schools in #Latvia will be required to teach exclusively in Latvian, effective from academic year 2021/22 as part of the so-called education reform announced by official Riga. The #Latvian Constitutional Court also recently approved the legal closing of private schools for ethnic #minorities.
🔹 This politically motivated decision deprives the #Russian-speaking population of Latvia of the last opportunity to receive an education in their native language, even if they pay for it.
🔹 Such flagrant discrimination runs counter to Latvia’s obligations under fundamental international legal instruments such as the 1950 Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the 1960 #UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education, the 1965 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the 1995 Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities of the Council of Europe.
🔹 The #language terrorism policy pursued by the Latvian authorities has been repeatedly criticised by respected international organisations like the Council of Europe (CE) and the OSCE, including their leading experts, the Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic and OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Lamberto Zannier.
🔹 We urge the international #HumanRights community to step up pressure on the Latvian authorities given the critical situation for ethnic minorities and their native languages in this Baltic country.
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2019-11-22 07:33:07+00:00
🔹 On November 21, #Russian-#Kazakhstani consultations on biosafety issues were held in #Moscow. The parties had a thorough and trust-based exchange of views on the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, as well as on ensuring biosafety in the post-Soviet space.
The consultations confirmed #Russia and #Kazakhstan’s common approaches. The parties noted the need for further close coordination and reaffirmed their readiness for further constructive cooperation at specialised multilateral platforms. They agreed to further develop the Russian-Kazakhstani partnership in ensuring biosafety, including by holding regular bilateral interagency consultations on this issue.
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2019-11-22 06:33:40+00:00
Выступление и ответы на вопросы СМИ Министра иностранных дел Российской Федерации С.В.Лаврова в ходе совместной пресс-конференции с Министром иностранных дел Малайзии С.Абдуллой, Москва, 21 ноября 2019 года https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3908238
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2019-11-22 06:19:40+00:00
Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the OSCE, Ambassador Alexander Lukashevich:
💬 We fully support the efforts of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Desir aimed at promoting media freedom and pluralism in OSCE region, ensuring safe working conditions for reporters and combating disinformation. We are ready to provide him with any possible assistance in this regard.
💬 We note that some OSCE participating states grossly and increasingly violate their commitments on media freedom and equal access to information, demonstrate intolerance towards alternative views.
💬 We believe that in current situation it is necessary to reaffirm or even strengthen the existing commitments concerning free access to information. In this regard Russia put forward a draft decision on public’s free access to information to OSCE Ministerial Council in Bratislava.
💬 We welcome the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Desir’s efforts aimed at countering the spread of disinformation and fake news. We believe that organizing a dialogue among professional journalistic communities on the OSCE platform will be very useful.
💬 The situation of the media in Ukraine remains extremely alarming. Attacks on journalists are going on. According to the Head of Ukraine National Union of Journalists Sergey Tomilenko 92% of such crimes remain uninvestigated or unpunished.
💬 The opening of two criminal cases against Russian journalist Vladimir Solovyiev and the threats towards him by Alexey Goncharenko, a member of Verkhovna Rada, create a dangerous precedent for the actions of radicals and extremists.
💬 The practice of violating the rights of Russian journalists is going on in countries that claim to be “bulwarks of democracy”. Reporters are unlawfully banned from entering the certain countries, not to mention expulsions, unauthorized detentions, denials of accreditation etc.
#Ukraine
#Osce
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2019-11-22 06:13:34+00:00
Press release on Russian-Kazakhstani biosafety consultations https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3908568
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2019-11-22 06:13:33+00:00
Comment by the Foreign Ministry’s Information and Press Department on the Latvian Constitutional Court’s denial to sustain a claim to preserve private schools that teach in Russian https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3908317
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2019-11-22 06:13:31+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at the Anatoly Dobrynin commemoration event, Moscow, November 20, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3907482
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2019-11-21 16:39:36+00:00
🔹 On November 21, Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov held talks with Foreign Minister of #Malaysia Saifuddin Abdullah, who arrived in #Moscow on a working visit.
The ministers discussed the current state and development prospects of #Russian-#Malaysian relations and reaffirmed their mutual interest in intensifying political dialogue and expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, investment and other practical fields.
They also exchanged views on topical issues on the regional and international agenda.
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2019-11-21 16:35:54+00:00
🇷🇺🇪🇪 Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria #Zakharova's reply to a media question regarding #Estonia's territorial claims to #Russia:
❓ What can you say about recent statements by Estonian Parliament Speaker Henn Polluaas and Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Reinsalu on Estonia's desire to reclaim the territory annexed by Russia in accordance with the 1920 #Tartu Peace Treaty?
💬 We have said more than once that this topic is closed once and for all, and we do not intend to discuss it in the future. The Treaty of Tartu has become history.
We regret that instead of thinking about how to normalise relations with Russia, Estonian senior officials continue making increasingly provocative and absurd statements.
Such rhetoric by no means facilitates the formation of a positive agenda of our relations or progress in ratifying our bilateral border treaties.
🔗 https://is.gd/fEVVS3
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2019-11-21 16:29:10+00:00
🇷🇺 An event was held to commemorate Anatoly #Dobrynin, an outstanding Russian diplomat and public figure, as part of celebrations of his 100th birthday.
The event was attended by Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov, senior ministry officials, representatives from the Russian Federal Assembly, heads of leading academic institutions and specialised universities, veterans, young diplomats and Anatoly Dobrynin’s former colleagues and family.
In his remarks, Sergey Lavrov emphasised Anatoly Dobrynin’s diplomatic merits, especially as the #USSR’s ambassador to the #US, where he worked for almost 25 years, and the great contribution to settling international crises such as the Caribbean Crisis (Cuban Missile Crisis) and the arms control issue. Mr Lavrov stressed the importance and popularity of his studies for building Russia’s foreign policy course on the global stage in today’s difficult conditions.
The participants also remembered Anatoly Dobrynin’s extraordinary personal qualities, his highly professional and open manner of communication with partners and willingness for dialogue, always combined with the firm protection of Russia’s interests.
Special anniversary greetings from the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres were read.
Awards were presented to the winners of the contest of essays on Anatoly Dobrynin’s diplomatic heritage. Employees of the ministry, Russian foreign ministers and education and scientific centres from various Russian cities took part in the contest.
Sergey Lavrov and Head of the Federal Communications Agency Oleg Dukhovnitsky also took part in a ceremony to cancel a specially marked envelope, issued in a million copies, to mark the anniversary of Anatoly Dobrynin.
This commemoration night concluded the series of anniversary events held last year and this year and dedicated to one of the most famous Russian diplomats, Anatoly Dobrynin.
#Dobrynin100 #Diplomacy
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2019-11-21 16:23:27+00:00
🇷🇺🇧🇭 On November 20, Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov had talks with Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of #Bahrain Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, who is in #Moscow on a working visit.
The foreign ministers had an in-depth discussion on important issues related to the further progressive development of Russia-Bahrain relations, which have traditionally been friendly. Priority attention was given to reviewing progress in implementing in practice the decisions and agreements that were approved earlier at the top level.
In this context, the two sides reaffirmed the mutual commitment of Moscow and Manama to maintain a regular political dialogue, ensure sustained growth in bilateral trade, and boost investment activities and cultural ties between the two countries. They noted the important coordinating role of the Intergovernmental Russian-Bahraini Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation in this regard.
There was a thorough discussion of key issues on the Middle East agenda with a focus on #Syria, Iraq and the #MiddleEast settlement process. The ministers noted the need for a peaceful resolution of regional conflicts in accordance with international law and the #UN Charter that must be coupled with determined efforts to combat terrorism.
The two sides also reviewed efforts required to normalise the situation in the Persian Gulf, including by implementing Russia’s relevant concept-based proposals to create a collective security system in this strategically important region.
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2019-11-21 16:21:20+00:00
💬 Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov at talks with Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs Saifuddin Abdullah:
We are delighted that you accepted our invitation to visit Moscow, which is your first trip to the capital of #Russia.
I hope that in addition to our business programme you will have time to take a tour of #Moscow’s landmarks.
Your visit has confirmed the high level of our bilateral relations, which were given a fresh impetus during the September summit held on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum, when President of Russia Vladimir #Putin and Prime Minister of #Malaysia Mahathir Mohamad held very fruitful talks.
We maintain an intense political dialogue and our cooperation in the fields of trade, the economy, military technology and culture, as well as humanitarian and educational exchanges is ongoing. Our parliaments and security councils also maintain a multifaceted dialogue.
Relations between our foreign ministries cover the entire range of international affairs, something we highly treasure.
The talks we are going to hold today will allow us to take a look at what else we can do to promote a positive development of our cooperation.
🔗 https://is.gd/7jAplK
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2019-11-21 16:16:01+00:00
❗ The third round of the #Japan-#Russia interagency consultations on international information security (IIS) was held in #Tokyo on November 20, 2019.
The Russian delegation was headed by Andrey Krutskikh, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cooperation on Information Security, Ambassador-at-Large. It included experts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Prosecutor- General's Office, Federal Security Service, Federal Guard Service and the Security Council Office.
The Japanese delegation was headed by Takeshi Akahori, Ambassador in charge of Cyber Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. The Japanese delegation included experts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity, National Security Secretariat, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and JP CERT/CC.
Russia and Japan discussed a wide range of issues: current situation in information space; updates on strategies and policies of the countries; cooperation in multilateral and regional context on security of and in the use of ICTs, including within #UN, #SCO, #ASEAN Regional Forum. They also exchanged views on such topics as the use of ICTs for terrorist and other criminal purposes and protection of critical information infrastructure.
The delegations underlined the necessity of the development of international cooperation on IIS within the UN fora.
During the consultations, the participants exchanged views on relevant issues of development of bilateral practical cooperation in this field and the coordination of our countries' positions within key international platforms. In this context delegations shared readiness to maintain continuous bilateral interagency dialogue on IIS.
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2019-11-21 16:12:04+00:00
🔹 Director of the Foreign Ministry’s Second European Department Sergey Belyaev:
💬 The #NorthernSeaRoute is #Russia’s national transport artery. As a littoral state, and in full compliance with international law, it is Russia’s responsible to see that everything along this route functions properly and Russia will do whatever is needed to ensure navigation safety and the proper handling of this extremely fragile ecosystem.
🔗 Full interview:https://is.gd/vxmiah
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2019-11-21 16:07:49+00:00
The Osaka declaration reaffirms the commitment to multilateralism in international relations, encourages mutual trade, investment and infrastructure projects, climate action, anti-corruption efforts, etc.
Special attention is paid to the digital agenda. This year, the G20 approved AI Principles, outlined additional steps to adapt education and labour markets to the digital economy, and promote e-commerce, as well as to agree on the taxation of digital businesses. There are plans to substantially expand research and development cooperation in various industrial sectors and facilitate the exchange of best practices between urban areas.
#Russia proactively contributes to the work of the G20, having propelled a number of major themes to the forum’s agenda. As part of its G20 Presidency in 2013, Russia laid the groundwork within this forum for preventing base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS), promoting the investment financing and quality employment.
Russia is committed to maintaining this momentum. We will continue to call on our partners within the G20 to take concrete steps to ensure public debt sustainability, create a legal framework for recovery of assets from criminal activities, improve financial literacy and protect online consumer rights. Looking forward to Saudi Arabia’s G20 Presidency, Russia is preparing a number of new initiatives.
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2019-11-21 16:07:49+00:00
🔹 On November 22−23, Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov will attend a regular Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of the Group of Twenty in #Nagoya. An overwhelming majority of G20 countries and dialogue partners, including those currently chairing #ASEAN, #APEC, the African Union and #NEPAD, will be represented at the ministerial level. The Minister is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with his colleagues from the #G20 countries.
This meeting will be the final event in Japan’s G20 Presidency in 2019. It is designed to mobilise diplomatic efforts to ensure the full implementation of the agreements reached at the G20 Summit of this leading global economic forum that took place in Osaka on June 28 and 29, 2019. In particular, this deals with translating these decisions into the actual policy tools of specialised international organisations (United Nations, the World Bank, #WTO, IMF, ILO, #OECD, etc.).
Mexico convened the first G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in 2012. In 2017, Germany followed this example, and so did Argentina in 2018. There is a tradition which gives foreign ministries the opportunity to engage in a free exchange of opinions focusing on the most urgent matters on the G20 agenda and finding common political ground.
At Japan’s initiative, meetings in Nagoya will revolve around three major themes: 1) free trade and global governance; 2) the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs) and 3) Africa. The meeting will not adopt an outcome document. Instead, it is expected to bring closer the positions of the participants on strengthening the global architecture of international relations and facilitating socioeconomic progress.
Sergey Lavrov is expected to reaffirm in his remarks the importance of ensuring the inviolability of the UN Charter as a source of international law, and the UN’s leading role in promoting cooperation among states on all kinds of global problems. He will elaborate on the latest efforts to expand Russia’s partnership with African countries in multiple spheres, in particular the Russia-Africa summit and economic forum that took place in Sochi on October 23 and 24.
The G20 offers an inclusive model for responding to the current global economic challenges by balancing the interests of developed and developing countries. This structure first emerged in 1999 as a platform for finance ministers and central bank governors, and expanded in 2008 to include the heads of state, which was attributable to the urgency to come up with a response to the global financial and economic crisis.
As the G20 evolved, it became increasingly focused on anticipating long-term global economic trends, unleashing the group’s industrial potential and building a forward-looking development strategy. While still keeping on its radar basic matters related to maintaining financial and economic stability, the G20 has recently committed itself to facilitating the transition to a digital economy and driving reforms of the key global economic governance institutions, including the WTO and the IMF.
The G20 helps the world’s leading economies find compromises and make a coordinated contribution to creating favourable conditions for accelerating global economic growth, improving labour efficiency and eliminating inequality in all its forms, without infringing upon the UN’s centrality in international affairs. This forum is consistent in its efforts when it comes to promoting an inclusive, fair world economy free from discrimination and with a focus on sustainable development.
The recent G20 Summit in Osaka on June 28 and 29, 2019 yielded tangible results. While other similar intergovernmental associations are stagnating, the G20 remains effective in its quest for solutions that would be acceptable to all, and comes up with constructive proposals.
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2019-11-21 15:28:10+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s talks with Foreign Minister of Malaysia Saifuddin Abdullah https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3908290
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2019-11-21 14:53:30+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s visit to Japan to take part in the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3907907
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2019-11-21 12:25:05+00:00
🔴 #Live: #Briefing by the Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria #Zakharova. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F_MbmW_FMA
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2019-11-21 12:23:19+00:00
Director of the Foreign Ministry’s Second European Department Sergey Belyaev’s interview with Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency, November 18, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3907882
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2019-11-21 11:53:26+00:00
Press Release on the Outcome of the Third Round of the Japan-Russia Interagency Consultations on International Information Security https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3908177
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2019-11-21 11:08:37+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks at talks with Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs Saifuddin Abdullah, Moscow, November 21, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3907931
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2019-11-21 06:48:19+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s talks with Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3907204
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2019-11-21 06:38:42+00:00
Press release on Anatoly Dobrynin commemoration event https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3907527
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2019-11-21 06:38:41+00:00
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova's reply to a media question regarding Estonia's territorial claims to Russia https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3907468
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2019-11-21 06:38:40+00:00
Press release on the first round of strategic dialogue between Russia and North Korea https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3907427
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2019-11-20 21:09:11+00:00
🔈Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions at a joint news conference with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of #Bahrain Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, #Moscow, November 20, 2019
💬We have had very good talks with my Bahraini colleague and friend, Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, and we have reached agreements on all the issues we discussed.
🇷🇺🇧🇭We expressed satisfaction with our bilateral relations, which are very good and are based on mutual interests and respect for each other’s concerns. We share the opinion that their further development meets the interests of both Moscow and Manama, as President of Russia Vladimir #Putin and King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa have pointed out during their meetings.
🇷🇺🇧🇭I would like to say that we gave particular attention to the prospects for our relations in the economy, trade and investment. There is great and as yet untapped potential in these fields. In this context, we discussed our relations in energy, transport, logistics, agriculture, high technology, healthcare and pharmaceutics. We have practical plans, as well as contact between Russian and Bahraini companies in all of these fields. We talked about the plans of Gazprom, Rosgeo, Sberbank and VEB in this connection.
🇷🇺🇧🇭We expressed high appreciation for the operations of the Intergovernmental Russian-Bahraini Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, which held its second meeting in Moscow in April of this year. We talked about preparations for the commission’s regular meeting next year right away.
🇷🇺🇧🇭Both sides are satisfied with the standards of cooperation between the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Mumtalakat, the sovereign wealth fund of Bahrain. The planned investments in Russia under the 2014 agreements between these two funds have been made. Today we agreed to encourage the RDIF and Mumtalakat to sign a new agreement and allocate additional funds for joint investment projects.
🇷🇺🇧🇭We have support from both sides for more active interparliamentary and inter-regional ties, which are really on the rise, as well as mutual interest in developing cultural and humanitarian contacts. Russian theatre companies, including the #Mariinsky Theatre and the #Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre from Perm toured Bahrain this year.
🇷🇺🇧🇭We pointed out the substantial – by a third – increase in tourist volumes over the past winter/spring season of 2018-2019.
🇷🇺🇧🇭We have agreed to enhance our contractual and legal framework. A number of agreements are being finalised. Mr Minister and I reaffirmed today that we will expedite the agreement for visa-free travel for our citizens.
🇷🇺🇧🇭We discussed coordination on the international arena, including at the #UN, and decided to step up our dialogue at the level of foreign services. We have plans to sign, in the near future, a cooperation agreement between the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Diplomatic Academy and Bahrain’s Diplomatic Institute.
Read more: 🔗https://is.gd/mdETPt
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2019-11-20 18:46:57+00:00
✅On November 19, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of #Eswatini, Thuli Dladla, exchanged best wishes on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
✅The heads of the foreign affairs agencies expressed satisfaction with the state of #Russia-Eswatini relations, reaffirming #Moscow and Mbabane’s commitment to building mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, and also emphasised their mutual interest in strengthening the coordination of actions in the international arena.
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2019-11-20 18:19:21+00:00
🇷🇺🇰🇵On November 20, Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov received State Affairs Commission Member and First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Korea Choe Son-hui, who arrived in Moscow to hold the first round of strategic dialogue between Russia and North Korea.
🇷🇺🇰🇵The officials discussed current issues related to the development of bilateral relations in the context of agreements reached at the highest level and exchanged views on the developments on the #Korean Peninsula and in Northeast #Asia.
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2019-11-20 18:11:37+00:00
☝️❗The intensity of Israel’s missile and bomb attacks on #Syria increased sharply lately.
☝️❗On November 12, the Israeli Air Force carried out a missile attack on the house owned by Commander of the #Palestinian Islamic Jihad group Akram al-Ajouri in the centre of #Damascus, which is home to foreign diplomatic missions. The attack killed and wounded #Syrian civilians and caused significant damage to property and buildings. Al-Ajouri walked away unscathed, but his relatives died in the attack.
☝️❗Targets in the Abu Kamal district near the Syrian-#Iraqi border were attacked on November 18, with the Israeli aircraft reportedly violating the airspace of Iraq and Jordan. There were explosions near the Damascus Airport on November 19. Missiles were fired at targets 18 kilometres south of the Syrian capital, allegedly in response to Syria shelling the Golan Heights.
☝️❗Israeli Air Force aircraft fired 40 cruise missiles on the Damascus suburbs on the night of November 20. At least 10 Syrian troops and civilians were killed or wounded.
☝️❗These events are causing serious concern and resentment in #Moscow. We believe it is absolutely imperative to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and other states in the region. So far, Israeli actions have ratcheted up tension and conflict potential of the situation around Syria, and are running counter to the efforts to normalise the situation and achieve stability and a political settlement in Syria.
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2019-11-20 17:52:33+00:00
Press release on the exchange of greetings between Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Thuli Dladla, Eswatini Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3907453
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2019-11-20 17:27:30+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s meeting with State Affairs Commission Member and First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Korea Choe Son-hui https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3907417
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2019-11-20 17:27:29+00:00
Remarks by Mikhail Ulyanov, Permanent Representative of Russia to International Organisations in Vienna and head of the Russian delegation at the Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction, November 19, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3907056
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2019-11-20 16:32:24+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions at a joint news conference with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Moscow, November 20, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3906941
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2019-11-20 15:57:32+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department on Israeli attacks on Syria https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3907046
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2019-11-20 15:57:31+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s talks with Foreign Minister of Malaysia Saifuddin Abdullah https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3906543
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2019-11-20 15:12:30+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko’s meeting with Moldovan Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Aureliu Chokoi https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3907110
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2019-11-20 14:22:33+00:00
❗ US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said “the United States will terminate sanctions waiver related to the nuclear facility at Fordow effective December 15, 2019." One of the key #JCPOA elements, Fordow was supposed to be converted into a facility for producing stable isotopes.
🔹 Decisions like this are further examples of the flagrant violation of international commitments by the United States and its irresponsible attitude towards signed commitments and #UN Security Council resolutions. The United States has no scruples about openly violating these commitments and even tries to impede implementation by other countries. This arrogant behaviour by one of the largest states, which claims world leadership, deserves resolute condemnation. We expect the UN Secretary-General to give an unbiased evaluation of this action in his December report on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231.
🔹 It is hard to understand what hypothetical gain Washington will derive from undermining the JCPOA and from the failure to convert the Fordow facility in accordance with the 2015 agreements. It is sad to realise that it was the United States that meticulously calculated the parameters of the cascades at the Fordow facility and then later was the first to break the deal for no reason.
🔹 US attempts to justify its inability to negotiate by blaming Tehran, should not mislead anyone. #Iran’s decisions to suspend its voluntary commitments under the JCPOA, including the resumption of enrichment work at Fordow, are a response to the US’s thoughtless political campaign against the nuclear deal.
🔹 Iran follows its suspension activities under permanent IAEA supervision. Technically, they are all reversible. Moreover, according to the #IAEA, suspension did not affect the cascades at Fordow that are subject to configuration. So Washington should be blamed first for the demise of the Fordow project.
🔹 It is clear how much the United States wants Iran to give up its nuclear programme altogether. The words of the Secretary of State that the right amount of uranium enrichment for Iran is zero speak for themselves. Apparently, it is worth recalling that Iran’s right to develop its civilian nuclear industry is recorded in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The United States is also a signatory of the #NPT. As for the right to enrich uranium, the NPT does not restrict this in any way. All that is necessary is proper monitoring of compliance with this treaty by the IAEA. This is exactly what Tehran is doing.
🔹 Russian experts are taking an active part in implementing the project on converting the Fordow facility. We cooperate closely with Iran in this respect, in part, to create the proper conditions and a safe environment for the continuation of the work.
🔹 The JCPOA Joint Commission should issue a meaningful response to US statements. We hope our European colleagues will have the strength to go beyond formal regrets in terms of #US actions and will defend the JCPOA in cooperation with #Russia and China by working to maintain the viability and sustainability of the comprehensive agreement and reliably protecting the Fordow project and other major elements of the nuclear deal against the US sanctions. We hope for support by the rest of the international community, as is required by UN Security Council Resolution 2231.
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2019-11-20 14:01:39+00:00
❗ On November 18, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo declared that “this administration agrees… [that the] establishment of Israeli civilian settlements in the West Bank is not, per se, inconsistent with international law.” Allegedly, this was done in recognition of the actual situation on the ground.
We estimate this decision as yet another step towards wrecking the international legal infrastructure of the Middle East settlement, a step that will only aggravate the already tense situation in #Palestinian-#Israeli relations.
🇷🇺 We reaffirm #Russia’s position of principle reflected in #UN Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016), under which Israel’s establishment of settlements in the Palestinian territory it has occupied since 1967, including East #Jerusalem, has no legal effect. It is a violation of international law and one of the main obstacles to the Palestinian-Israeli settlement based on the two-state principle and to the establishment of a just, durable and all-embracing peace in the Middle East.
We insistently call on all the parties involved to refrain from taking any steps capable of provoking a new dangerous escalation in the region and preventing the emergence of conditions for the resumption of direct Palestinian-Israeli talks.
#Russia #USA #Israel #Palestine
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2019-11-20 13:57:36+00:00
🔹 On November 19, the third high-level special event between the #UN and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was held in New York. The theme this time was Cooperation to Promote Peace, Security and Stability: Preventing the Linking of Terrorism with Organised Crime and its Financing through Drug Trafficking.
The discussion attended by Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, #SCO Secretary-General Vladimir Norov and representatives of the SCO member states, observer states and dialogue partners reaffirmed the parties’ joint resolve to promote cooperation between the UN and the SCO in the interests of international security and sustainable development.
In his remarks, Igor Morgulov focused of the priorities of #Russia’s SCO presidency in 2019-2020, primarily in the context of combating terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking and cross-border organised crime.
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2019-11-20 13:39:35+00:00
🇷🇺🇧🇭 Sergey #Lavrov’s opening remarks at talks with Bahraini Minister of Foreign Affairs Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa in #Moscow:
💬 We are delighted to welcome you to Moscow. We value our confidential and partnership relations based on the understandings reached between King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and President of Russia Vladimir Putin.
They serve as a framework for the successful development of our interparliamentary contacts and the relations between our two ministries, which have a stable and well-coordinated character.
The Russian-Bahraini Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation is operating very effectively. The growth of investments between our countires is also pleasing. Our special services are developing close contacts in security and countering terrorism. Our humanitarian, cultural and educational relations are expanding. The number of tourists is increasing.
We work closely together in the #UN and other multilateral forums. Today we have a good opportunity to exchange opinions on the entire range of our relations. Of course, your assessments of the processes taking place around the Persian #Gulf and in the #MiddleEast in general are of special interest to us.
#Russia #Bahrain
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2019-11-20 11:42:10+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks at talks with Bahraini Minister of Foreign Affairs Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa in Moscow on November 20, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3906668
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2019-11-20 09:02:36+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov’s participation in the UN-SCO joint event https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3906176
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2019-11-20 06:22:37+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s telephone conversation with Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Nasser Bourita https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3906069
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2019-11-20 06:22:36+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department on yet another series of US verbal attacks on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) for Iran’s nuclear programme https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3906059
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2019-11-20 06:17:31+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin’s meeting with the EU’s Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process Susanna Terstal https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3906099
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2019-11-20 06:17:30+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin’s meeting with Sweden’s Special Envoy for Yemen Peter Semneby https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3906089
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2019-11-20 06:17:29+00:00
Press release on First Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov’s meeting with participants in the Fifth Potsdam Meetings youth forum https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3906079
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2019-11-20 06:17:28+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department on US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo’s statement on the Israeli settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3905543
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2019-11-19 13:43:22+00:00
❗ On November 18, a fourth group of 32 Russian #children was evacuated from #Baghdad to #Moscow on a special flight chartered by the Russian Emergencies Ministry. These children were found in Iraqi orphanages or prisons with their mothers who are either under investigation in Iraq or have received different prison terms for their involvement in ISIS terrorist activities. This means that all 122 underage Russian nationals between the ages of 1 and 15 who were found in Iraq have been flown back to Russia.
☝️ Since August 2017, the Russian Foreign Ministry in close cooperation with the Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights Anna Kuznetsova and with support from the Defence Ministry, the Russian Emergencies Ministry, the Healthcare Ministry and other ministries handling these issues has been conducting a complex effort on a massive scale to have the children of Russian nationals return home from Iraq as soon as possible. A precise step-by-step plan was coordinated that allowed all those involved in this work to carry out, in compliance with #Russian and #Iraqi law, the legal and organisational procedures and the preparations required for the purpose – taking DNA tests to verify relationships, obtaining court decisions, securing temporary guardianship, paying fines, etc., and also have documents issued for each child.
🇷🇺🇮🇶 We express our sincere gratitude to the authorities of friendly Iraq for every kind of assistance and support they provided to us in organising and carrying out this exceptionally important humanitarian mission.
🔹 The Russian Foreign Ministry and the Russian Embassy in Baghdad will continue to work with their Iraqi partners to search for and identify underage Russian nationals who might still remain in the Republic of Iraq.
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2019-11-19 13:12:13+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko’s meeting with French Ambassador to Russia Sylvie-Agnes Bermann https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3905256
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2019-11-19 12:09:21+00:00
We discussed the prospects for cooperation in the UN in order to counter the illegitimate practice of unilateral sanctions and emphasised that imposing unilateral sanctions seriously affects confidence in global affairs and obstructs the progressive development of the global economy. We also put forward specific initiatives and discussed joint efforts to counterbalance this practice and direct the discussion on disagreements in various fields of international life towards a civilised and legitimate dialogue.
In conclusion, I would like to note that yesterday an important event took place in Belarus, I am referring to the regular parliamentary elections in the country. I would like to take advantage of the opportunity to congratulate my friends in Belarus on having successfully held them. Observers from Russia took part in monitoring the election, including as part of bilateral cooperation and as members of the CIS and OSCE missions. All of them noted that the elections were held at a high level, as is the tradition.
🔗 Full transcript: https://is.gd/MreXyj
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2019-11-19 12:09:21+00:00
🇷🇺🇧🇾 Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov at a joint news conference with Belarusian Foreign Minster Vladimir Makei following a joint meeting of the foreign ministry collegiums of #Russia and #Belarus:
💬 We held a joint meeting of the foreign ministry collegiums of Russia and Belarus on the eve of an important date – the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on the Creation of the #UnionState. We noted that since then our relations have covered a long road of integration and today we are strategic allies. Close and deepening foreign policy coordination is a part of our relations. The main outcome of the collaboration between our foreign policy departments over the past two decades can be summed up as follows: today Russia and Belarus have the same approach to almost every key issue.
We agreed to continue to closely cooperate on major global issues and promote joint initiatives at the #UN, the #OSCE and other multilateral venues. The Programme of concerted foreign policy actions in 2020-2021 will facilitate the implementation of this goal. This is a unique document. As far as I know, neither Russia nor Belarus has similar documents with any other partner. We also signed a detailed plan of consultations between our ministries for next year, which includes 25 specific subjects. In addition, we approved a resolution on the meeting of the collegiums, which was completed today.
We expressed concern about #NATO’s consistently increasing military political activities near our borders. It was one of the key topics of today’s discussion. We recalled that in May of this year, the foreign ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation approved an open address to the foreign ministers of the North Atlantic alliance with a proposal on specific measures to enhance trust, and further develop contacts and cooperation. Unfortunately, this act of goodwill on our part did not invoke a response.
We agreed to continue the policy of coordinating approaches both on a bilateral basis and within the #CSTO regarding overall NATO activities and also regarding the situation with military political security in Europe.
Another topic was the issues of arms control. We noted the unsatisfactory situation in this area due to Washington’s steps to intentionally undermine the architecture of global strategic stability. By discarding the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty and creating uncertainty around the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, the US is provoking a dangerous escalation of tensions and militarisation of foreign policy thinking. Also alarming are #Washington’s actions towards reducing the threshold for using nuclear weapons as well as moving the arms race into space.
We discussed this situation. For our part, we noted that President #Putin’s address on the INF Treaty to the leaders of the key nations in the Euro Atlantic and the Asia Pacific regions reaffirmed Russia’s commitment not only to display restraint but also to announce a moratorium on deploying intermediate and shorter range missiles as long as the US and its allies desist from such actions. Our proposal remains in force, within the above address, to the North Atlantic alliance members to join such a moratorium. This proposal runs in the same vein as Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s initiative to adopt a respective multilateral declaration. I hope this synchronised signal from the Union States’ member nations will be heeded.
We also compared notes on the unhealthy situation at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons where our Western partners pursue a deliberate policy of undermining the consensus foundation of the efforts in this area in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
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2019-11-19 11:57:26+00:00
🇷🇺🇧🇾 On November 18, Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov held talks with Foreign Minister of the Republic of #Belarus Vladimir Makei. A regular joint meeting of the collegiums of the Foreign Ministry of #Russia and the Foreign Ministry of Belarus was held.
The ministers discussed current topics related to bilateral relations and cooperation within integration associations including the #EAEU and the #CSTO. They touched on issues related to cooperation within the #UN, the #OSCE and other international organisations. They reaffirmed the importance of continuing coordinating foreign political efforts in order to protect the two countries’ interests together.
The participants in the joint meeting of the collegiums, held under the banner of the 20th anniversary of the Treaty on the Creation of a #UnionState, discussed the concerted foreign policy actions of Russia and Belarus, outlined their tasks in connection with #NATO’s activities in Eastern Europe and discussed issues related to arms control as well as current areas of cooperation between the two countries at the UN, including countering unilateral sanctions that violate the Security Council’s prerogatives.
Sergey Lavrov awarded Belarus’s Ambassador to Russia Vladimir Semashko with the Foreign Ministry badge For Cooperation. Vladimir Makei awarded First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Science, Education and Culture Grigory Karasin with the Belarusian diplomatic badge For Partnership.
Following the meeting, the officials signed the Programme of Concerted Foreign Policy Actions for 2020-2021 and the Consultation Schedule between the Russian and Belarusian Foreign Ministries for 2020 and approved the Resolution of the Collegiums of the two Foreign Ministries.
The joint meeting of the collegiums was held in a traditionally friendly atmosphere characteristic for the alliance between the two countries.
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2019-11-19 11:50:58+00:00
🇷🇺🇧🇭 On November 20 in #Moscow, Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov will hold talks with Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of #Bahrain Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa who will be on a working visit in #Russia.
The foreign ministers’ upcoming meeting will be a convenient occasion for an extended discussion of the topical matters concerning the further consistent development of the entire scope of #Russian-#Bahraini relations.
Sergey Lavrov and Khalid Al Khalifa will in particular be focusing on the developments in the #MiddleEast – specifically, the importance of a speedy political resolution of the persisting conflicts in the region, strict adherence to the respective provisions of international law and the #UN Charter as well as a resolute fight against terrorism. Notably, the ministers will discuss the state of affairs in Syria, the Persian Gulf and the Palestinian-Israeli situation.
The parties also intend to compare views on the key aspects of Russian-Bahraini interactions within the UN and other multilateral platforms.
The parliamentary links between the two countries have visibly intensified. Last July, Speaker of the kingdom’s Council of Representatives, Fawzia Zainal, met in Moscow with the speakers of the Russian Federal Assembly houses, Valentina Matviyenko and Vyacheslav Volodin. Last September, members of the Russian State Duma Rasul Botashev and Yevgeny Primakov Jr. visited Manama.
Sergey Lavrov and Khalid Al Khalifa plan to give priority to the task of steadily increasing the quantity and expanding the range of commodities involved in mutual trade that, for the first time in history, exceeded $100 million as of the end of 2018. The Russian-Bahraini Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation plays an important role when it comes to this. The commission held its second meeting in Moscow last April.
Cooperation between the Russian Direct Investment Fund and Bahrain’s Mumtalakat fund has gained considerable momentum.
The Russian regions are also manifesting themselves as active participants in the bilateral relations. The heads of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov and Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov visited Manama this year, in March and October, respectively.
The legal framework of the Russian-Bahraini partnership is in the process of getting better. The two countries continue to negotiate draft intergovernmental agreements on cooperation and mutual assistance in the sphere of customs affairs, inter-agency memorandums regarding healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry, and an agreement on mutual abolition of visa requirements.
Russia and Bahrain are expanding their cultural and humanitarian contacts. Last February, Russia’s Mariinsky Theatre ballet company was on a successful tour in the Kingdom of Bahrain. In November, the company of the Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre visited the kingdom. The number of Russians travelling to Bahrain is also on the rise.
We hope that the upcoming Moscow visit to be made by Khalid Al Khalifa will further advance our multidimensional links with the Kingdom of Bahrain and contribute to the strengthening of regional stability as well as the establishment of a constructive agenda in this strategically important part of the world.
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2019-11-19 11:50:33+00:00
💬 Indeed, without Israel, the Conference and all other discussions on this subject will be significantly depreciated, of course. But they will still have value. It is a process that creates a specific environment. And I cannot confidently say that Israel will never join this process. Earlier, Israel took part in the preparatory meetings in Glion and Geneva, and saw value in them.
❓ Were they held in a closed door format?
💬 They were unofficial, without the UN flag. The very fact that the Israelis participated in those meetings and that they outlined their priorities means that such a dialogue can be of some value to them.
❓ And for #Russia, what is the value of the opening conference?
💬 First, in 1995, we made a commitment to help achieve the goal of creating a WMD-free zone in the Middle East. So we have a special responsibility, along with the United States and the UK.
Second, the creation of this zone would be a significant contribution to strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime, which is in Russia's national interests. If the process gets off the ground and gains a positive momentum and furthermore, if it leads to a tangible result, such as a draft agreement ready for signing, it would be an important achievement.
Third, our honest and open position on the creation of this zone strengthens Russia's reputation in the Middle East. Moreover, we are not quarrelling with Israel. We have no controversy on this issue with them. They understand that we act in this way precisely because we are the guarantors of the 1995 agreements and care about nuclear non-proliferation.
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2019-11-19 11:50:33+00:00
📖 Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation at International Organisations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov’s #interview with Kommersant newspaper, published on November 18, 2019:
❓ What is the importance of the UN Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction, which opens in New York on November 18?
💬 This subject is extremely important for the #NonProliferation of weapons of mass destruction (#WMD). At the same time, it is a major source of irritation that complicates discussions on the strengthening of the non-proliferation regime and a matter of veritable diplomatic battles at the #NPT Review Conference and the sessions of its Preparatory Committee.
Arab countries, which are led by #Egypt in these battles, argue, and rightly so, that the obligations the participating states assumed in 1995 are not being honoured. No matter how much the other countries cite security problems in the #MiddleEast and other circumstances, it is an undeniable fact that the 1995 resolution is not being honoured, which is complicating the implementation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). If we take the heat off the issue of a WMD-free Middle East, this will simplify the implementation of the NPT.
❓ The issue of a WMD-free zone in the Middle East has been on pause for 25 years, yet nothing catastrophic has happened. What can happen now?
💬 Anything. It is bad when the treaty is sharply criticised at the review conferences. For example, because of the lack of any progress on the Middle East issue, some representatives said at the latest NPT Review Conference in 2015 that their countries’ accession to the NPT had been a big mistake and that a nuclear arms race was imminent in the Middle East. Of course, this is a distant prospect so far, but it is alarming that such statements are being made at all.
❓ Several countries, primarily Israel and the United States, which is supporting it, intend to boycott the New York conference. What can you say about that?
💬 I believe that it is an error of judgement. There is no indication in the #UN General Assembly’s decision on the need to convene the conference on November 18-22 that anything would be forced on Israel, contrary to what Israeli and US diplomats claim. There is nothing of the kind there. The resolution stipulates the convocation of the conference and invites all regional countries, including Iran and Israel, of course, to attend it. It is a form of reaching out and an invitation to discuss the problem. Arab countries have actually given Israel the right of veto. Any substantive decisions are to be adopted exclusively on the basis of consensus.
By taking part, Israel would in fact have control over this process and be able to preclude any unacceptable developments. Without it, other countries will decide on the essence and phrasing of the agreement on a WMD-free zone in the Middle East. I do not think that this would be in Israel’s interests. Attendance at the conference would give our Israeli colleagues an opportunity to also raise other security related topics. It is always better to talk than not to talk.
Maybe Israel will change its position in a year or two. As far as I can see, it will take a long time to draft a treaty on a WMD-free zone. The General Assembly decision stipulates annual sessions. The first one will be held now, and other sessions will be held every year until the drafting of the agreement is finished. This may take several years.
❓ Speaking about the nuclear component of weapons of mass destruction, only Israel has this kind of arsenal in the region. Yet, that country does not recognise this fact and is not a party to the NPT, let alone any agreements to destroy those weapons. Is the idea of creating a WMD-free zone in the Middle East doomed before we even start?
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2019-11-19 11:27:30+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with EU Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process Susanna Terstal https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3905242
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2019-11-19 11:27:29+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department on Foreign Minister of Bahrain Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa’s working visit to the Russian Federation https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3905194
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2019-11-19 10:12:34+00:00
Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation at International Organisations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov’s interview with Kommersant newspaper, published on November 18, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3904932
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2019-11-19 06:31:05+00:00
🔈 Ambassador of the Russia to the US Anatoly Antonov spoke at Kennan Institute event #DobryninLegacy: Reflections on His Centenary
💬These days we commemorate a significant date – the hundredth anniversary since the birth of a prominent Soviet diplomat, Ambassador of the USSR to the U.S. from 1962 to 1986, Anatoly Dobrynin. I would like to thank the Kennan Institute and its director Mathew Rojansky for hosting this event honoring the outstanding statesman.
✅Undoubtedly, Anatoly Dobrynin made an invaluable contribution to the relations between our countries. In many aspects due to his efforts the direct dialogue between the two superpowers, which had critical importance during the Cold War, never stopped even for a moment throughout the 24 years of his tenure. Later, the Soviet diplomat described in detail the peculiarities of his professional career in a book titled “Strictly confidential”. It is safe to say that even today this autobiography serves as a handbook for every specialist in Russia-U.S. relations.
✅A clear example of Dobrynin’s role in establishing our bilateral dialogue is fact that the Americans also hold him in respect. For instance, George Kennan called the Soviet Ambassador “the best representative of the Russian diplomatic school”. Former head of the U.S. diplomatic mission to Russia Malcolm Toon praised him as “one of the ablest foreign diplomats of the 20th century” for the degree of his overwhelming influence on Washington’s political arena. When Dobrynin was leaving the U.S. capital, the State Department released a statement to pay tribute to his “long and distinguished career”.
✅In his memoirs the Soviet Ambassador noted on many occasions that his main objective in Washington was to establish and maintain a constant trust-based dialogue at the highest level. Such confidential communication channels were of particular importance during the Cold War. Dobrynin faced his first serious challenge – the Cuban Missile Crisis – shortly after he arrived to the U.S. capital in the spring of 1962. The Soviet Union and the U.S. were on the brink of an armed conflict that could turn into a global nuclear disaster.
✅In many ways due to the efforts of the Soviet diplomat the two sides eventually found a way to resolve the issue. Dobrynin established an informal channel of communication with the Secretary of State Dean Rusk and U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy (brother of President John Kennedy), thus creating conditions for a trust-based and continuous dialogue between the Kremlin and the White House. The famous “night-time negotiations” between the Soviet Ambassador and Robert Kennedy went down in history as the most important step to prevent a new world war.
✅Later on Dobrynin maintained his direct dialogue with the U.S. leadership as administrations came and went. He held regular meetings with American leaders, their National Security Advisors, State Secretaries, members of Congress. According to former State Secretary and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger, “subtle and disciplined, warm in his demeanor while wary in his conduct Dobrynin moved through the upper echelons of Washington”.
✅Chief of the Soviet diplomatic mission visited the White House on many occasions, where he held negotiations with every U.S. president from John Kennedy to Ronald Reagan. He stayed at President Nixon’s residence in California. Many years later, after his retirement Henry Kissinger sent to his colleague a photo signed “To my adversary, partner, friend”.
✅Moreover, Dobrynin succeeded in maintaining contacts with those U.S. politicians and officials who openly took a hostile stance against Moscow. For instance, the Soviet Ambassador played chess with National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski. He met with Senator Henry Jackson known for his strong animosity towards the Soviet Union.
Read more:
📎https://bit.ly/2qukxUL
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2019-11-19 06:27:22+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department on the fourth group of underage Russian nationals returning home from Iraq https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3904960
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2019-11-19 06:27:21+00:00
Press release on the joint meeting of the collegiums of the Foreign Ministry of Russia and the Foreign Ministry of Belarus and talks between Foreign Ministers of Russia and Belarus Sergey Lavrov and Vladimir Makei https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3904942
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2019-11-19 06:17:53+00:00
Remarks and answers to media questions by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a joint news conference with Belarusian Foreign Minster Vladimir Makei following a joint meeting of the foreign ministry collegiums of Russia and Belarus, Moscow, November 18, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3904895
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2019-11-18 18:31:00+00:00
🇷🇺🇫🇷Press Release on the Outcome of the Russian-French Interagency Consultations on international security in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) (Moscow, November 15, 2019)
🔹As a follow-up to the agreements reached in Saint-Petersburg in 2018 by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, on November 15, Russian-French Inter-Agency Consultations on international security in the field of ICTs took place in Moscow.
🔹The Russian delegation was headed by Andrei Krutskikh, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cooperation in the Field of Information Security, Ambassador-at-Large. The French delegation was led by Henri Verdier, Ambassador for Digital Affairs, MFA of France.
🔹The Russian delegation comprised representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Prosecutor-General's Office, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Justice, Federal Security Service, Federal Guard Service, Federal Service for Technical and Export Control, Investigative Committee, and the Staff of Security Council of the Russian Federation. The French side was represented by the leadership of the National Cybersecurity Agency of France (ANSSI) and experts from the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior, as well as the French Embassy in Moscow.
🔹The Russian side received with interest the detailed presentation of the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace, an initiative launched in 2018 by the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, made by the French side.
🔹The participants in the consultations exchanged their views on the wide range of issues of common interest related to ensuring international security in the field of ICTs. They stressed the need to develop international cooperation in this domain, first of all within the framework of the United Nations (UN). The sides noted the importance of ensuring the uninterruptedness and continuity of the negotiation process on international security in the field of ICTs under the auspices of the UN, both within the Open-Ended Working Group and the Group of Governmental Experts, and reaffirmed the desire to contribute to the development of rules of responsible behavior of States in the digital space, consistent with existing international law.
🔹During the consultations, the participants also thoroughly discussed the possibility of developing bilateral practical cooperation between Russia and France in the field of international security in the field of ICTs, including the fight against cybercrime and the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes.
🔹It has been agreed to continue bilateral dialogue between Moscow and Paris on international security in the field of ICTs, which would facilitate the rapid resolution of challenges arising in the ICT sphere, including when it comes to responding to computer incidents.
#Russia #France
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2019-11-18 18:29:56+00:00
I would like to emphasise that, even as Russia and Belarus discuss at international platforms these sensitive problems and negative phenomena, which cause serious tension in multilateral formats and in bilateral relations with third countries, they always focus on possible constructive solutions rather than on negative scenarios, on solutions that would help us reverse these processes, which have a very negative effect on the state of affairs in our common region and in international affairs in general. I shall note that our colleagues who drafted the decision for today's meeting were relying on this position and have formulated approaches that will help us promote a unifying rather than a disconnecting agenda. This is our common interest in relation to the processes taking place in the European region.
I am confident that today’s meeting will take place in a friendly atmosphere, and we will discuss our objectives substantively in the field of concerted foreign policy efforts and reach agreements that will strengthen our cooperation and alliance in international affairs.
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2019-11-18 18:29:55+00:00
🇷🇺🇧🇾Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at a joint meeting of the collegiums of the Foreign Ministry of Russia and the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Belarus, Moscow, November 18, 2019
Mr Makei,
Mr Rapota,
Colleagues, friends,
Welcome to a joint meeting of the collegiums of the foreign ministries of Russia and the Republic of Belarus.
This meeting is taking place in the year that marks the 20th anniversary of the Treaty on the Creation of a Union State of Russia and Belarus. Twenty years ago, guided by the fundamental interests of the two peoples, our leaders decided to take Russian-Belarusian relations to a new level. Experience has shown that it was the right decision. Today, Russia and Belarus are close allies and strategic partners. Along with the EAEU, the Union State is at the forefront of integration processes unfolding within our common space.
The key goals of the Union State include conducting coordinated foreign policy. Two-year programmes of concerted foreign policy actions of the states parties to the Treaty on the Creation of a Union State have been adopted by the Supreme State Council since 2000. They have proven themselves an effective tool for coordinating actions in the international arena and developing common approaches to global and regional issues. Reviewing the draft Programme for 2020-2021 is one of the main items on our agenda today.
Our countries support each other's initiatives at the UN, the OSCE and other international organisations. They co-sponsor draft resolutions and decisions, jointly uphold our common interests, oppose attempts to promote, at multilateral platforms, approaches that infringe on the legitimate rights and interests of Russia and Belarus and violate the fundamental principles of international law, primarily, the UN Charter, and European security commitments. In this context, we have agreed to consider the developments in the Euro-Atlantic space today. We are concerned about NATO’s continuing policy of moving its military infrastructure closer to our borders and the intensified NATO military activity near our states. We proceed from the precept that these processes must be considered in the context of the OSCE countries’ commitment not to strengthen their security at the expense of the security of other states.
One more issue on the current agenda has to do with strategic stability, non-proliferation and arms control. The processes underway in these areas have a direct impact on the national interests of Russia and Belarus. We are worried about the deepening crisis in arms control. I am referring to the US decision to erode the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) after withdrawing from the ABM Treaty. As you know, Russia’s proposals designed to ensure the viability of this treaty have been rejected. And now the future of the New START Treaty has been put in question as well. In addition, the United States has refused to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), added to its doctrines the possibility of lowering the nuclear threshold and plans to deploy offensive weapons in outer space. It should be said that our Western colleagues’ activities are undermining the fundamental principles of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which is deepening the crisis in the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
In this context, we should strengthen our interaction across the entire range of these problems in the interests of preventing negative trends in the field of strategic stability. We have agreed to discuss all these subjects today as well.
Another item on this meeting’s agenda concerns the use by a number of our Western colleagues, primarily the US and the EU, of illegitimate tools such as unilateral sanctions in violation of the UN Charter. This practice seriously undermines global trust and understanding.
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2019-11-18 18:29:26+00:00
🇷🇺🇳🇬Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Nigerian Ambassador to #Russia Steve D. Ugbah
🔹On November 18, Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa Mikhail Bogdanov received Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the Russian Federation Steve Davies Ugbah at the latter’s request.
🔹The parties discussed in detail current issues related to the further development of traditionally friendly Russian-Nigerian relations, including in light of the results of the Russia-Africa Summit held on October 24, 2019 in Sochi and attended by President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari. At the same time, the officials reaffirmed the mutual desire of Moscow and Abuja to intensify political dialogue and expand mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, the economy, culture, education and other fields.
#Nigeria
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2019-11-18 18:28:53+00:00
🇷🇺🇩🇪Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s meeting with former Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany Sigmar Gabriel
🔹On November 18, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov received former Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany Sigmar Gabriel and Chairman of the Board of the German-Russian Forum Matthias Platzeck, who arrived in Moscow to participate in the Potsdam Meetings forum organised by the German-Russian Forum and the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund.
🔹The meeting focused on current issues on the international agenda, as well as a number of topics related to Russian-German cooperation.
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2019-11-18 17:17:20+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s meeting with former Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany Sigmar Gabriel https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3904464
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2019-11-18 17:07:25+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Nigerian Ambassador to Russia Steve D. Ugbah https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3904732
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2019-11-18 16:42:06+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at a joint meeting of the collegiums of the Foreign Ministry of Russia and the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Belarus, Moscow, November 18, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3904674
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2019-11-18 15:22:14+00:00
Press Release on the Outcome of the Russian-French Interagency Consultations on international security in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) (Moscow, November 15, 2019) https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3904684
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2019-11-18 15:18:16+00:00
❗ FM Sergey Lavrov at a joint meeting of the Russian and Belarusian Foreign Ministries’ boards:
💬 We agreed today on considering the situation unfolding in the Euro-Atlantic region. We are concerned over #NATO’s continuing course on a military buildup closer to our borders and the North Atlantic Alliance’s growing military activity near our countries. And we believe that it is vital to consider these processes in the context of the commitments of all #OSCE countries not to enhance their security at the expanse of others’ security.
🔗 https://is.gd/olx5ZV
#Russia #Belarus
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2019-11-18 14:08:12+00:00
🇷🇺 #Russia’s Permanent Representative to the #OSCE Alexander Lukashevich:
💬 The path to peace in #Ukraine should go via civil reconciliation and guaranteed respect for the rights of all Ukrainian citizens regardless of their ethnicity, language or religion. A lasting peace in eastern Ukraine can only be established through Kiev’s dialogue with #Donetsk and #Lugansk based on mutual respect, which is the essential prerequisite for the full implementation of all the provisions of the #Minsk Package of Measures adopted on February 12, 2015 and approved by the #UN. The Ukrainian authorities should adopt a reasonable strategy of movement towards a peaceful settlement instead of making statements about Ukraine’s potential withdrawal from the Minsk Agreements, which Foreign Minister Vadim Pristaiko made during an interview with BBC today. The choice in favour of civil accord and a peaceful future is entirely in the hands of #Kiev.
🔗 Full transcript: https://is.gd/YpnEll
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2019-11-18 13:20:41+00:00
❗ On November 18, three Ukrainian Navy ships were handed over to the #Ukrainian side. In November 2018, they violated the border of the Russian Federation in a deliberate provocation staged by Kiev in the #Kerch Strait and were detained by #Russian law enforcement agencies.
🔹 These ships are material evidence in an ongoing criminal process in #Russia on the illegal crossing of our border. However, they have been transferred to the custody of the Ukrainian side because the Russian authorities have completed the necessary investigation in relation to these ships and their presence on the territory of the Russian Federation is no longer required to continue the criminal proceedings.
🔹 We would like to emphasise once again that the actions taken by the #Kiev authorities, which ordered their military personnel to carry out provocative actions in November 2018, are a crime not only against the sovereignty of the Russian Federation, but also against Ukrainian citizens who were deliberately endangered and pushed to illegal actions.
🔹 The Russian side intends to continue to harshly suppress any provocations at its borders, including for reasons of safety of navigation in accordance with the Russian legislation, bilateral agreements and applicable international law.
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2019-11-18 13:17:34+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department on the transfer to Ukraine of warships arrested in November 2018 following Kiev’s provocation in the Kerch Strait https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3902958
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2019-11-18 13:14:18+00:00
🇷🇺 Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria #Zakharova will hold a briefing concerning current foreign policy issues on November 21 at the Foreign Ministry’s press centre, (Building 1, 30/2 Smolenskaya-Sennaya Square, located on the right of the Ministry’s central building). Representatives of #Russian and foreign #media are invited.
☝️ The briefing will begin at 3 pm. (Moscow time)
Accreditation is open until 5 pm on November 20. Admission by press cards (for Russian #journalists) and accreditation cards (for foreign journalists).
ℹ️ Coordinator: Irma Kvantiliani (tel.: 7(499) 244 3583, mob.: 7(916) 563 8085, email: briefingmid@rambler.ru; midbriefing@yandex.ru).
Questions on accreditation procedure please address to the press centre (tel. +7 (499) 244-20-87, email: pc.mid@yandex.ru).
📺 The Foreign Ministry will broadcast the briefing online in the Video section of its website (http://www.mid.ru/ru/press_service/video) and in MFA’s Social Media: «Periscope» (https://www.periscope.tv/MID_RF), «Facebook» (https://www.facebook.com/MIDRussia), «ВКонтакте» (https://vk.com/mid).
🔗 https://is.gd/V6gcp2
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2019-11-18 13:12:16+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department on the transfer to Ukraine of warships arrested in November 2018 following Kiev’s provocation in the Kerch Strait https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3902958
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2019-11-18 12:50:54+00:00
Remarks by head of the Russian delegation and Minister of Science and Higher Education Mikhail Kotyukov at the General Policy Debate of the 40th session of the UNESCO General Conference, Paris, November 14, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3900846
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2019-11-18 12:47:30+00:00
Press release on a briefing by the Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson on November 21, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3904439
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2019-11-18 12:02:37+00:00
Russia’s Permanent Representative to the OSCE Alexander Lukashevich’s statement at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on the situation in Ukraine and the need to comply with the Minsk Agreements, Vienna, November 14, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3900985
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2019-11-18 11:45:57+00:00
🇷🇺🇧🇾 On November 18, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Belarus Vladimir Makei will be on a working visit to Moscow at Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov’s invitation. The annual joint meeting of Russian and Belarusian foreign ministries’ collegiums will take place as part of this visit.
🔹 The visit will be held prior to the day that marks the twentieth anniversary of signing the Treaty on the Creation of a Union State.
🔹 Speaking in St Petersburg on July 18, 2019 at the 6th Forum of Russian and Belarusian Regions, President of Russia Vladimir Putin stressed that “#Belarus is #Russia’s closest ally and strategic partner and our relations are based on the principles of neighbourliness, mutual respect and consideration for each other’s interests.” This approach is set forth in the Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation whereby expanding strategic cooperation with the Republic of Belarus within the Union State is designated among regional policy priorities with the view to stepping up integration processes in all spheres, as well as strengthening and expanding integration of our countries within the Eurasian Economic Union.
🔹 Russia is the leading trade partner of Belarus, accounting for about 50 percent in Belarusian foreign trade (49.2 percent in 2018). In the first nine months of 2019, bilateral trade declined slightly by 1.9 percent compared to the same period last year to $25.83 billion. Russia’s exports to Belarus totalled $15.89 billion, down 5.1 percent year-on-year, while imports increased 3.7 percent to $9.94 billion.
🔹 Russia and Belarus remain proactive in their political dialogue. In 2019, the presidents of the two countries have already had eight meetings in bilateral settings, as well as on the sidelines of various multilateral events, while the two heads of government had ten meetings.
🔹 Interregional ties play a major role when it comes to Russian-Belarusian relations, contributing in significant ways to further unleashing the potential of trade, economic and cultural cooperation between our countries. Over 80 Russian regions have trade and economic ties with Belarus. The 6th Forum of Russian and Belarusian Regions “Inter-regional ties as a foundation for the two nations’ common cultural and humanitarian space” was held between July 16 and 18, 2019 in St Petersburg with 56 Russian regions and all Belarusian regions represented at the event. More than 60 agreements were signed during the forum. The 7th Russia-Belarus Youth Forum and the Council of Rectors of Russian and Belarusian Higher Education Institutions were also held as part of the Forum of Russian and Belarusian Regions.
🔹 There is considerable momentum in the educational, scientific and cultural ties between Russia and Belarus with regular days of culture, tours by popular groups and performers, theatre and music festivals, often funded by the Union State. These include Youth for a Union State and Slavic Bazaar International Art Festival in Vitebsk (held between July 8 and 17, 2019), etc.
🔹 Interstate economic, defence, social programmes, projects and initiatives are an essential factor of cooperation as part of integration processes. Part of the funding for these undertakings is allocated by the Union State. In 2019, its budget is expected to generate 7.25 billion roubles in revenue with spending at 6.33 billion roubles.
🔹 Cooperation between #Russian and #Belarusian foreign ministries is based on Programmes of Coordinated Foreign Policy Actions by State Parties to the Treaty on the Creation of a Union State, adopted every two years. The foreign ministries have regular contacts at the level of their corresponding departments on a wide range of matters of mutual interest.
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2019-11-18 10:52:11+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko’s consultations with Spain's State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Fernando Valenzuela https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3900864
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2019-11-18 10:32:12+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department on Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei’s working visit to the Russian Federation https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3900878
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2019-11-16 11:01:37+00:00
🔹 Press release on Russian-British consultations on Syria.
💬 On November 15, Special Presidential Representative for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev and Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin held consultations with David Quarrey, the Prime Minister’s International Affairs Adviser and Deputy National Security Adviser.
The officials held an extensive exchange of views on problems in #Syria and issues in the Middle East that are on the #UN Security Council’s agenda. They reviewed in detail the situation “on the ground” in Syria, primarily in the northeast and in the #Idlib de-escalation zone. They also discussed the status of a political settlement in connection with the initiation of the Syrian Constitutional Committee in #Geneva and the need for comprehensive humanitarian assistance for all #Syrians throughout the country.
#Russia #UK
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2019-11-16 07:32:24+00:00
Press release on Russian-British consultations on Syria https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3900828
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2019-11-15 18:02:24+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko’s meeting with Ambassador of the Republic of Tajikistan to Russia Imomuddin Sattorov https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3900734
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2019-11-15 18:02:23+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Ambassador of Egypt to Russia Ihab Nasr https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3900724
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2019-11-15 17:27:24+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with David Quarrey, the UK Prime Minister’s International Affairs Adviser and Deputy National Security Adviser https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3900571
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2019-11-15 17:02:45+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin’s meeting with Italian Special Envoy for Syria Paolo Dionisi https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3900139
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2019-11-15 15:13:27+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with former Knesset member Michael Kleiner https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3900635
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2019-11-15 15:08:14+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov’s meeting with newly appointed Ambassador of Cambodia to Russia Eat Seyla https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3900017
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2019-11-15 13:56:54+00:00
🔹 Director of the Foreign Ministry Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Vladimir Yermakov:
💬 The Russian Federation reaffirms its invariable commitment to the obligations under the Convention on Certain Conventional #Weapons (CCW) and advocates full implementation of its provisions. We urge all participants to make better use of the convention’s unique disarmament parameters that ensure, through consensus, a balance between humanitarian concerns and lawful national security interests. It is especially important to maintain this balance against the backdrop of mounting unlawful attempts by individual countries and civil society representatives to use humanitarian concerns (often far-fetched) as an absolute imperative for introducing restrictions and bans on specific types of conventional arms.
Strengthening the CCW and its five protocols directly depends on the pace of universalisation. We welcome the countries that have become full members of the convention in 2019. We urge all states that have not yet signed it to join the CCW, including its protocols.
🔗 https://is.gd/OIMAMv
#Russia #Diplomacy
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2019-11-15 13:44:48+00:00
🔹 Permanent Representative of #Russia to OSCE Alexander Lukashevich:
💬 On November 7, the UN General Assembly Third Committee adopted a resolution against heroization of Nazism. This year, the resolution was co-authored by 61 countries. A total of 121 countries voted for it, and only two - the #US and #Ukraine — voted against.
🔗 https://is.gd/2VE0Zv
#AntiFascism
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2019-11-15 13:37:15+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko’s consultations with First Deputy Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan Nuran Niyazaliev https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3899834
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2019-11-15 13:37:15+00:00
Statement by Head of the Russian delegation, Director of the Foreign Ministry Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Vladimir Yermakov at the meeting of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, item 7 of the agenda General Exchange of Views, Geneva, November 13, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3899633
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2019-11-15 13:22:28+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin’s meeting with State Secretary of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany Andreas Michaelis https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3899702
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2019-11-15 08:58:35+00:00
🇷🇺 #Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria #Zakharova, November 14,2019: 🔗 https://is.gd/ztcHV3
#Russia #Belarus #NATO #Germany #Syria #Iraq #Israel #Bolivia #Chile #Japan #Ukraine #USA #Venezuela #BRICS #Afghanistan #Armenia #Kuwait #Dobrynin #Dobrynin100 #Diplomacy
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2019-11-15 08:30:24+00:00
🔹 Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov answers a question from Prensa Latina news agency:
❓ Will #Russia recognise Jeanine Anez, the Bolivian Senate’s second vice-president, as #Bolivia’s interim president?
💬 We have taken note of the report that the Senate’s second vice-president assumed the post of Bolivia’s interim president. We presume that the appointment, and the main thing – the #legitimacy of the head of state must clearly correspond to the legislative norms of the country’s #Constitution, to serve to unite rather than divide the nation.
❗ The issue of electing leaders is the internal and sovereign matter of the country and its people. We are concerned that recent developments were reminiscent of a coup. The Senate could not gather a quorum to elect Ms Anez president. Correspondingly, her decision to lead the country is based on an interpretation of the provisions of the Constitution.
Meanwhile, if we proceed from the current situation in Bolivia, it is clear that Ms Anez will be accepted as Bolivia’s leader until the issue of a new president is resolved through an election. Our recognition or non-recognition of her in this position is not an issue.
Bolivia needs a calm, inclusive and peaceful dialogue now. It is important to resume the functioning of state institutions within the constitutional framework. We hope that all members of the international community will show a responsible approach both in Latin America and outside it.
🇷🇺 Russia is interested in a politically and economically stable Latin America, including Bolivia with which we have close relations of friendship and mutually advantageous cooperation.
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2019-11-15 08:01:03+00:00
🔹 The 14th plenary meeting of the Russian-German high-level interdepartmental working group on security policy issues chaired by First Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov and State Secretary of the Federal Foreign Office of #Germany Andreas Michaelis was held in #Moscow on November 14.
The parties had a thorough exchange of views on current issues related to security policy, arms control, counterterrorism and regional conflict settlement. They also discussed a number of topical issues on the international agenda, including developments in #Ukraine, #Syria and #Libya.
At the sub-group level, the participants set forth their positions on various issues and presented the following documents: the Joint Sub-group Statement on Combatting Terrorism, Drug-Related Threats and Organised Crime of May 16, 2019 and the Joint #Russian-#German Position Document on Drug-Related Problems of November 12, 2019.
The next meeting of the group will be held in Berlin in 2020.
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2019-11-15 06:52:17+00:00
Press release on the 14th plenary meeting of the Russian-German high-level working group on security policy issues https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3899653
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2019-11-15 06:42:26+00:00
Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, November 14, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3899676
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2019-11-15 06:27:28+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with State Secretary of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany Andreas Michaelis https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3899643
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2019-11-15 06:17:30+00:00
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov answers a question from Prensa Latina news agency https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3899712
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2019-11-14 19:56:30+00:00
Permanent Representative of Russia to the OSCE Alexander Lukashevich:
💬Russia shares the ideals of humanism, neutrality and compassion, which are at the core of ICRC’s activities.
🔺As a member of the International Red Cross Movement, the Russian Red Cross directs all its efforts to helping those in need - refugees, victims of epidemics, wars and conflicts, people with disabilities, migrants, etc.
🔺In many ‘hot spots’, the ICRC is the only structure that has humanitarian access. Confidence in the ICRC is determined by its commitment to the principles of neutrality, impartiality and high professionalism of its staff.
🔺We note the consistent efforts of the ICRC to help millions of Donbass residents who have fallen into plight due to the blockade imposed by Kiev.
🔺 It remains necessary for Kiev to lift the ongoing blockade of the Donbass’s life and restore disrupted social and economic ties.
🔺Kiev must fulfill its obligations under para 8 of the Minsk “Package of Measures” and resume payment of pensions and social benefits to residents of Donbass.
🔺Like the ICRC, Russia is interested in further strengthening the international humanitarian law. It is important to use the existing mechanisms, first and foremost, to discover in full the potential of the International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
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2019-11-14 14:35:16+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Egyptian Ambassador to Russia Ihab Ahmed Talaat Nasr https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3899001
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2019-11-14 13:32:06+00:00
Press release on the eighteenth session of the Bilateral Consultative Commission under the New START Treaty https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3898950
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2019-11-14 13:16:47+00:00
Press release on the results of the meeting of the SCO Expert Group on International Information Security https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3898683
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2019-11-14 12:25:25+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov’s meeting with Chairperson of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives of the Congress of Philippines Ann K. Hofer https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3898407
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2019-11-14 09:40:39+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s greetings to participants and guests of Expo-Russia Vietnam 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3898251
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2019-11-14 06:38:30+00:00
❗🗞️False story about Nord Stream 2 pipeline published by Estonia’s Postimees
☝️On October 25, the leading Estonian newspaper Postimees published an article alleging that Europe and Russia would pay a high price for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project. The item concerns a report on the influence of Gazprom’s project on Europe, which was presented in Strasbourg and called on the European political and economic elites to “rethink the deal.”
❗It is notable that there are no respected professionals among the report’s compilers. While calling on Europe to rethink Nord Stream 2, these “researchers” only repeat the hackneyed propaganda slogans about the project being a threat to European energy security, Russia’s geopolitical instrument and a source of Baltic Sea pollution. It claims, without providing any evidence, that thousands of Russian inmates are being forced to construct the pipeline for fear of being tortured or sexually abused. The deliberations about the need to take a broader look at LNG supplies to Europe so as to reduce the influence of Gazprom and the Kremlin are reminiscent of the well-known arguments of Washington, which has been doing its utmost to prevent the appearance of a real rival to US LNG on the European market.
☝️❗We would like to point out once again that Nord Stream 2 is economically beneficial to both Russia and the European consumers. Its main goal is to strengthen energy cooperation between Russia and European countries. Pumping out information hysteria and politicising this project are absolutely unacceptable. We believe that despite the attempts to discredit it, Nord Stream 2 will be completed and put into operation without fail.
🔗https://rus.postimees.ee/6810133/vysokaya-cena-kotoruyu-pridetsya-zaplatit-evrope-i-rossii-za-proekt-severnyy-potok-2
#Russia #Estonia #NordStream #EU #FakeNews
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2019-11-13 20:07:05+00:00
🇷🇺 We welcome the effort by the #UN Secretary-General to encourage both #Cyprian communities to resume the dialogue on restoring unity in the country. In this context, we praise Antonio Guterres’ intention to hold a meeting with the leaders of #Greek and #Turkish #Cypriots in Berlin on November 25 of this year.
🔹 #Russia’s position on the Cyprus issue is consistent and unchanged. We stand for achieving a comprehensive, equal and viable settlement on the island based on UN Security Council resolutions on #Cyprus.
🔹 We are convinced that a more vigorous involvement of all permanent members of the UN #SecurityCouncil and their support for the negotiation process will assist in advancing the desired result.
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2019-11-13 18:16:29+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department of the Foreign Ministry on the upcoming meeting between Cypriot leaders and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3898000
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2019-11-13 18:16:28+00:00
Press release on the meeting between Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov and Premjith Sadasivan appointed as Ambassador of Singapore to Russia https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3897990
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2019-11-13 17:10:49+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov’s meeting with Charge d'Affaires ad interim of North Korea to Russia Jin Jong Hyeop https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3897870
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2019-11-13 17:10:49+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Armenian Ambassador to Russia Vardan Toganyan https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3897801
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2019-11-13 17:10:48+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with newly appointed Iraqi Ambassador to Russia Abdulrahman Hamid Mohammed Al-Hussaini https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3897615
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2019-11-13 17:05:51+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with newly appointed Iraqi Ambassador to Russia Abdulrahman Hamid Mohammed Al-Hussaini https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3897615
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2019-11-13 17:05:47+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Indian Ambassador to Russia Shri D. Bala Venkatesh Varma https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3897526
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2019-11-13 17:05:47+00:00
Press release on First Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov’s consultations at the Slovak Foreign Ministry https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3897516
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2019-11-13 17:05:46+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov’s meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Russia Zhang Hanhui https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3897378
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2019-11-13 17:05:45+00:00
Press release on Russia’s efforts to help the Democratic Republic of the Congo contain the Ebola virus https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3896554
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2019-11-13 17:05:44+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to questions at the Masterclass working session held as part of the 2019 Paris Peace Forum, Paris, November 12, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3896584
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2019-11-13 15:01:23+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Armenian Ambassador to Russia Vardan Toganyan http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3897801
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2019-11-13 14:49:10+00:00
❗ On November 12, First Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov had consultations with State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the #Slovak Republic Lukas Parízek and a working meeting with #OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic Miroslav Lajcak in #Bratislava.
The diplomats discussed current bilateral cooperation in the political, economic, cultural and educational areas. They reaffirmed the multifaceted nature of relations and expressed mutual interest in their further development. The parties pointed out that the November 19 signing of an intergovernmental agreement on mutual recognition of education, qualifications and academic degrees in #Moscow will be an important step in expanding their bilateral contacts.
The officials placed special emphasis on the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the #Victory and the liberation of Europe from the Nazis. In this context, they underscored the significance of the recent #MGIMO conference on the 75th anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising, which Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic Andrej Danko attended.
The #Russian and Slovak sides also exchanged opinions on topical issues on the international agenda. Specifically, they reviewed the OSCE activities, given the Slovak chairmanship of the organisation, and preparations for the upcoming OSCE Council of Foreign Ministers in Bratislava (December 5−6). Some pressing regional matters, including the Ukrainian crisis settlement as well as the situation in the Western #Balkans and #Syria, were also discussed. Current interaction between #Russia and the #EU as well as #European #security issues were in the focus of attention too.
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2019-11-13 14:35:18+00:00
Press release on First Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov’s consultations at the Slovak Foreign Ministry http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3897516
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2019-11-13 13:25:44+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with newly appointed Iraqi Ambassador to Russia Abdulrahman Hamid Mohammed Al-Hussaini http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3897615
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2019-11-13 13:16:23+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Indian Ambassador to Russia Shri D. Bala Venkatesh Varma http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3897526
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2019-11-13 13:10:52+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov’s meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Russia Zhang Hanhui http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3897378
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2019-11-13 12:44:05+00:00
❗ #Russia is watching with concern an #Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the #Congo. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the death toll from the disease has already reached 2,192. Although the rate of Ebola infections appears to be slowing somewhat, on October 18 of this year the WHO Committee, which monitors this issue, announced that the Ebola outbreak is still considered an emergency that requires an immediate response.
🔹 Given the difficult epidemiological situation in this African country, and in a move to grant the request of President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi, on September 28, the Russian Government issued a directive to assist the Democratic Republic of the Congo in its efforts to fight Ebola. For this purpose, it is planned to allocate 398.5 million roubles from the budget in 2019 and 2020.
🔹 The practical aspects of future cooperation were discussed during a meeting with Head of Rospotrebnadzor [the Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare] Anna Popova and Minister of #Health of the DR Congo Eteni Longondo, which took place on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Summit on October 23, 2019. First, there are plans to train 140 Congolese specialists, including 20 specialists to be trained in Russia, in the fields of epidemiology, microbiology, molecular diagnostics and biological security; deliver two #Russian-made mobile laboratories to the Equateur Province in the DRC, and teach local staff how to use them; supply modern test systems and medicines to the DR Congo; and deliver 5,000 doses of the EpiVakEbola vaccine that is registered in Russia, as well as cholera, plague and measles vaccines to this African country. As soon as these measures are successfully implemented, Russia plans to draft proposals for further cooperation.
🔹 The Agreement Between Rospotrebnadzor and the Ministry of Public Health of the DR Congo on Cooperation in the Field of #Epidemiology and Prevention of Infectious Diseases, which was signed on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Summit in Sochi on October 23-24 this year, serves as the legal framework for cooperation between the two countries in healthcare.
🔹 We are looking forward to continuing our productive partnership with the #Congolese authorities, aiming to defeat the Ebola virus for good and improve the overall epidemiological situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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2019-11-13 11:40:31+00:00
Press release on Russia’s efforts to help the Democratic Republic of the Congo contain the Ebola virus http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3896554
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2019-11-13 09:57:15+00:00
❗Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov at the Masterclass working session held as part of the 2019 #Paris Peace Forum:
💬 Of course, the world is changing. These changes are going take a long period of time. The essence of this change is the emergence of a #multipolar world order. Today #multilateralism is mentioned as a slogan. We believe that regardless of the terminology you use, be it a polycentric world, a multipolar world or a multilateral world, the essence is the same. No one, no single country, no group of countries, like what we call the “historical #West,” can rule the world in this situation alone. New centres of economic growth, financial power and political influence are emerging right before our very eyes. #China, #India, #Brazil, other #LatinAmerican countries, #African countries are rising, and very soon, from a historical perspective, they will certainly demand to have more say in the world affairs.
☝️ Our Western friends are not happy, because for more than five centuries they dominated politics, economics, culture and civilisation on this planet. They try to put a brake on these objective processes, and try to impede this objective reality from materialising. One of the manifestations of this position was the invention of a new concept. Instead of referring, as we have been doing for years, to international law, they call on everybody to respect a rules-based world order. What does this mean? When it is in the interests of the West, they for example declare that the right of the people to self-determination is sacrosanct, but when it does not fit their interests, they declare this right to be illegitimate. Compare #Kosovo and #Crimea: a referendum was held in Crimea, and there was no referendum in Kosovo. Still, Kosovo was immediately recognised as an independent state by most of the Western countries.
🔹 Our point is that we have to really accept the reality. We cannot ignore the interests of any group of countries, including the Western countries. But the West should stop trying to present itself as a final judge and prosecutor. And I think a very healthy discussion should be held and supported in the #G20 format, where the G7 and #BRICS are represented, as well as other developing regions that are not party to the BRICS structure. It is a very representative group of countries. And I believe it is not by chance that G20, which was launched to deal with key financial and economic issues, is increasingly addressing the political agenda of the international community.
🔗 Full transcript: https://is.gd/Yn1MvB
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2019-11-13 09:38:01+00:00
🔹 The 40th session of the #UNESCO General Conference opened in Paris on November 12. The #Russian delegation is led by Minister of Science and Higher Education Mikhail Kotyukov. He will speak during the general political discussion and take part in a high-level meeting on inclusion and mobility in higher education.
The Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher #Education and the Recommendation on Open Educational Resources will be adopted during the General Conference. The member states will analyse the viability of developing regulations governing the ethical aspects of artificial intelligence and the “open science” project. There will be discussions on the UNESCO Strategy for Youth and Adult Literacy (2020-2025) and the Framework for Education for Sustainable Development beyond 2019.
Those in the session will approve the member states’ proposals on commemorative dates in 2020-2021 and review initiatives to establish a number of World and International Days. Decisions are expected on declaring an annual Global Media and Information Literacy Week and declaring 2022 the International Year of Basic Sciences for #Development.
The General Conference’s agenda includes increasing the effectiveness of the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, the UNESCO Director-General’s report on performance following the World Summit on Information Society, and the Strategic Outcome Document of the International Year of Indigenous Languages (2019).
General Conference participants will approve the draft programme and draft budget for UNESCO for 2020-2021 and review the organisation’s mid-term strategy for 2022-2029 and a number of administrative, financial, personnel, statutory and legal issues.
The elections to be held during the session will be used to elect new UNESCO governing bodies and intergovernmental and international programmes. Russia is a candidate for re-election to the UNESCO Executive Board, the International Co-ordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere Programme, the Intergovernmental Council of the International Hydrological Programme, the Intergovernmental Council for the Management of Social Transformations (MOST) Programme and the Intergovernmental Bioethics Committee, as well as election to the Board of Governors of the UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
A forum for the ministers of culture will be held on the sidelines of the session. The 40th session of the UNESCO General Conference runs through November 27.
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2019-11-13 09:31:22+00:00
🔹 On November 12, Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa Mikhail Bogdanov received Charge d'Affaires ad interim of the State of Israel to the Russian Federation Yacov Livne.
The officials exchanged views on key regional issues with an emphasis on complications in Palestinian-Israeli affairs.
❗ They also addressed current issues on the Russian-Israeli agenda. At the same time, the Russian side expressed extreme regret at the Israeli authorities’ decision to extradite #Russian citizen Alexey Burkov to the United States, contrary to the request of the Russian competent authorities to extradite him to his homeland, and noted that such actions run counter to the constructive partnership that has been developing dynamically in recent years between #Russia and #Israel.
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2019-11-13 08:35:32+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to questions at the Masterclass working session held as part of the 2019 Paris Peace Forum, Paris, November 12, 2019 http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3896584
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2019-11-13 07:10:27+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Charge d'Affaires ad interim of Israel to Russia Yacov Livne http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3896574
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2019-11-13 07:10:26+00:00
Press release on the opening of the 40th Session of the UNESCO General Conference http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3896564
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2019-11-13 07:10:26+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Russia Raed bin Khaled Qarmali http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3896506
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2019-11-13 06:58:16+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Charge d'Affaires ad interim of Israel to Russia Yacov Livne https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3896574
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2019-11-13 06:58:16+00:00
Press release on the opening of the 40th Session of the UNESCO General Conference https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3896564
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2019-11-13 06:44:03+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Russia Raed bin Khaled Qarmali https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3896506
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2019-11-13 05:07:40+00:00
Article by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for the media of the BRICS countries
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2019-11-13 05:07:40+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s working visit to France https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3896258
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2019-11-13 05:07:39+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s conversation with President of North Macedonia Stevo Pendarovski https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3896248
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2019-11-13 05:07:38+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s meeting with Prime Minister of Somalia Hassan Ali Khayre https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3896112
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2019-11-13 05:07:38+00:00
Comment by the Foreign Ministry’s Information and Press Department on parliamentary elections in Mauritius https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3895514
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2019-11-13 05:07:34+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to questions from Diplomatic School graduates and university students, Yerevan, November 11, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3894954
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2019-11-13 05:07:33+00:00
Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s remarks at a briefing for the heads of foreign diplomatic missions accredited in Moscow dedicated to the Economic Forum and the Russia-Africa Summit in Sochi, Moscow, November 11, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3894915
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2019-11-13 05:07:32+00:00
Press release on the Foreign Ministry’s briefing following the Russia-Africa Summit https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3894905
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2019-11-13 05:07:32+00:00
Press release on the Results of the Vote in the First Committee of the UN General Assembly on Draft Resolutions on International Information Security https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3894872
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2019-11-13 05:07:31+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s official visit to the Republic of Armenia https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3894773
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2019-11-13 00:55:34+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin’s meeting with Bolivian Ambassador to Russia Hugo Villarroel Senzano https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3894645
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2019-11-13 00:55:33+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions during a joint news conference with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Yerevan, November 11, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3894446
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2019-11-13 00:55:32+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at talks with Foreign Minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Yerevan, November 11, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3894349
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2019-11-13 00:55:31+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s working visit to France https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3894315
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2019-11-13 00:55:28+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Omani Ambassador to Russia Yousef bin Issa al Zadjali https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3894213
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2019-11-13 00:55:27+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks during a meeting with Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, Yerevan, November 11, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3894136
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2019-11-13 00:55:26+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department on the situation around Bolivia https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3894088
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2019-11-13 00:55:26+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at the opening ceremony of an exhibition at the National Picture Gallery dedicated to the 75th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War, Yerevan, November 10, 2019 https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3892286
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2019-11-13 00:55:25+00:00
Press release on First Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov’s meeting with Austrian Secretary General for Foreign Affairs Johannes Peterlik https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3892158
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2019-11-12 22:55:14+00:00
Press release on the International Court of Justice decision regarding Russia’s jurisdiction objections in the Ukraine v. Russian Federation case https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3892148
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2019-11-12 19:15:07+00:00
💬 #Lavrov: when the terrorists were on the outskirts of #Damascus, and when the President of #Syria requested our help, yes, we helped. And I believe we did the right thing. #Russia #Diplomacy #MiddleEast🔗 https://is.gd/oPrGA3 #MiddleEast #USA
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2019-11-12 17:35:36+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s working visit to France http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3896258
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2019-11-12 17:05:38+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s conversation with President of North Macedonia Stevo Pendarovski http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3896248
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2019-11-12 16:49:39+00:00
🇷🇺🇧🇷🇮🇳🇨🇳🇿🇦 Article by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for the media of the BRICS countries "BRICS Strategic Partnership for Global Stability, Shared Security and Innovative Growth", November 12, 2019
🔹On November 13–14, 2019, Brasilia will host the 11th BRICS Summit. In the run-up to this key event of the year for our group I would like to share Russia's vision of the BRICS strategic partnership.
🔹The current Brazilian BRICS Chairmanship managed to achieve serious progress in all main pillars of cooperation – political, economic and humanitarian. Russia supports its Brazilian friends in their efforts to improve the practical impact of our multifaceted interaction on the prosperity of our States and peoples.
🔹We welcome the statement made by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro in Osaka about the importance of strengthening the dialogue within BRICS, which will enable the BRICS countries to make the best use of ongoing global changes.
🔹Today, alignment of efforts of our countries is particularly important. The global politics continues to reel. Various regions of the planet still retain significant conflict potential. The arms control architecture is deliberately undermined – the US unilateral withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty was a rather dangerous step. Structural imbalances in the world economy are yet to be overcome. A serious threat to global economic growth is posed by such unfair competition practices as unilateral economic sanctions, trade wars and flagrant abuse of the US dollar status as the world reserve currency. The international community is yet to find effective responses to a whole number of critical challenges of our time – from terrorism to climate change.
🔹It got to the situation when there are attempts to replace the international legal system, established after the Second World War with the UN Charter remaining as its main source, with the so-called "rules-based order", where "rules" being invented in secret, in "small groups", and then, depending upon a political situation, imposed on the whole world.
🔹Multipolarity is not a recipe for competition and chaos in international relations, as some of our critics say. On the contrary, this is the only order attuned to present-day realities, which should promote the comprehensive development of all States – both big and small – and enhanced mutually beneficial cooperation among us on the basis of shared interests.
🔗http://bit.do/fgXok
#BRICS #BRICS2019 #BRICSSummit #Russia #India #China #SouthAfrica #Brazil #USA #UN
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2019-11-12 16:10:38+00:00
Article by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for the press media of the BRICS countries
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2019-11-12 15:05:36+00:00
💬 FM Sergey #Lavrov: Somehow we haven’t been accused of the coup in #Bolivia, and this is strange. So something is happening in the minds of those who normally create the geopolitical agenda.🔗 https://is.gd/QJNVh4 #Russia #LatinAmerica
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2019-11-12 14:55:00+00:00
💬 #Lavrov: I have reasons to believe on the basis of real examples of recent years that the #UnitedStates still supports al-Nusra Front in spite of the fact that this organization has been listed in the United States as terrorist. 🔗 https://is.gd/oPrGA3 #MiddleEast #USA
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2019-11-12 14:31:02+00:00
🇷🇺🇸🇴 On November 12, Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov met with Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia Hassan Ali Khayre on the sidelines of the 2nd Paris Peace Forum.
The ministers stressed the need to continue joint efforts of the Somalian Federal Government and the international community to bring peace to the country. They expressed support for the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM).
The officials reaffirmed the mutual commitment of #Moscow and #Mogadishu to deepen political dialogue and coordinate their foreign political approaches on the global stage, including in counterterrorism.
#Russia #Somalia #Diplomacy #Africa #RussiaAfrica
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2019-11-12 14:26:49+00:00
🔹 On November 7, regular parliamentary #elections were held in the Republic of #Mauritius. A convincing victory was won by the Morisian Alliance, a coalition led by Pravind Jugnauth, who was Prime Minister in 2017-2019. The Alliance secured 42 of the 70 available parliament mandates, and two more went to the Rodrigues People’s Organisation supporting it. Opposition candidates from the National Alliance won 17 seats in the National Assembly, and the Mauritian Militant Movement won 9 seats. Voter turnout was 76.84 percent.
According to international observers represented by the missions of the Southern African Development Community, the #African Union, and the International Organisation of La Francophonie, the elections were held in full accordance with Mauritian law and were peaceful and transparent.
We welcome the successful holding of elections in Mauritius and express hope for the further progressive development of #Russian-Mauritian relations in the traditional spirit of friendship and constructive and mutually beneficial cooperation.
#Russia #Diplomacy
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2019-11-12 14:18:36+00:00
🔹 On November 11, Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and #Africa Mikhail Bogdanov and Egyptian Ambassador to Russia Ihab Nasr, representing the country chairing the #AfricanUnion, held a briefing on the #Russia-#Africa Summit and the economic forum held in #Sochi on October 23–24 for the heads of foreign diplomatic missions accredited in Russia.
The foreign diplomats got to know the format and content of the main events held as part of the first meeting at the highest level on such a scale in the history of Russian-African relations, and the results and prospects for the further development of mutually beneficial and comprehensive cooperation between Russia and African countries.
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2019-11-12 14:10:00+00:00
❗ Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov at a briefing for the heads of foreign diplomatic missions accredited in Moscow dedicated to the Economic Forum and the #Russia-#Africa Summit in #Sochi:
💬 During the summit and economic forum in Sochi, Russia and African countries reaffirmed their great interest in the further development of interaction, deepening and intensification of #Russian-#African cooperation both on bilateral and multilateral levels.
The historic significance of the Russia-Africa format events is obvious. Modern Russia, with its vast experience of successful cooperation with African countries during the Soviet era, is now ready to offer the African continent a mutually beneficial equal partnership and jointly uncover the potential accumulated over decades.
The first #RussiaAfrica Summit was highly appreciated by both the Russian leadership and the leaders of African states. We believe that this unprecedented event has become a turning point for the entire range of Russian-African ties to ascend to a qualitatively new level.
🔗 Full transcript: https://is.gd/eMO4Ps
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2019-11-12 14:04:35+00:00
🇷🇺🇫🇷 FM Sergey #Lavrov spoke at the Russian session of the 2nd Paris Peace Forum. #Russia #France #Moscow #Paris #Diplomacy
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2019-11-12 13:17:05+00:00
🇷🇺🇲🇰 On the sidelines of the 2nd Paris Peace Forum FM Sergey #Lavrov met with President of North Macedonia Stevo Pendarovski. #Russia #NorthMacedonia #Diplomacy
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2019-11-12 13:16:22+00:00
Press release on the Foreign Ministry’s briefing following the Russia-Africa Summit http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3894905
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2019-11-12 12:50:43+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s meeting with Prime Minister of Somalia Hassan Ali Khayre http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3896112
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2019-11-12 12:40:04+00:00
Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s remarks at a briefing for the heads of foreign diplomatic missions accredited in Moscow dedicated to the Economic Forum and the Russia-Africa Summit in Sochi, November 11, 2019. http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3894915
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2019-11-12 12:21:34+00:00
🇷🇺🇸🇴 On the sidelines of the 2nd @ParisPeaceForum FM Sergey #Lavrov met with Prime Minister of Somalia Hassan Ali Khayre. #Russia #Somalia #Diplomacy #Africa #RussiaAfrica
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2019-11-12 12:05:52+00:00
Comment by the Foreign Ministry’s Information and Press Department on parliamentary elections in Mauritius http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3895514
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2019-11-12 11:34:47+00:00
🔹 Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov at the opening ceremony of an #exhibition at the National Picture Gallery dedicated to the 75th anniversary of #victory in the #GreatPatrioticWar, Yerevan, November 10, 2019:
💬 It is a great honour for me to take part in the opening ceremony of this exhibition dedicated to the 75th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War. First of all, I would like to thank the management of the National Picture Gallery, who have set aside their wonderful halls for the exhibition in this magnificent building.
The exhibition’s materials provide a detailed narrative of the tragic events of those years, the unprecedented feat of our fathers and grandfathers who saved civilisation from the horrors of the Nazi scourge and put a long-lasting barrier in its way through incredible efforts and sacrifice.
Representatives of the Armenian nation stood shoulder to shoulder with other #Soviet nations and defended Brest and Moscow, fought near Stalingrad and on the #Kursk bulge, liberated the #Caucasus and #Crimea, and seized #Berlin. The #Armenian nation is rightfully proud of its heroes who made a priceless contribution to the common cause of defeating Nazism.
Russia praises Armenia’s constant efforts to preserve the memory of the Great Patriotic War’s events. Immortal Regiment events are becoming a good tradition. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian took part in the 2019 march together with 10,000 other people.
We are set to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the #GreatVictory next year. We find it particularly important that Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan was among the first to respond to an invitation from President of Russia Vladimir Putin to take part in the May 9, 2020 celebrations on Moscow’s Red Square. I know that representatives of the Armenian public, including those present here, will take an active part in festivities and will therefore pay tribute to the unprecedented feat of our ancestors.
The longstanding Russian-Armenian friendship, solidified by tough wartime ordeals, is key to strengthening Russian-Armenian strategic partnership and allied relations for the benefit of our citizens and for the sake of security and stability in the South Caucasus and our entire region. We agree that it is necessary to fight attempts to rewrite history and to revise the internationally recognised outcomes of World War II. The exhibition that we are opening today is among the highly important and specific contributions to these undertakings.
We will always remember our heroes. We salute our veterans, and we wish them good health and well-being.
#Russia #Armenia #Moscow #Yerevan #Diplomacy
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2019-11-12 11:26:10+00:00
❗ We are alarmed by the dramatic developments in #Bolivia, where a wave of violence, unleashed by the opposition, has prevented President Evo Morales from completing his tenure of office.
We are deeply concerned that the government’s readiness to search for constructive dialogue-based solutions, voiced during the domestic political crisis in the country, was wiped out by developments typical of a well-orchestrated coup d’etat.
We are urging all Bolivian political forces to use common sense and have a responsible attitude, and to find a constitutional way out of the situation in the interests of peace, tranquility, restoring the controllability of the state institutions, guaranteeing the rights of all citizens and ensuring the socioeconomic development of that country, with which Russia is bound by relations of friendship, constructive collaboration and mutually beneficial cooperation. We hope that all members of the international community, Bolivia’s neighbours in the #LatinAmerican region, influential extra-regional countries and international organisations will display such a responsible approach.
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2019-11-12 11:12:44+00:00
❗Rusophobic clichés in the British media
☝Since 2016, the Russian Foreign Ministry has done much to draw the attention of the public to the cynical crimes of the quasi humanitarian organization, the White Helmets. It has presented conclusive evidence of their complicity in the activities of terrorist organisations. It has been emphasised more than once that the emergence of this organisation is closely related to programmes in the Middle East that are sponsored by the secret services of certain Western countries.
❗Тhe Foreign Ministry has published at least 120 materials on its official website alone on unscrupulous atrocities committed by the White Helmets. It also mentioned the contribution of British operative James Le Mesurier in this questionable operation.
However, only now that reports of his death have come to light is the British media focusing on his personality. Thus, On November 11, the Independent published an article entitled: “James Le Mesurier: White Helmets backer found dead near his home in Istanbul.” The newspaper goes on to say, “A former British army officer … has been found dead near his home in Istanbul, just days after the Russian Foreign Ministry menaced him, accusing him of being a spy.”
The incident is linked with recent statements by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova of November 8 of this year, which expose the activities of the British agent. Indicatively, the information is presented in a biased manner – there are direct implications of Moscow’s complicity in this crime.
☝❗To follow the logic of the British media, Le Mesurier should have been killed as early was in April 2017 when the Foreign Ministry Information and Press Department published its first comment on his departmental position and involvement in the White Helmets.
🔗https://is.gd/RIOjYb
The second missed chance by the British media is a statement by Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov of March 16 of this year.
🔗https://is.gd/0auNMY
❗It is completely incomprehensible as to why the British press made the link with the Foreign Ministry’s official statements only now since we have been expressing the same point for some time now.
❗The investigation into Le Mesurier’s death has not yet started but British journalists are already working in their tried-and-tested media technology style: Hot news is followed by an emotional story whereby “those Russians” are accused of everything and another media scandal is presented as “highly likely.” When it transpires that Russia has nothing to do with the accusations against it, the media moves on to other high-profile stories.
The Western media used similar approaches in covering the incidents with Litvinenko, Berezovsky and the Skripals. The British media have little in common with authentic investigative journalism.
#Russia #GreatBritain #media #HighlyLikely
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2019-11-12 11:05:37+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s official visit to the Republic of Armenia http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3894773
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2019-11-12 10:32:11+00:00
📸 Maria #Zakharova: Sergey #Lavrov speaks at the Paris Peace Forum. #Russia #France #Moscow #Paris #Diplomacy
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2019-11-12 10:25:14+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s official visit to Armenia http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3891978
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2019-11-12 10:09:11+00:00
🔴 #Live: FM Sergey #Lavrov speaks at the Russian session of the Paris Peace Forum. #Russia #France #Moscow #Paris #Diplomacy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoL53Nhymhw
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2019-11-12 09:19:09+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department on the situation around Bolivia http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3894088
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2019-11-12 08:42:44+00:00
In this regard, we highly value the current level of coordination with our Armenian friends in associations such as the #CSTO, the CIS, and the EAEU. These structures have firmly established themselves as essential stabilising factors in the post-Soviet space. I would like to highlight our plans to reinforce the CSTO, which reliably ensures the military-political interests of all allied members of this organisation. The EAEU was created after the CIS and the CSTO, but is making great strides. In a relatively short period, we have managed to form a common market for goods, services, capital and labour. It took the #EU much more time to accomplish this.
🔗 Full transcript: https://is.gd/Uy3TPo
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2019-11-12 08:42:44+00:00
🔹 Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov’s remarks and answers to questions from Diplomatic School graduates and university students, Yerevan, November 11, 2019:
💬 I am grateful to the Diplomatic School’s senior officials for the invitation. Now that I’m here again in friendly #Armenia, I can talk with young people who have chosen international relations as a profession. It is a fascinating subject. Every time I’m in #Yerevan or elsewhere in Armenia I can see how deep and diverse the ties between our countries and peoples are. These ties are held together by common history and a cultural and spiritual legacy and plain human friendship.
I understand that we have professors and students from leading Armenian universities in this audience, which makes our meeting even more meaningful and interesting. Our relations, which have withstood the test of time, rely on strategic partnership and alliance and continue to progress across all areas. Regular contacts at the highest level continue to promote this work. President of #Russia Vladimir #Putin and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan have met four times this year alone, and more meetings are coming. The same goes for contacts at the heads of government level.
Foreign policy dialogue is an integral part of interaction between Russia and Armenia and its importance is increasing. You see that the world is really undergoing tectonic shifts. All the familiar patterns which have been used for centuries to assess international relations are changing right before our eyes. The world is moving towards a multipolar order, which is objectively being formed on our planet. New global centres of economic growth, financial power and, accordingly, political influence are emerging in the Asia-Pacific region and other parts of the world, such as the #MiddleEast, #LatinAmerica and #Africa. Numerous and sometimes competing and intertwining integration processes are unfolding.
In general, international relations are becoming more complex and multidimensional to the point where no state or even a small group of countries acting alone is capable of ensuring sustainability in global development or effectively coping with the many threats, the number of which is on the rise: from terrorism to the risks of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Therefore, it makes sense for the key issues that concern all of humanity to be submitted for consideration not by seven leading Western states, as was the case 20 years ago, but the Group of Twenty which is an inclusive and authoritative global governance mechanism that meets the realities of the 21st century. Along with the G7 members, it includes the #BRICS participants and like-minded countries that advocate somewhat different approaches to resolving international challenges, which imply a search for a balance of interests, rather than setting up the agenda in privy, and then presenting these decisions as the ultimate truth. This will not work any longer. To reiterate, the #G20 has an important symbolic and major practical significance.
We are convinced that it is in our common interest to ensure a progressive and peaceful transition to a new world order. It should be fair and democratic, and rely on the balance of interests of all members of the international community, without exception, rather than brute force. If we once talked about a “concert of great powers,” now we need to create a kind of “global concert” which takes into account the interests of every country without exception.
Russia is a responsible guarantor of the emerging polycentric global architecture. We are promoting a constructive and unifying foreign policy agenda focused on preventing confrontation in the international arena and strengthening global and regional security.
Our unconditional priorities include the further build-up of bilateral and multilateral cooperation in #Eurasia.
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2019-11-12 08:10:26+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at the opening ceremony of an exhibition at the National Picture Gallery dedicated to the 75th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War, Yerevan, November 10, 2019 http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3892286
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2019-11-12 07:57:34+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to questions from Diplomatic School graduates and university students, Yerevan, November 11, 2019 http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3894954
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2019-11-12 06:27:05+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin’s meeting with Bolivian Ambassador to Russia Hugo Villarroel Senzano http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3894645
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2019-11-12 06:27:04+00:00
Press release on First Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov’s meeting with Austrian Secretary General for Foreign Affairs Johannes Peterlik http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3892158
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2019-11-11 21:54:24+00:00
🇷🇺🇫🇷 In Paris, FM Sergey #Lavrov met with members of the French civil society. #Russia #France #Moscow #Paris #Diplomacy
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2019-11-11 20:34:52+00:00
☝️We took note of reports on a number of Western internet resources regarding a closed themed event to address problems related to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (#OPCW). The event was attended by prominent representatives of academic, public and political circles from many countries. Following the event, a statement was circulated with a well-argued criticism regarding the investigation of a high-profile chemical incident in Douma, #Syria, on April 7, 2018, which was conducted by the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission in Syria (FFMS).
🔹We fully share the document’s doubts about the validity of the conclusions that the FFMS presented following the investigation. We agree that the Mission’s chemical and toxicological analysis, as well as its ballistic data and witness interviews were unconvincing from a professional point of view and showed all the signs of political bias. We also express solidarity with the independent international experts, who have expressed doubts as to the impartiality of the Douma report.
🔹Russia has repeatedly pointed to serious drawbacks in the FFMS’ activities that in a number of cases fall short of the high standards imposed by the Convention on the Prohibition and Elimination of Chemical Weapons (#CPECW). The Mission’s reports are based on remotely obtained evidence from groups opposed to the Syrian government; the information provided by the official Syrian authorities is disregarded; and investigations are conducted in violation of the CPECW chain of custody. There are questions as to the FFMS personnel composition dominated by representatives from Western countries and their allied states.
🔹We join the international experts’ appeal to the OPCW Technical Secretariat to enable all, without exception, FFMS members involved in investigating this episode to answer questions from the OPCW member-states at the upcoming Conference of the States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention scheduled for November 25-29 in The #Hague. We know that some of them have things to say.
🔹Given these kinds of signals that come from both states parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention and authoritative international experts, it is time the heads of the OPCW Technical Secretariat drew proper conclusions as to the true reasons for the current crisis in the organisation. The OPCW is split down the middle due to the high level of politicisation of the far-fetched Syrian “chemical dossier” and decisions imposed in this connection by a group of Western countries, decisions that not only go far beyond the Chemical Weapons Convention but also interfere with the powers of the #UN Security Council.
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2019-11-11 20:34:14+00:00
🇷🇺🇦🇲Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions during a joint news conference with Minister of Foreign Affairs of #Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, #Yerevan, November 11, 2019
💬Mr Mnatsakanyan,
✅First of all, I would like thank our #Armenian friends for the invitation on behalf of my delegation and myself, for the very cordial welcome and substantive negotiations that began today with a meeting with Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and continued at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
✅We talked about many things – but it is impossible to cover everything even in a whole day. We have a very rich and multi-layered agenda for bilateral relations and interaction in the international arena. Armenia is a time-tested ally and strategic partner of #Russia. We noted the dynamic nature of our political dialogue, including at the highest level. This year alone, President of Russia Vladimir #Putin and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan met four times. The heads of government of our countries have had as many contacts as parts of various events.
✅Today we have substantively discussed the progress in implementing the agreements reached at the highest level; the process is going smoothly. We have agreed on additional steps to continue this work effectively and emphasised the productive and active interaction between parliaments. A few days ago, on November 5, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin visited Yerevan for the #CSTO Parliamentary Assembly; he also chaired a meeting of the bilateral interparliamentary commission in Gyumri. We have extensive contacts between the various official agencies: last month alone, Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu, Deputy Healthcare Minister Tatyana Semyonova and other Russian officials visited Armenia.
✅Russia is the leading foreign economic partner of Armenia. On both sides, we are satisfied with the level of trade and economic cooperation, which is facilitated by our countries’ interaction in the #EAEU. Last year, mutual trade grew by almost 11 per cent, and the positive dynamics continued into 2019. Today we reviewed the progress in large joint projects, primarily in the fuel and energy and transport sectors. We noted the effective work of the existing cooperation mechanisms such as the intergovernmental commissions on trade and economic cooperation and in military technical cooperation.
Read the full transcript:
🔗https://is.gd/BciyPZ
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2019-11-11 20:32:26+00:00
🇷🇺🇦🇲Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov’s remarks at talks with Foreign Minister of #Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Yerevan, November 11, 2019
💬Mr Minister,
Friends,
✅I am delighted to be able to visit #Yerevan once again, keeping up the tradition of regular and close ties between allies and strategic partners. My day began with intense and very important talks with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. We reaffirmed our countries’ resolve to carry on a trust-based dialogue at the top level. This year alone, President Vladimir #Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry #Medvedev have held four meetings each with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. They will meet again, including on the sidelines of the upcoming #CSTO summit this month. We expect Mr Pashinyan to make an official visit to Russia next year. It is essential to coordinate a meaningful agenda for the meeting. Of course, we appreciate the prime minister’s decision to accept our invitation to the celebrations of #VictoryDay in #Moscow on May 9.
✅The Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation and a similar body on military technical cooperation have been working sustainably to mutual benefit. The bilateral Inter-Parliamentary Commission held in Yerevan last week was attended by State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, who also arrived on a bilateral visit. They regularly hold interregional forums; the next one is scheduled for early 2020. Our humanitarian ties are based on the programme of cooperation between our culture ministries for 2019-2021. The Fifth #Russia-Armenia Youth Forum will start in Moscow in 12 days. It is important for the younger generation to keep up the positive traditions of their predecessors.
✅Our foreign ministries closely coordinate their operations. We are grateful to Armenia for supporting our initiatives at the #UN, and we will continue to support the initiatives of our Armenian friends. We will also strengthen our coordination at the CSTO and #EAEU, where Armenia presided so productively this year. We will also cooperate within the #CIS.
✅We have a packed agenda. Today we have an opportunity to see what else we can do to enhance the effectiveness of our foreign policy cooperation.
✅I would like to thank you for your hospitality on behalf of the Russian delegation as a whole.
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2019-11-11 20:30:54+00:00
🇷🇺🇦🇲Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov’s opening remarks during a meeting with Prime Minister of #Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, #Yerevan, November 11, 2019
💬Thank you very much, Mr Prime Minister.
✅President of #Russia Vladimir #Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry #Medvedev send greetings to you, and praise their regular contact with you. You met with Vladimir Putin four times this year, and as many times with Dmitry Medvedev.
✅You mentioned changes occurring in your country. But we can see that changes are not affecting the continuity in our relations and we are continuously building up allied, strategic partnership in all areas.
✅We have very close contacts between our economic departments. A meeting of the intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation in Yerevan is being prepared and planned for the first half of next year. Yerevan will also host the #Russian-#Armenian interregional forum.
✅As you noted, there are intensive contacts between our government ministries and agencies. Literally, over the past month and a half, Russian Minister of Defence Sergey Shoigu, Deputy Healthcare Minister Tatyana Semyonova, Chairman of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin have visited here. So there is very close contact on all tracks – parliamentary, executive, and civil society.
✅We are happy that mutual trade is growing steadily. Russia is Armenia’s leading partner and top investor in the Armenian economy. Cooperation in the #EAEU, #CSTO, and #CIS is certainly a priority. We congratulate Armenia on its very productive presidency of the EAEU – you have listed the results achieved.
✅In a couple of weeks, another important event will be held in #Bishkek, the CSTO summit, where we will also advance our cooperation in military political, security and allied cooperation.
✅I am very grateful for the warm welcome and hospitality in the Armenian capital and for the opportunity to meet with you.
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2019-11-11 18:55:31+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at talks with Foreign Minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Yerevan, November 11, 2019 http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3894349
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2019-11-11 18:20:18+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions during a joint news conference with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Yerevan, November 11, 2019 http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3894446
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2019-11-11 18:05:32+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s working visit to France http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3894315
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2019-11-11 18:05:31+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks during a meeting with Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, Yerevan, November 11, 2019 http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3894136
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2019-11-11 18:01:50+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov’s meeting with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3892138
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2019-11-11 18:01:49+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department on a closed themed event on OPCW problems http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3891923
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2019-11-11 14:53:04+00:00
🔹 On November 6, the First Committee of the #UN General Assembly overwhelmingly approved the #Russia-sponsored draft resolution on international #information #security (IIS) "Developments in the field of information and telecommunications in the context of international security. It was supported by 124 States. More than 30 countries had become its proactive co-sponsors.
Russia submitted this document with a view to bringing the UN Member States together to address the IIS issue and set a constructive and non-confrontational for the international dialogue on these matters. Jointly with interested countries from all parts of the world we have elaborated an objectively balanced and compromise text.
☝️ Its key idea is to prevent the world community from "going into different cybertrenches" once again. In fact, the aim is to avoid a "cold #cyberwar" and a split of the world into blocs. To this end, it is important to ensure the continuity and integrity of the negotiation process on IIS within the UN. It is precisely in this spirit that we have worded our resolution that welcomes the launch at Russia's initiative of the UN Open-ended Working Group (OEWG) on IIS, as well as to resume, as proposed by the United States, the work of the Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on IIS, and calls for constructive collaboration between the groups so that their efforts would add to each other's.
The international community showed practically unanimous support for the Russian proposals. It is of crucial importance that, year after year, our initiatives on IIS gain increased support and understanding both in terms of the number of supporters and the geographical coverage.
Regrettably, the United States again chose to oppose the opinion of the majority of States. Despite our calls to elaborate a joint compromise version of the resolution, it went its usual way and voted against the Russian proposals, countering them with its own document fully focused on the GGE – a U.S.-promoted mechanism for discussing IIS issues within the UN. Unlike our draft, that document aims to give equal status to the OEWG, which is a full-fledged body of the UN General Assembly, and the GGE, which comprises only 25 experts who act in their personal capacity. Furthermore, it devaluates the work already carried out by the OEWG during its two successful meetings this year, while the GGE is yet to commence its full-scale work in December.
We thank the States that have supported Russia's approaches to restoring the consensus on IIS within the UN. We are convinced that we still have a chance to reach it and therefore call on the international community to make every effort in order to achieve this goal.
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2019-11-11 14:35:13+00:00
Press release on the Results of the Vote in the First Committee of the UN General Assembly on Draft Resolutions on International Information Security http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3894872
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2019-11-11 13:55:10+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Omani Ambassador to Russia Yousef bin Issa al Zadjali http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3894213
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2019-11-11 13:51:36+00:00
❗ On November 8, the International #Court of #Justice (ICJ) of the United Nations in The Hague announced its decision on the jurisdiction objectives raised by #Russia in the #Ukraine v. Russian Federation case, initiated in January 2017 by #Kiev accusing Russia of violating the 1999 International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism (ICSFT) and the 1965 International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD).
🔹 Regarding ICSFT, the court rejected one of Ukraine’s major claims alleging that Russia must be held accountable under international law as a state sponsor of terrorism in Ukraine. The court upheld Russia’s stand according to which the issues related to financing terrorism by a state and its officials, despite the absurdity of such accusations against Russia, are not essentially regulated by ICSFT and cannot be subject to consideration in this court case. That said, the court effectively ignored the other jurisdiction-related objections from Moscow thus allowing Ukraine to take the ICSFT dispute, which was imposed on Russia, further to a hearing on the merits of the case. It is difficult to explain this stance by the court because at the stage of provisional measures in 2017 the court supported Russia’s argument and found that Ukraine’s claim that its rights under ICSFT had been allegedly violated unsubstantiated (not “plausible”).
🔹 In addition, the court did not accept Russia’s jurisdiction objections under CERD. In particular, the court did not agree that, before seeking the protection of the ICJ, the plaintiff must first appeal to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination specifically established under the auspices of CERD. The committee’s responsibility is to monitor implementation of the convention and respond to its violations. Ukraine failed to address the committee.
🔹 Moreover, the court did not take Russia’s objections into account regarding the fact that Kiev failed to abide by the requirement according to which seeking legal redress is conditioned on the exhaustion of domestic remedies. At this stage, the #court was not supposed to consider the substance of Ukraine’s accusations or determine whether specific actions qualified as racial discrimination.
🔹 As a result, Ukraine managed to move beyond the preliminary stage and bring the lawsuit to a hearing on the merits regarding both conventions. The court ruling that it has jurisdiction over the case does not mean the outcome is pre-determined – including because by December 8, 2020 Russia has still only to provide its counter-plea on the merits of the dispute.
🔹 The Russian Federation expects that during the hearing on the merits, the ICJ will give full consideration to Russia’s position and eventually reject all of Ukraine’s claims.
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2019-11-11 13:20:08+00:00
Press release on the International Court of Justice decision regarding Russia’s jurisdiction objections in the Ukraine v. Russian Federation case http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3892148
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2019-11-11 13:19:46+00:00
We are confident that such acts are incompatible with the countries’ obligations under the UN Charter.
Almost 75 years ago our fathers and grandfathers managed to rise above the contradictions dividing them, ideological and political disagreements, so as to jointly stand up to a common evil, a common challenge to the whole of humankind, and to rid future generations from the calamities of war. To approve this document is our duty not only to those who established the UN, but also to future generations. In this connection we call on everyone who shares these aspirations to vote in favour of the submitted draft resolution.
🔗 https://is.gd/wlnzMl
#Russia #Diplomacy #AntiFascism
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2019-11-11 13:19:46+00:00
❗ Director of the Foreign Ministry’s Department for Humanitarian Cooperation and Human Rights Rinat Alyautdinov:
💬 Regrettably, the issue of combatting the glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices contributing to fuelling contemporary forms of racism remains relevant to this day.
Very soon humankind will mark a momentous date: the 75th anniversary of the #Victory over Nazism, which can be rightfully called the common historical heritage of the #UN member states. Even though the verdict of the Nuremberg Tribunal gave the final answer as to who represented the Forces of the Good and the Forces of Evil in #WWII, there are still those who are eager to question those great gains. However, nobody can refute the fact that it was a victory over the ideology of racial supremacy and hatred. It is the Victory that we are not only entitled to but also obliged to take pride in. This is the shared heritage of the international community.
The contemporary system of encouraging and protecting human rights was shaped thanks to the Victory in World War II. Such basic documents as the Universal Declaration of #HumanRights, international pacts on human rights, and of course, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, were a response by the United Nations to the Nazi crimes, to the policy of total disregard for human dignity. This Victory created conditions for decolonisation thank to which the #UnitedNations has become a truly universal organisation.
Despite these obvious facts, attempts are persisting today to deny, review or outright falsify our common history. And these are far from harmless academic exploits. They show an ambition to pave the way to the revision of the foundations of the modern world order and the erosion of the principles of international law and security established following the results of World War II.
We underscore that the presented draft resolution refers to current human rights issues. Thus, against the backdrop of the global migration crisis caused primarily by the irresponsible policy of interference in domestic affairs of sovereign nations, racist and xenophobic rhetoric is gaining ground as well as calls to rid of immigrants and “alien elements.” Respective statements are spread under the guise of “freedom of expression” slogans.
☝️ The war on memorials to those who fought against Nazism and fascism declared by some countries causes deep concern and indignation. Recently, it has acquired features of a state policy propped up by respective legislation. Marches glorifying the Nazis and their accomplices are held every year, as are torch marches of neo-Nazis and nationalists that are vividly reminiscent of similar gatherings in Hitler’s Germany. Desecration of the memory of those who fought against Nazism continues, among other things, by unveiling memorials to those who fought on the Nazi side or collaborated with them. The same is true of renaming streets, squares, schools and other social facilities in honour of Nazi collaborators.
❗ Glorification of those implicated in Nazi crimes is absolutely unacceptable, including whitewashing former SS members as well as Waffen-SS units which were recognised as criminal by the Nuremberg Tribunal. We condemn any attempt to present those who fought against the anti-Hitler coalition or collaborated with the Nazis as national heroes or national liberation movements’ heroes. It is sad that often such things happen in the countries which were occupied by the Nazis during World War II and where their heroic peoples made a hefty contribution to the destruction of Nazism.
Such attempts to fuel contemporary forms of racism, xenophobia and related intolerance cause deep concern. Moreover, they are punishable by criminal law under Article 4 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
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2019-11-11 13:01:10+00:00
❗ Director of the Foreign Ministry’s Department for Humanitarian Cooperation and Human Rights Rinat Alyautdinov:
💬 Next year it will be 75 years since the moment when member states of the anti-Hitler coalition, which later called themselves the United Nations, secured a great #Victory over Nazism and fascism. Then, in 1945, the founders of the #UN were convinced that the Nazi ideology based on a theory of racial superiority had been consigned to history. And this was also facilitated by the decisions of the #Nuremberg Trials, which decisively and unequivocally condemned the actions of those who trampled people’s rights, freedoms and dignity of the individual and denied the principle of people’s equality regardless of their racial, ethnic, religious or linguistic affiliation.
However, there are still those who, to further their own political and opportunistic interests, are trying to review the decisions of the Nuremberg Trials, to re-write history, to try to prove that the ideology of National Socialism has every right to exist, and the acts of the Nazis and those who collaborated with them were dictated by some “higher ideals.” We believe this approach to be unacceptable and completely sacrilegious.
In the draft resolution presented before the Third Committee mention is made of contemporary and very dangerous trends which we need to counter both at the national and international levels. Today we are still encountering different manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. Moreover, the spread of racist and extremist ideas is more and more often justified by references to the supposedly absolute nature of the freedom of expression, which runs counter to the obligations of states under international human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
☝️ We cannot but be concerned by the fact that the ideology and practice that the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition fought against is still inspiring extremist groups. This is largely encouraged by the glorification of those who were complicit in the crimes of Nazism, including the exoneration of former members of the SS, including units of the Waffen-SS, which the Nuremberg Tribunal recognised as criminal for their acts during #WorldWarII.
A war is being waged in #Europe against monuments to those who fought against Nazism and fascism while at the same time memorials honouring the Nazis are unveiled with great pomp. This can only be called a desecration of the veterans of the anti-fascist movement.
Proclaiming that those who fought alongside the Nazis were heroes or equating them with those who were part of a national liberation movement plays directly in the hands of those who stand for racial purity, for discrimination based on racial or ethnic affiliation, not to mention what example this sets for the younger generation.
The phenomena and practices mentioned in the draft resolution that has been presented to the UN member states pose a threat to the entire international community. Our joint task is to jointly seek a response to this challenge through pooling our efforts and strengthening international cooperation. It depends on us whether Nazi ideology will become a subject for studies by historians, or whether the postulates of National Socialism will get a second wind for the sake of short-term political benefits.
🔗 https://is.gd/wlnzMl
#Russia #Diplomacy #AntiFascism
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2019-11-11 12:40:10+00:00
Remarks by Director of the Foreign Ministry’s Department for Humanitarian Cooperation and Human Rights Rinat Alyautdinov at the presentation of the Draft Resolution of the Third Committee at the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly Combating glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance (A/C.3/74/L.62), New York, November 7, 2019 http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3891799
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2019-11-11 12:05:22+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov’s meeting with UN Under-Secretary-General Izumi Nakamitsu http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3891913
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2019-11-11 11:43:32+00:00
🇷🇺🇦🇲 During his visit to Yerevan, FM Sergey #Lavrov met with President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian. #Russia #Armenia #Moscow #Yerevan #Diplomacy
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2019-11-11 11:40:27+00:00
Remarks by Director of the Foreign Ministry’s Department for Humanitarian Cooperation and Human Rights Rinat Alyautdinov at the adoption of the Resolution of the Third Committee at the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly Combating glorification of Nazism, neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance (A/C.3/74/L.62), New York, November 7, 2019 http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3891789
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2019-11-11 10:58:12+00:00
❗ Russian Embassy in #Israel:
💬 We regret the decision of Israeli’s High Court of Justice to turn down Mr. Burkov’s appeal on his extradition to #US. This decision constitutes a breach of his rights as well as Israel’s international obligations. This step does not contribute to the development of #Russian-#Israeli relations.
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2019-11-11 10:49:51+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Fatah Central Committee Executive Secretary Jibril Rajoub http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3891872
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2019-11-11 10:35:38+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov’s meeting with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araghchi http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3892115
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2019-11-11 10:35:37+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Seyyed Abbas Araghchi http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3891903
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2019-11-11 10:19:59+00:00
🇷🇺🇦🇲 In Yerevan, Sergey #Lavrov and Foreign Minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan signed a plan of consultations between the Foreign Ministries for 2020-2021. #Russia #Armenia #Moscow #Yerevan #Diplomacy
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2019-11-11 09:47:18+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Sudanese Ambassador to Russia Nadir Babiker http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3891862
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2019-11-11 09:40:21+00:00
🇷🇺🇦🇲 In Yerevan, a meeting between FM Sergey #Lavrov and Foreign Minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan took place. #Russia #Armenia #Moscow #Yerevan #Diplomacy
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2019-11-11 09:34:40+00:00
🇷🇺🇦🇲 During his visit to Yerevan, FM Sergey #Lavrov met with Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan. #Russia #Armenia #Moscow #Yerevan #Diplomacy
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2019-11-11 09:19:48+00:00
🔴 #Live: Sergey #Lavrov and Foreign Minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan hold a joint press conference following talks in #Yerevan. #Russia #Armenia #Moscow #Diplomacy #History #GreatVictory https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVNn9KDnl4Q
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2019-11-11 08:24:23+00:00
🔹 FM Sergey #Lavrov took part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Armenian Genocide Memorial Complex in Yerevan. #Russia #Armenia #Moscow #Yerevan #Diplomacy
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2019-11-10 17:40:45+00:00
🔹 In #Yerevan, FM Sergey #Lavrov took part in the opening ceremony of the exhibition commemorating the 75th anniversary of the #Victory in the #GreatPatrioticWar. #Russia #Armenia #Moscow #Diplomacy #History #GreatVictory
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2019-11-10 17:30:00+00:00
🔹FM Sergey #Lavrov has arrived in #Yerevan. #Russia #Armenia #Moscow #Diplomacy
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2019-11-09 17:24:26+00:00
🔴Today, Kiev and Donetsk resumed withdrawal of forces and hardware from the Petrovskoe disengagement area. Such actions should have been started back in October, but were postponed due to the sabotage by UAF.
🔺Now full demilitarization needed there under thorough SMM OSCE monitoring. Kiev should proceed without further delays in copmliance with the disengagement timeline agreed in the Contact Group in Minsk
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2019-11-09 14:37:49+00:00
The protocols included provisions that can be described as sensitive for both countries: a provision on the absence of any preconditions for implementing the protocols and a provision requiring that the protocols be implemented in the context of joint efforts to normalise the overall situation in the region.
When commenting on the signing of the protocols on behalf of our country, I said that Russia was ready to support this process through further efforts to carry out cooperation projects with Armenia and Turkey, primarily in the energy, transport and communications sectors.
Normalising ties between Armenia and Turkey is, first and foremost, an issue for Yerevan and Ankara to decide. Unfortunately, our partners have so far failed to restore their diplomatic relations. We believe Armenia and Turkey will continue working in this direction and the objective could still be achieved. On our part, we are prepared to provide whatever support the two sides might need, the more so because resolving disagreements between Armenia and Turkey as soon as possible would help improve the overall political environment in the South Caucasus and enhance security and stability there.
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2019-11-09 14:37:49+00:00
Now Syrians are to come to terms on a whole range of relevant issues independently, without any interference or pressure from the outside.
Speaking about the situation on the ground, I would like to note the agreements signed following the talks between Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sochi on October 22 on measures designed to facilitate de-escalation of tensions in the northeast of Syria. The Russia-Turkey memorandum became a major step towards restoring Syria’s territorial integrity.
Obviously, Syria’s return to the “Arab family” is called upon to become an inalienable part of the final settlement of the Syrian crisis. I am referring to the restoration of Syria’s membership in the League of Arab States. We believe this issue is long overdue.
The requirement for the invigoration of the international efforts to provide comprehensive humanitarian relief for all Syrians without any preconditions is growing against the backdrop of progress on the political track. We appreciate Armenia’s contribution in this respect. It delivers humanitarian aid to Syria, clears mines, eliminates explosives and renders medical aid. We have experience of joint humanitarian missions with our Armenian friends. I am convinced we must continue this practice.
In turn, Russia is actively facilitating the solution of humanitarian problems in Syria. Every day, the centre for the reconciliation of the warring parties at the Khmeimim airbase delivers food and other basic necessities to different areas of the country. Russian sappers cleared numerous residential areas and important infrastructure facilities of mines.
❓Question: A certain reduction in tensions along the contact line and the state border recorded over the past eighteen months has not facilitated equal progress at the talks on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement. A broader look at the issue suggests the following question: do you think it is possible to settle the conflict in conditions where Azerbaijan has not made a single public statement on its willingness to accept the results of the referendum that, according to the proposal of mediators, is due to be held in Nagorno-Karabakh with a view to determining its political status?
💬Sergey Lavrov: We welcome the preservation of relative stability on the border and along the contact line. We believe that further reduction of tensions could help create a favourable atmosphere at the talks.
As for the final legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh, this is one of the most complicated issues. The heads of the countries that co-chair the #OSCE Minsk Group have said more than once that this status must be determined at the talks by political means and based on the legally binding expression of will. The sides will still have to negotiate the parameters of this work, including its organisational aspects.
❓Question: We recently marked 10 years since Armenia and Turkey signed protocols in #Switzerland. You attended the signing ceremony along with European and American foreign ministers. Do you believe relations between Armenia and Turkey could get back to normal without linking them to the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement and is Russia ready to play a role in this?
💬Sergey Lavrov: Russia played an important role in the thaw in relations between Armenia and Turkey when this process was in its active phase, that is, in 2007-2009.
As a result, the Protocol on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations and the Protocol on the Development of Bilateral Relations between the two countries were signed in Zurich on October 10, 2009, in the presence of the foreign ministers of Russia, the United States, France and Slovenia and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
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2019-11-09 14:37:49+00:00
❗☝️📖 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with the Armenian news agency #Mediamax, November 9, 2019
❓Question: Mr #Lavrov, in spite of publicly made statements, it is often possible to hear in the Russian media and expert circles that the Russian leaders are somewhat mistrustful of the new Armenian government. Are there any issues or themes in our bilateral relations that are of real concern to the Russian leadership?
💬Sergey Lavrov: Indeed, Russian-Armenian relations developed against the background of serious domestic political changes in #Armenia in 2018.
It should be noted that the new Armenian authorities led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, demonstrated serious commitment to strengthening allied relations and expanding comprehensive cooperation, both bilaterally and within the framework of integration formats. The high dynamics of political dialogue at the top and high levels, the intensity of interdepartmental and interparliamentary contacts prove this. This year, Nikol Pashinyan met with President Vladimir Putin four times and also four times with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The Russian-Armenian top-level constructive and trust-based dialogue contributes to the effective resolution of key issues on the bilateral agenda, and helps to lay the groundwork for the future.
#Russia remains Armenia’s leading economic partner and its share in Armenia’s foreign trade is over 26 per cent. About 45 per cent of all foreign investment falls on our country. A number of large-scale joint projects are being implemented. Over 2,000 enterprises with Russian capital operate in Armenia. Interregional cooperation is advancing. Exchanges are deepening in culture, education and science, as well as people-to-people contacts.
Of course, with such a volume and versatility of relations can objectively give rise to disagreements. Most importantly, our Armenian friends and we are united in the desire to resolve them in a constructive manner and to reach mutually acceptable solutions. We have established effective mechanisms to resolve the problems that arise. We are optimistic about the future of Russian-Armenian relations.
❓Question: Armenian leaders are saying that they are trying not to play on the confrontation of the great powers in our region, but, on the contrary, to create conditions for smoothing them. How successful do you think these attempts are?
💬Sergey Lavrov: In our opinion, Yerevan’s foreign policy is balanced and responsible. We note the commitment of our Armenian friends to preserving and strengthening strategic partnership and alliance with Russia, and their energetic participation in various multilateral associations in the post-Soviet space.
Armenia’s current very involved and productive chairmanship in the #EAEU is a clear confirmation of this. Within the framework of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, #Moscow and #Yerevan are working together to consistently build up the potential of collective security forces and means. Together with our Armenian colleagues we strive to maximise the use of significant opportunities created by the CIS, which unites most of the former Soviet republics.
❓Question: What can you say about the progress of the Syrian political settlement process?
💬Sergey Lavrov: Tangible progress has been made recently in this area. Obviously, the leading role is played by the Astana format countries (Russia, #Turkey and #Iran). Thus, on October 30, #Geneva hosted the first meeting of the Constitutional Committee composed of representatives of the government, the opposition and civil society. Let me remind you that a decision on its establishment was made following the Syrian National Dialogue Congress held in Sochi in January 2018. This was the first time the sides managed to launch a direct intra-Syrian dialogue on issues related to the Fundamental Law of the #SAR.
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2019-11-09 09:10:11+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with the Armenian news agency Mediamax, November 9, 2019 http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3891997
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2019-11-08 20:34:01+00:00
☝️Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria #Zakharova, #Moscow, November 8, 2019
Read the full transcript:
🔗https://is.gd/UZbMdc
#Russia #Lavrov #Diplomacy #Armenia #France #Venezuela #Bolivia #Haiti #UN #Lebanon #WWII #Moldavia #Germany #Iran #USA #JCPOA #Syria #MiddleEast #Ukraine #Media #BerlinWall30
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2019-11-08 20:09:32+00:00
📃Remarks by Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the #OSCE Alexander Lukashevich at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on the situation in #Ukraine and the need to honour the #Minsk Agreements, #Vienna, November 7, 2019
💬Mr Chairman,
☝️The situation in #Donbass and the whole of #Ukraine is, in general, developing in several directions. Unfortunately, the few incoming positive signals are outnumbered by alarming trends.
🔹On November 1, members of the Special Monitoring Mission said they had been notified by self-defence fighters that the withdrawal of forces and equipment from a disengagement sector in Zolotoye had been completed. The Ukrainian side submitted a similar notification one day later. This is a positive signal that should be followed by the dismantling of fortifications and the removal of minefields inside the sector. We are urging members of the Special Monitoring Mission not to reduce the intensity of monitoring of these processes. The successful completion of the sector’s demilitarisation will help scale down tensions.
🔸At the same time, against the backdrop of reports from Zolotoye, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have yet again defiantly torpedoed the disengagement process in Petrovskoye. It was agreed at a meeting of the Contact Group in Minsk and publicly announced by President Vladimir Zelensky that this process was to start on November 4. However, officials at the Headquarters of the Joint Forces Operation made an official statement in the run-up to the planned disengagement that the Ukrainian side had no intention of launching this process, and that it was suggesting another date. They cited a violation of a truce, recorded by members of the Special Monitoring Mission inside the sector on October 30. The Ukrainian side immediately blamed self-defence fighters for the violation. Judging by the Mission’s report, observers in Petrovskoye heard the sound of two shots one or two kilometres southwest of that town or near the trenches of Ukrainian forces. Indicatively, for a long time, Kiev has been reluctant to implement additional measures to monitor and enhance the ceasefire regime, including disciplinary punishment of violators. Finally, officials at the Headquarters of the Joint Forces Operation referred to a statement by self-defence fighters’ representatives about their readiness to launch the disengagement process on November 4 as “another provocation.” It appears that they perceive the intention to implement practical measures to reduce tensions as a “provocation.” Members of the Special Monitoring Mission once again observed self-defence fighters launch a signal flare and stated that there had been no response by the Ukrainian side; therefore the disengagement did not resume. We hope that it will take place in the near future by agreement between Kiev and Donetsk.
☝️We are urging Kiev to display a responsible approach towards agreements reached by it with #Donetsk and #Lugansk in the Contact Group. The voicing of unilateral demands not stipulated by them highlights a desire to politicise the situation with the disengagement process, rather than a striving towards the fastest possible and real de-escalation. I would like to recall that the situation in Petrovskoye and Zolotoye does not imply the launching of the initial process, but rather the elimination of violations committed after the 2016 disengagement process there. We are noting the need to honour the procedures stipulated by the timeframe that was coordinated by the Contact Group. By the way, these agreements do not call for any seven-day truce.
Read more:
🔗https://is.gd/5C4tQq
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2019-11-08 20:01:49+00:00
🔈Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria #Zakharova on the dismantling of a monument to Soviet submariners in #Riga
❗Almost every week we receive news from #Latvia about acts of vandalism towards monuments to Soviet soldiers who died fighting Nazism. These acts are proof that radical representatives of the Latvian governing coalition plan to destroy the Soviet memorials once and for all.
❗For example, several days ago a monument to Soviet submariners who died in the #BalticSea during #WorldWarII was torn down.
❗We would like to note that this monument falls under the agreement between the Russian and Latvian governments dated April 30, 1994, on the social protection of Russian military pensioners and their families living in Latvia. According to article 13 of this agreement, the Latvian authorities promise to look after, maintain and preserve memorials in Latvia.
❗The Russian Embassy in Riga handed over a note of protest to the Latvian Foreign Ministry and demanded an explanation and that all the necessary measures be taken to investigate this crime, eliminate its consequences and bring all those responsible to justice.
❗It is clear that if such barbarity goes unpunished, it will aggravate the difficult relations between Russia and Latvia even more.
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2019-11-08 19:42:45+00:00
☝️Due to the fact that the Russian Ambassador to #Azerbaijan was served a protest note and that the Press Service of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry issued a comment regarding a “visit” to #Moscow by representatives of the unrecognised Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Masis Mailyan and Lernik Ovannisyan, we would like to point out the following.
☝️The said persons’ trip, if made at all, was purely of a private nature. As a private trip, it is neither against Russian law nor any international agreements, or inconsistent with Russia’s mediation mission in the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement. No meetings with Russian Federation officials took place.
☝️As for the references to the alleged contacts between Masis Mailyan and Lernik Ovannisyan and Russian experts at “the permanent mission of Artsakh in #Russia,” we would like to stress once again that no such “mission” is registered with the Russian government bodies as a diplomatic mission of a sovereign state because our country does not recognise the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.
☝️We consider the complaints against Russia in the protest note and the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry’s comment unsubstantiated and their general tone inconsistent with the level and the quality of Russia-Azerbaijan relations.
☝️For our part, we will continue to facilitate the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement, both as a co-chair of the #OSCE Minsk Group on the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement and as a country, in view of our relations with Azerbaijan and #Armenia.
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2019-11-08 19:35:54+00:00
☝️The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (#SCO) Convention on Countering Extremism, signed in #Astana on June 9, 2017, entered into force in #Russia on October 12, 2019.
☝️The convention has fixed fundamental provisions on the dangers of extremism as a breeding ground for terrorism, the leading role of the states and their competent bodies in countering extremism and terrorism, the need to observe international law and the #UN Charter, primarily respect for the sovereignty and equality of states and non-interference in their domestic affairs, denunciation of the ideology and practice of extremism in all of its forms and manifestations, and prevention of public promotion or incitement of extremist actions.
☝️The convention creates mechanisms for the cooperation of its participants in taking preventive actions and for joint efforts to counter extremism and render legal aid, and facilitates the correlation of the legislation of its signatories.
☝️The convention is a trailblazer because, for the first time at international level, it suggested optimal standards of effective counter-extremism cooperation, dovetails and fixes the notion of extremism as a destructive phenomenon, and determines the definition and main forms of extremist activities that are subject to criminalisation.
☝️The convention is universal and open for signing to states that are not SCO members.
☝️We invite our foreign partners to study the document with a view to joining it and exchanging best practices in this area.
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2019-11-08 19:05:23+00:00
Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, November 8, 2019 http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3891813
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2019-11-08 18:55:28+00:00
Comment by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova on the dismantling of a monument to Soviet submariners in Riga http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3891703
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2019-11-08 18:55:27+00:00
Press release on Russian-US consultations on the Korean Peninsula http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3891602
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2019-11-08 18:39:50+00:00
🔸On November 8, Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov held a regular meeting with ambassadors of #Slavic states to #Russia in #Moscow.
🔸The parties stressed the importance of expanding interparliamentary, interregional, scientific, cultural, educational and spiritual ties, as well as trade and economic cooperation, between the Slavic countries, and discussed practical issues of cooperation related to the Forum of Slavic Cultures.
🔸They also exchanged views on current issues on the international agenda.
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2019-11-08 18:31:15+00:00
🔈Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov’s remarks at the Moscow Nonproliferation Conference on, “Foreign Policy Priorities of the Russian Federation in Arms Control and Nonproliferation in the Context of Changes in the Global Security Architecture” #Moscow, November 8, 2019
💬Ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you for the invitation to the conference, which we believe is a very important event. It is taking place at a time when such discussions can only be welcomed in the hope that the truth will be born in disputes that can be conducted candidly and professionally, with full awareness of our responsibility for controlling the risks that exist in the world today in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, strategic stability and arms control rather than with an eye towards achieving any momentary geopolitical effect in the context of one or another electoral cycle.
A Review Conference to consider the Treaty on the Non-🔸Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (#NPT) will be held next May. We are convinced that the proliferation risks and threats that we face today can be eliminated precisely based on the strict observance of this treaty, while respecting and ensuring the balance between its three components: nonproliferation, disarmament and peaceful use of nuclear energy. It is crucial that the upcoming Review Conference in May be held as non-confrontationally as possible and not repeat the sad experience of the 2015 conference, when in fact, the participants refused to talk to each other and even to listen to each other, and each stated their position independently of what the others were saying.
This was the reason for a rather dangerous and at the same time illusory trend to prevail, namely to “force” the nuclear powers to abandon their existing nuclear arsenals without taking into account their security interests and strategic realities. This approach led to an accelerated drafting of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (#TPNW) which was open for signing.
To reiterate, #Russia does not plan to accede to this treaty. We share the goal of building a nuclear-free world. However, this goal should not be achieved by the unilateral, rather arrogant methods on which this document is based. We presume that the complete elimination of nuclear weapons is possible only in the context of general and complete disarmament where equal and indivisible security is ensured for all, including nations with nuclear weapons, in accordance with the NPT.
We consider progress in making the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (#CTBT) enter into force critical to maintaining the nuclear nonproliferation regime. The fact that it remains non-operational 23 years after it was opened for signing is a serious problem. Responsibility lies with those eight states from the “list of 44” that must ratify the Treaty for it to enter into force. The position of the United States appears particularly destructive. It stated explicitly in its nuclear doctrine documents that it would not seek its ratification. This jeopardises the fate of this crucial document, which is the only effective verifiable international agreement to end nuclear testing. There is no alternative to it.
Read more:
🔗https://is.gd/r6HTXb
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2019-11-08 18:01:21+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department on the “visit” to Moscow by representatives of the unrecognised Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Masis Mailyan and Lernik Ovannisyan http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3891489
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2019-11-08 17:25:13+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s meeting with ambassadors of Slavic countries http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3891713
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2019-11-08 17:25:12+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at the Moscow Nonproliferation Conference on, “Foreign Policy Priorities of the Russian Federation in Arms Control and Nonproliferation in the Context of Changes in the Global Security Architecture” Moscow, November 8, 2019 http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3891674
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2019-11-08 17:20:25+00:00
Press release on the entry into force of the SCO Convention on Countering Extremism http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3891639
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2019-11-08 17:20:25+00:00
Press release on Greek Ambassador to Russia Ekaterini Nassika’s presentation of credentials http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3891202
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2019-11-08 15:46:47+00:00
Remarks by Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the OSCE Alexander Lukashevich at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on the situation in Ukraine and the need to honour the Minsk Agreements, Vienna, November 7, 2019 http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3891340
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2019-11-08 14:50:46+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov’s consultations with South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister, Foreign Ministry Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs, Lee Do-hoon http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3891472
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2019-11-08 14:50:45+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov’s meeting with Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Safeguards of the IAEA Secretariat Massimo Aparo http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3891435
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2019-11-08 09:05:20+00:00
Press release on the start of the Moscow Nonproliferation Conference http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3888957
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2019-11-08 06:11:19+00:00
Press release on the adoption of a resolution on the need to end the US-imposed economic, trade and financial embargo against Cuba by the UN General Assembly http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3888947
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2019-11-08 06:11:18+00:00
Press release on the 18th session of the General Conference of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3888927
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2019-11-08 06:11:17+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s meeting with Co-Chair and CEO of the Nuclear Threat Initiative Ernest Moniz http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3888907
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2019-11-08 06:11:16+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks during a meeting with Co-Chair and CEO of the Nuclear Threat Initiative Ernest Moniz, Moscow, November 7, 2019 http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3888840
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2019-11-08 06:11:15+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Head of the Directorate for North Africa and the Middle East of the French Foreign Ministry Christophe Farnaud http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3888830
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2019-11-07 19:48:03+00:00
❗️On November 6, a group of militants attacked a convoy escorting #BurkinaFaso workers from mining company SEMAFO in #Boungou in the country’s eastern region. According to preliminary reports, 37 people were killed and over 60 sustained various degrees of injury. Burkina Faso’s law enforcement agencies are now searching for the criminals and investigating the incident.
◾️ We firmly condemn this terrorist attack, which is far from the first outrage of this kind perpetrated by extremist forces in Burkina Faso. We are confident that local law enforcement agencies will take all necessary action to identify the organisers and perpetrators of this barbaric crime and to punish them accordingly.
◾️ We offer our deep condolences to the families and friends of the deceased and wish a speedy recovery to the wounded.
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2019-11-07 19:37:12+00:00
❗️ On November 7, Sergey #Lavrov talked by phone with Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of #Germany Heiko Maas at the initiative of the German side.
The officials discussed #Syria, including developments in the northeastern regions in the context of the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding Between the #Russian Federation and #Turkey signed on October 22, 2019, as well as the situation in the #Idlib de-escalation zone.
#Russia #Diplomacy #MiddleEast
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2019-11-07 16:35:18+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Ambassador of Lebanon to Russia Chawki Bou Nassar http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3888657
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2019-11-07 16:35:17+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department in connection with a terrorist attack in eastern Burkina Faso http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3888047
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2019-11-07 16:20:29+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s telephone conversation with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3888773
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2019-11-07 14:18:08+00:00
🇷🇺🇫🇷 On November 5, #Russian Special Presidential Envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev and Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin, both members of a Russian inter-departmental delegation, held consultations with a #French delegation headed by Special Presidential Envoy for #Syria François Sénémaud.
🔹 The sides conducted a detailed discussion of the situation on the ground in Syria, primarily in the country’s northeast, and they also exchanged opinions on prospects for a political settlement of the Syrian crisis. They noted the importance of convening the Constitutional Committee in #Geneva on October 30; this had made it possible to launch direct intra-Syrian dialogue within the framework of a political process being conducted and implemented by them, with #UN support and under UN Security Council Resolution 2254. They also reviewed efforts to facilitate the voluntary and safe return of Syrian citizens to their places of permanent residence and the provision of humanitarian relief aid to the Syrian Arab Republic.
#Russia #France #MiddleEast #Diplomacy
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2019-11-07 14:11:17+00:00
🔹 Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov at a joint news conference following talks with Foreign Minister of the Hellenic Republic Nikos Dendias, Moscow, November 6, 2019:
💬 Our talks were both very constructive and useful. #Athens is our traditional partner in #Europe. Our ties go back centuries. Russians and Greeks are much alike when it comes to our spiritual, cultural and civilisational values.
In 2021, Greece will mark 200 years since the start of the national liberation struggle, as a result of which an independent Greek state was established. Russia did everything possible to facilitate this process. Today, Mr Dendias and I discussed what opportunities there are for holding joint events during the preparations for this important anniversary.
We noted that we continue steadily developing our bilateral cooperation in all spheres. We are interested in collaborating in the field of trade and investments. This will be facilitated by the seamless work of the Mixed Commission on Economic, Industrial and Scientific-Technical Cooperation. Its co-chairs will meet in the next few days and the sessions of the relevant working groups will take place before the end of the year.
The packed agenda during the Year of Language and Literature of #Russia and #Greece confirms once again the high level of our cultural and humanitarian exchanges.
We agreed on further steps to consolidate our legal contractual foundation, in part, in mass communications, international telecommunications, protection of intellectual property and mutual recognition of educational diplomas.
We discussed in a constructive manner major regional and international issues and agreed to maintain and promote our dialogue in the #UN, the #OSCE, the Council of Europe and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organisation where Greece holds the Chairmanship. Naturally, the implementation of the just signed plan for foreign ministry consultations in 2020−2022 will facilitate the development of our cooperation.
We exchanged views on the current condition and prospects of relations between Russia and the European Union, the situation in the Russia-#NATO Council and many other matters concerning security in the Eastern Mediterranean and the developments in the Middle East and North Africa, including a Syrian settlement.
We highly value the assessments of our Greek colleagues when it comes to a Cypriot settlement. In turn, we reaffirmed our support for a comprehensive, durable and viable solution of this problem in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolution.
We shared our assessment on strategic stability, primarily in the context of Russia-US relations after Washington withdrew from the #ABM Treaty and the #INF Treaty.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin sent a detailed message to many world leaders, including the United States and all other NATO members regarding these matters as well as the prospects of extending the Treaty on Strategic Offensive Arms. We hope this will make it possible to discuss the problem in a constructive manner and to search for mutually acceptable ways of resolving it.
I am really satisfied with the results of our talks and I am looking forward to taking the minister up on his invitation to visit Greece.
🔗 More: https://is.gd/QVsDpC
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2019-11-07 14:01:41+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov’s meeting with Bangladesh Ambassador to Russia Saiful Hoque http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3888077
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2019-11-07 12:20:26+00:00
Press release on Russian-French consultations http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3887735
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2019-11-07 12:20:25+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov’s meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Russia Zhang Hanhui http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3887725
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2019-11-07 12:20:25+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov’s consultations at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3887710
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2019-11-07 11:05:44+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to questions at a joint news conference following talks with Foreign Minister of the Hellenic Republic Nikos Dendias, Moscow, November 6, 2019 http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3887532
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2019-11-06 19:02:36+00:00
I would like to point out the role that Mr Desir is called upon to play in these efforts. Your competent opinion is heeded. Taking this opportunity, I would like to once again express my gratitude to you for your personal participation in releasing former head of the RIA Novosti Ukraine website Kirill Vyshinsky, who was arrested by #Kiev for doing his job as a journalist.
🔗http://bit.do/fgeh9
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2019-11-06 19:02:36+00:00
❗Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at the opening of the plenary session of the Conference on Media Freedom in Russia and the #OSCE Region, #Moscow, November 6, 2019
💬Ladies and gentlemen, Mr Desir, colleagues,
🔹First of all, I would like to thank the organisers and personally the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Desir for choosing Moscow as a venue for the conference, his personal participation and the participation of his team.
🔹The conference participants will discuss important matters related to ensuring freedom of the media in the OSCE area. This topic looms large these days. Unfortunately, violations of the rights of journalists, as well as discrimination against media resources, are becoming more common in the OSCE member countries. This practice directly contradicts the provisions of the Helsinki Final Act, the documents of the Vienna meeting of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) (1986), the Copenhagen (1990) and Moscow (1991) meetings and the Conference on the Human Dimension of the CSCE. By signing these consensus agreements, the participating states committed themselves to promote free dissemination of all forms of information, including from abroad - I would like to emphasise this specifically - and improve the environment for the professional activities of foreign journalists at home.
🔹Today, we are witnessing a situation where a number of countries, including those that openly refer to themselves as model democracies, grossly violate OSCE commitments to ensure freedom of the media, expression of opinion and equal access to information, and display intolerance to alternative points of view.
🔹The attempts to impose on the international community non-inclusive and non-transparent initiatives to regulate the media and the internet in circumvention of the universally recognised multilateral platforms are causing deep concern. An event held in London and proudly titled “Media Freedom Conference” is the most recent case in point. The British authorities and hosts simply did not allow Russian representatives - journalists and diplomats – to attend it.
🔹We think that the goal of such behind-the-scenes projects attended exclusively by the “insiders” is to erode the existing universal and non-discriminatory media freedom standards, to introduce biased regulation of information resources, to divide them into “ours” and “theirs,” “deserving” and “not deserving” trust and, to put it bluntly, to introduce political censorship. This not only leads to fragmentation of the global information space, but seriously undermines trust and mutual understanding in state-to-state relations as well.
🔹Russian media resources fully feel the pinch of this policy. An atmosphere of hostility and mistrust is ramped up around them in many countries, and their representatives in foreign countries are faced with numerous obstacles in carrying out professional activities from denied press passes and accreditations to deportation and even arrest.
🔹I will mention on a separate note the situation in Ukraine, where the murders of journalists Andrei Stenin, Anton Voloshin, Igor Kornelyuk and Anatoly Klyan in 2014 remain unresolved to this day. In Ukraine, 86 Russian television channels and 181 internet pages have been blocked, not to mention hundreds of banned books and films in Russian.
🔹The outright infringement of the rights of Russian media in a number of OSCE countries has become part of a campaign which, as President #Putin pointed out at the Kremlin yesterday, aims to artificially and crudely reduce the space taken by the Russian language in the world.
🔹We believe that the OSCE must not only give a principled assessment of all instances of pressure on journalists, but also resolutely seek to cut short the vicious practice of suppressing alternative points of view and introducing a ban on the profession.
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2019-11-06 18:56:44+00:00
🇷🇺🇺🇳Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin’s meeting with the #UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Parfait Onanga-Anyanga
🔹On November 6, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin met with Special Envoy of United Nations Secretary-General for the Horn of #Africa, Mr Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, who is in #Moscow on a working visit.
🔹The officials held an in-depth discussion on the political situation in the Horn of Africa and the UN’s role in settling regional conflicts and intergovernmental disputes. They noted the need to closely coordinate the efforts of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the African Union and the UN in order to ensure peace and security in the region.
#Russia #RussiaAfrica
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2019-11-06 18:55:28+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Qadri Jamil, representative of the leadership of the Syrian opposition Popular Front for Change and Liberation and head of the Moscow Platform of the Syrian opposition http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3887504
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2019-11-06 18:53:28+00:00
❗☝️Comment by the Information and Press Department on agreements between the Government of the Republic of #Yemen and the Southern Transitional Council
🔹On November 5, #Riyadh hosted the signing of an agreement between the legitimate Yemeni authorities and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) operating in southern Yemen. The ceremony took place in the presence of President of Yemen Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman and Crown Prince of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi Muhammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
🔹According to incoming reports, this document envisions a set of administrative and political measures to help in overcoming the differences that led to a surge of tensions in a number of south Yemeni provinces in late August of this year.
🔹In accordance to the agreement, the Prime Minister of the government of the Republic of Yemen will begin his work in Aden within seven days, a new cabinet made up of 24 ministers, including an equal number of representatives from the north and the south, will be formed within 30 days, and the military units controlled by the sides will be put under the control of the ministries of defence and internal affairs of the Republic of Yemen.
🔹The agreement also includes a separate clause, under which STC representatives will take part in the governmental delegation at the intra-Yemeni talks on Yemen’s future political system.
🔹Moscow welcomes the decisions adopted in Riyadh. We regard them as an important step towards consolidating Yemeni society and a positive example of successes in achieving mutually acceptable solutions and compromises that are very much needed in today’s Yemen.
🔹We would like to note in particular the mediating role played by #SaudiArabia and the #UAE, which made a significant contribution to the intra-Yemeni agreements and undertook to monitor practical implementation.
🔹We hope the ability to come to terms and to find common ground demonstrated by the Yemeni sides will facilitate an early political settlement of the protracted military and political conflict involving the Houthi Ansar Allah movement.
🔹As before, we are convinced that the Yemeni crisis has no military solution and that the restoration of a long-awaited peace and stability in friendly Yemen is only possible through a broad-based national dialogue and respect for the interests of all patriotic forces in the country.
🔹For our part, we will further make every effort to assist this.
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2019-11-06 18:50:02+00:00
🇷🇺🇯🇵Press release on #Russia-#Japan talks on joint economic activity on the southern #Kuril Islands
🔹On November 6, #Moscow hosted the sixth round of the Russia-Japan consultations at the level of deputy foreign ministers (Igor Morgulov and Takeo Mori) on developing joint economic activity on the southern Kuril Islands. Russia was represented in the dialogue by delegates of federal agencies and the Sakhalin Region government.
🔹The participants summarised the results of the pilot projects in the fields of waste management and tourism that were carried out between August and November.
🔹The meeting also covered topical bilateral issues.
🔹The dates of the next round of talks will be agreed upon via diplomatic channels.
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2019-11-06 18:01:26+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at the opening of the plenary session of the Conference on Media Freedom in Russia and the OSCE Region, Moscow, November 6, 2019 http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3887099
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2019-11-06 17:35:19+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin’s meeting with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Parfait Onanga-Anyanga http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3887476
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2019-11-06 17:35:18+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department on agreements between the Government of the Republic of Yemen and the Southern Transitional Council http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3887360
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2019-11-06 17:25:32+00:00
Press release on Russia-Japan talks on joint economic activity on the Southern Kuril Islands http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3887301
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2019-11-06 16:09:28+00:00
🔹 On November 5, Rector of the Foreign Ministry’s Diplomatic Academy Alexander Yakovenko received Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of #Burundi Ezechiel Nibigira.
The discussion focused on the topics of the recent #Russia-#Africa Summit.
Both sides emphasised the high degree of friendly relations between the two countries based on the principles of international law, mutual interests and the deep historical affinity between the peoples of both nations. As Minister Sergey Lavrov noted at the news conference following the talks, in the future, “we will continue to move forward for the good of our relations, our countries and peoples.”
Alexander Yakovenko and Ezechiel Nibigira also discussed the prospects of training Burundian #diplomats at the Russian Diplomatic Academy. In 2017 and 2019, as many as 27 staff members of the Burundian Ministry of Foreign Affairs completed an advanced training course at the Academy; the school will consider organising additional courses for senior diplomats from Burundi this year at Minister Nibigira’s request. In 2020, the same course is planned for another 12 diplomats.
The parties agreed to open a distance learning option, not only for the current Burundian Foreign Ministry employees, but also for those who plan to become diplomats. Such cooperation is a consequence of the high level of bilateral relations, and also reflects the spirit of the Russia-Africa Summit.
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2019-11-06 15:55:24+00:00
☝️ Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov’s greetings to the participants and guests of the international meeting The Berlin Dialogue: 15 Years of the Intergovernmental #Russian-#German Agreement on Youth Cooperation. A Story of Success and New Prospects:
💬 I send my greetings to the organisers and participants of this international meeting held to discuss the state of the Russian-German youth dialogue and its prospects.
In light of the current developments in Europe, the importance of strengthening interaction between our young people in the interests of building up trust and mutual understanding between nations and formulating a forward-looking international agenda can hardly be overestimated.
The implementation of the Intergovernmental Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Federal Republic of #Germany on Youth Cooperation, which was signed 15 years ago, is contributing to these efforts. I would like to take this opportunity to express our profound gratitude to the public figures from Russia and Germany who are with us today. Your efforts to promote citizen diplomacy and strengthen the atmosphere of friendship between our nations deserve our respect and support.
I have no doubt that the upcoming discussions will be fruitful, that they will create conditions for launching promising joint projects and help promote Russian-German humanitarian exchanges.
I wish you every success in your endeavours and all the very best.
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2019-11-06 15:53:20+00:00
🔹 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks at talks with Foreign Minister of the #Hellenic Republic Nikos Dendias, Moscow, November 6, 2019
Welcome to the Foreign Ministry of Russia. Our relations, which have a long history, are very intensive and are developing consistently in all spheres, from the economy to humanitarian cooperation.
When your Government assumed office in May of this year, this created new opportunities to discuss the entire range of our relations and to coordinate their further development.
Mr Minister, we are grateful to you for accepting our invitation to visit Russia. Our meeting today is a good opportunity to discuss not only bilateral relations, but also to exchange views on the developments in Europe and the Mediterranean, as well as global politics in general.
Once again, welcome to #Moscow.
#Russia #Greece
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2019-11-06 15:43:55+00:00
🔹 On November 5, Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov had talks with Foreign Minister of the Republic of #Burundi Ezechiel Nibigira, who is in #Moscow on a working visit.
During a detailed discussion of topical issues on the global and African agenda, the ministers reaffirmed Moscow and Bujumbura’s intention to cooperate actively and effectively within UN and other multilateral forums, including the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
❗ Sergey Lavrov and Ezechiel Nibigira also stated the mutual commitment of Russia and Burundi to strengthen bilateral #trade, economic and #investment cooperation and interregional interaction, and discussed the implementation of joint projects in industry, agriculture and mining.
Ezechiel Nibigira informed his counterpart about the progress in the Burundian political process and the leadership’s efforts to establish constructive communication with the opposition in the context of the upcoming general elections in May 2020. Sergey Lavrov welcomed the continuation of the intra-Burundi inclusive dialogue in compliance with the supremacy of law and respect for human rights, and stressed that foreign interference in Burundi’s domestic affairs is unacceptable.
At the same time, the officials focused on the problems of strengthening the African security and peacemaking architecture as well as settling crises in the hotspots on the African continent based on the fundamental principles of international law and the #UN Charter.
The foreign ministers discussed the results of the Russia-#Africa Summit and Economic Forum held in #Sochi on October 23–24, in which Second Vice-President of Burundi Joseph Butore took part.
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2019-11-06 15:29:02+00:00
🔹 On November 1, an attack by the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara terrorist group on a #Mali Armed Forces post near Indelimane in the Gao Region killed 49 and injured 3 Malian soldiers. According to the Government of the Republic of Mali press office, the Malian army managed to regain control of the camp.
The attack by Islamist radicals was carried out amid a recent increase in violence by various extremist groups in Mali and the Sahara-Sahel zone.
#Moscow strongly condemns this new crime aimed at destabilising Mali and undermining the efforts by official Bamako to implement the 2015 Agreement for #Peace and #Reconciliation in Mali.
We express our condolences and sympathy to the families and friends of the victims, and our support for the leaders and people of Mali in their fight against terrorism.
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2019-11-06 14:50:54+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Secretary General of the Indian Ocean Commission Hamada Madi Bolero http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3887328
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2019-11-06 13:17:28+00:00
Press release on Foreign Ministry’s Diplomatic Academy Rector Alexander Yakovenko’s meeting with Burundian Foreign Minister Ezechiel Nibigira http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3887133
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2019-11-06 13:10:43+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Yemeni Ambassador to Russia Ahmed Salem Al-Wahishi http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3887206
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2019-11-06 13:09:42+00:00
📸🤝 Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova met with OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir
#Russia #MFA #OSCE #Media #MediaFreedom #FreeMedia #PressFreedom #Journalists
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2019-11-06 11:50:58+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Parfait Onanga-Anyanga http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3886983
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2019-11-06 11:40:39+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s greetings to the participants and guests of the international meeting The Berlin Dialogue: 15 Years of the Intergovernmental Russian-German Agreement on Youth Cooperation. A Story of Success and New Prospects http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3886993
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2019-11-06 11:05:45+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks at talks with Foreign Minister of the Hellenic Republic Nikos Dendias, Moscow, November 6, 2019 http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3886968
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2019-11-06 06:40:14+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s talks with Foreign Minister of the Republic of Burundi Ezechiel Nibigira http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3886010
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2019-11-06 06:40:13+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with a delegation of the Libyan Toubou tribe http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3885744
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2019-11-06 06:40:13+00:00
Comment by the Information and Press Department on a terrorist attack on a military camp in Mali http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3885717
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2019-11-05 19:03:32+00:00
❗The Embassy of Russia in the Republic of Cyprus ❗
We welcome the decision of the leaders of the two communities of Cyprus to conduct a trilateral meeting with UN Secretary-General Mr. Antonio Guterres in Berlin on November 25, 2019.
We support their aspiration for agreement on the renewal of talks on comprehensive and fair settlement in Cyprus based on UN resolutions and convergences between the sides.
We consider it important that the final decision be taken by the Cypriots themselves without outside interference and imposition of ready-made recipes.
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2019-11-05 17:37:12+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Lebanese President Advisor Amal Abou Zeid http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3885565
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2019-11-05 17:30:13+00:00
🇷🇺🇧🇮Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions at a joint news conference following talks with Foreign Minister of the Republic of #Burundi Ezechiel Nibigira, #Moscow, November 5, 2019
💬Good afternoon,
🔹The meeting with my Burundian colleague Ezechiel Nibigira took place in a warm and friendly atmosphere. We enjoy friendly relations based on the principles of international law, respect for mutual interests and deep historical sympathy that our peoples have for each other.
🔹We praised the positive dynamics of our trade and economic relations. The figures are not too impressive yet, but they show significant growth: more than four-fold in the past three years. This corresponds to our mutual intent to bring our mutually beneficial business partnership to a new level, and today we have reaffirmed that. We have recently managed to launch an entire series of successful joint projects in manufacturing, mining and agriculture. Several Russian companies are operating in Burundi. In turn, a shop selling Burundian tea and coffee opened in #Russia and is doing very well. We also agreed to maintain direct contacts between our business communities. The most promising areas of cooperation are interregional cooperation; in particular, there are good plans to develop an entire range of joint projects in Burundi involving the Republic of #Mordovia.
🔹Our Burundian colleagues have informed us about the steps taken by the country’s government in order to finally put an end to the existing domestic difficulties and about the preparations for the general elections, which will take place in May 2020.
🔹In turn, we confirmed our steadfast position on respecting the sovereignty of Burundi. We believe it is inadmissible to interfere in the domestic affairs of this African country, and we confirmed that this will be our position when discussing issues related to the developments in Burundi at the #UN, including its Security Council.
Read more:🔗https://is.gd/xRwKQc
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2019-11-05 17:25:22+00:00
🇷🇺🇧🇮Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov’s opening remarks during talks with #Burundi’s Foreign Minister Ezechiel Nibigira, #Moscow, November 5, 2019
💬Mr Nibigira,
Friends,
We are delighted to welcome you to Moscow. This is your first visit to our capital, Mr Foreign Minister. We hope it will be successful in the professional sense, and that you enjoy the #Russian capital on a personal level.
We have a good opportunity today to consider the entire scope of our relations. They are developing fast in the trade, economic, cultural, and educational fields. There are good prospects, too. We hope that your visit, your meetings at the Foreign Ministry and at other Russian agencies will help us all outline these prospects more clearly.
We also have a very good chance to discuss in detail our cooperation in the international arena. We closely coordinate our approaches to the key issues discussed at the #UN and other international organisations. It would be especially valuable for us to listen to your assessments of the progress in settling the conflicts on the #African continent.
I am looking forward to having a fruitful and deep conversation.
Welcome.
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2019-11-05 17:20:52+00:00
🔹On November 6, #Russian Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov will meet with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic Nikos Dendias who will pay a working visit to #Moscow.
🔹Sergey Lavrov and Nikos Dendias plan to consider the outlook for Russian-Greek cooperation in the context of the new Greek government coming to power in July 2019.
🔹We expect a rewarding exchange of views on international and regional matters, including the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and the #Balkans. Specific consideration will be given to the two countries’ interaction on multilateral platforms, including in the #UN, the #OSCE and the Council of Europe, as well as the BSEC where Greece is currently presiding. Moscow and #Athens share similar approaches on most global and regional issues; both capitals promote the need to resolve disputes exclusively by political and diplomatic means and in strict accordance with international law.
🔹Following the meeting, it is envisaged that a consultation plan will be signed between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 2020 - 2022.
🔹Mutual efforts are being made to maintain the high dynamics of Russian-Greek cooperation. Several events have been held in both countries since May 2019 when the Cross Year of Language and Literature was launched. Joint plans are being worked out for the next year’s 200th anniversary of the beginning of the Greek national liberation drive, which culminated in the creation of an independent Greek state.
🔹We are waiting for Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to respond to Russian President Vladimir #Putin’s invitation to attend the May 2020 celebrations of the 75th anniversary of #Victory in the Great Patriotic War in Moscow. In 2018, mutual trade between #Russia and #Greece grew by 18.8 percent year on year to $4.3 billion dollars; in the first eight months of 2019, it shrank by 3 percent compared with the same period of 2018, to $2.7 billion. We look forward to an improvement by the end of this year. The Joint Russian–Greek Commission on Economic, Industrial, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation, as well as the working groups created as part of it, play a key role in coordinating bilateral trade and economic cooperation. Its 12th session was held on April 18 in #Thessaloniki, and an intersessional meeting of its co-chairs is slated for mid-November in Moscow.
🔹Investment cooperation between our countries is growing as well. Direct accumulated Russian investment in the Greek economy amounted to $664 million as of January 1, 2019; Greek investment in Russia, to $42 million.
🔹About ten investment projects in various fields are now under discussion. We consider it particularly important to establish partnerships in such fields as innovation and high technology.
🔹The Hellenic Foreign Minister’s visit to Moscow is going to serve the further development of a fruitful Russian-Greek political dialogue and mutual understanding in international affairs.
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2019-11-05 17:12:12+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks during talks with Burundi’s Foreign Minister Ezechiel Nibigira, Moscow, November 5, 2019 http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3884996
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2019-11-05 17:12:11+00:00
Comment by the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Information and Press Department on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece Nikos Dendias http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3884927
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2019-11-05 15:27:36+00:00
❗ Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov in the #interview with Yevgeny Primakov’s International Review programme on Rossiya 24 TV Channel, November 1, 2019:
💬 The #MiddleEast is the cradle of the three main monotheistic religions. The fact that this peaceful coexistence of unique cultures began to fall apart following the #US aggression in Iraq is a huge tragedy and one of the most negative results of the thoughtless interference in internal affairs of Iraq and then #Libya. Now, they tried to accomplish something like that in #Syria. Fortunately, this has not materialised and never will.
So, we need the Middle East and North #Africa as our partner to promote mutually beneficial cooperation and to ensure the interests of #Christians, including #Russian pilgrims. We are connected by many things. Portraying Russia’s policy in #Syria and the entire region as a manifestation of our artificial designs and ambitions disproportionate to our status (there are such views as well), is simply an illiterate and shortsighted approach by some observers.
🔗 Full transcript: https://is.gd/7xDRYw
#Russia #Diplomacy #USA #Iran #Security #Disarmament #OPCW #UN #Moscow #Washington #Turkey #Iraq #SecurityCouncil
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2019-11-05 15:12:17+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions at a joint news conference following talks with Foreign Minister of the Republic of Burundi Ezechiel Nibigira, Moscow, November 5, 2019 http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3885599
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2019-11-05 14:32:33+00:00
Comment by the Foreign Ministry’s Information and Press Department on Burundian Foreign Minister Ezechiel Nibigira’s working visit to the Russian Federation http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3882586
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2019-11-05 14:22:47+00:00
❗ Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria #Zakharova’s answer to a question from Rossiya Segodnya on #Tallinn denying the Akademik #Primakov entry into #Estonia’s territorial waters.
❓ Could you comment on Tallinn’s recent refusal to allow the Akademik Primakov research vessel entry into Estonian territorial waters?
💬 This decision is extremely perplexing, given that earlier this year, Estonia granted the same vessel the appropriate permits twice. This time they denied entry without giving any reasons.
Yet, this is the third time Tallinn has refused entry to Russian ships and aircraft of late. In early October, an airplane carrying a Deputy Prime Minister was not allowed to fly across Estonia; in April, the Russian training vessel Sedov was denied entry into the territorial waters of the Republic of Estonia.
We have made a note of these unfriendly demarches. We will take them into account when building bilateral relations with Estonia.
#Russia #AkademikPrimakov
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2019-11-05 13:07:35+00:00
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova’s answer to a question from Rossiya Segodnya on Tallinn denying the Akademik Primakov entry into Estonia’s territorial waters http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3885016
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2019-11-05 13:02:16+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with Yevgeny Primakov’s International Review programme on Rossiya 24 TV Channel, Moscow, November 1, 2019 http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3882469
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2019-11-05 12:32:38+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko’s meeting with Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Russia Imangali Tasmagambetov http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3885259
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2019-11-05 11:11:34+00:00
🔹 Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov’s answer to a question from the #Moscow. #Kremlin. #Putin programme, November 3, 2019.
❓ Did you learn anything from Yevgeny Primakov? If so, what was it?
💬 Nearly all that we know. I mean even those who met him as adults, professionally or otherwise, realised that this person was far above any average standards and many higher standards. He always got to the core of any matter and laid it out in a clear and simple way. He never used any highbrow phrases or style. He spoke in a very simple language about the most important things. He spoke in a way to make it clear to everyone that this was the truth, it had always been here, and he just opened our eyes to it.
I am very glad that so many people attended the unveiling ceremony for the monument to Yevgeny Primakov. The monument is beautiful, and will always remind the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that Yevgeny Primakov laid the foundation for Russia’s modern foreign policy in the second half of the 1990s. And we are working, under the leadership of President Vladimir Putin, to preserve it and, most importantly, to implement it.
#Primakov #Primakov90
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2019-11-05 10:52:17+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s answer to a question from the Moscow. Kremlin. Putin programme Moscow, November 3, 2019 http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3882568
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2019-11-05 10:32:30+00:00
💬 Deputy FM Sergey Vershinin: we have repeatedly said that we support the dialogue between Kurdish representatives and the central authorities in #Damascus and consider the #Kurds as an integral part of #Syrian society.
🔗 https://is.gd/WI9qYE
#Russia #Syria #MiddleEast
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2019-11-04 07:57:25+00:00
🇷🇺 Congratulations to all people of Russia on National Unity Day of November 4!
🔹 On this day in 1612, the people’s militia headed by district chief Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky liberated Moscow from Polish invaders. The warriors of the people’s militia displayed the heroism and unity of the whole people regardless of their parentage, faith or status.
🔹 A district chief from Nizhny Novgorod Kuzma played a big role in the formation of the militia leading a huge host of over 10,000 service class people, farmers, Cossacks, streltsys and noblemen. The militia was joined, alongside with Russians, by the Mari, Chuvashes, Komi and other ethnicities. The Novgorod Prince Dmitry Pozharsky was elected war chief whereas Kuzma Minin became his aide and treasurer.
❗️The long-lasting Times of Troubles in Russia were over with the expulsion of the Poles. A few months after the liberation of Moscow, the Assembly of the Lands, which represented all walks of life in the country, elected a new Tsar – Mikhail Fyodorovich of the Romanov dynasty.
🔹 In 1818, a monument to “Citizen Minin and Prince Pozharsky” by sculptor Ivan Martos was erected in Red Square under Emperor Alexander I’s decree, the first monument in Russia dedicated to people’s heroes, not a tsar or a commander.
#Russia #NationalUnityDay #Moscow #RedSquare #History #Minin #Pozharsky #Unity #NizhnyNovgorod #Poland #Rzeczpospolita #Liberation #Holiday #Interesting
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2019-11-03 20:32:07+00:00
📃“It is clear that the #EU can only stay competitive in a #multipolar world full of emerging powers if we unite forces”: Vladimir #Chizhov, Permanent Representative of Russia to the European Union, discussed most topical issues of the European and global agenda with @Knack Magazine.
🔹Europe is much larger than the European Union. I recently heard an EU leader talk about making the EU the first #climate neutral continent. Since when is the EU a continent? The EU cannot exist as a continent, cut off from the rest of Europe.
🔹I would not say Ukraine is the main reason for relations being tense. The crisis in #Ukraine has served more as a catalyst rather than a motive. The baseline is that the EU has not yet understood how to deal with #Russia.
🔹Currently Russia – EU relations are in an abnormal state. But we remain hopeful the EU will soon find its way.
🔹EU is promoting itself nowadays as an entity build on #values. That is historically false: the EU was created on the basis of interests. Whenever one of my interlocutors here reminds me of EU values, I always ask to give me a list, so I can compare them with our view of basic values. I never got that list.
🔹Russia does not want to split the European Union. If you ask me whether it is on Donald Trump’s menu, I cannot comment. I can assure that it is not on Russia’s menu.
🔹There are of course nationalist groups like the Azov Battalion that have announced they will move in if the Ukranian army leaves [the buffer zone]. Whatever President #Zelensky might be saying, his inability to order them away shows a lack of leadership.
🔹Now Russia is in a unique position. We are the only country capable of talking to everyone.
🔎Read the full text➡bit.ly/2r1fY4d
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2019-11-03 11:13:18+00:00
🇷🇺🇪🇹 Interview of H.E.Mr. Evgeny Terekhin, Ambassador of Russia in Ethiopia to the Ethiopian News Agency
https://youtu.be/vYOJULlDBAY
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2019-11-02 17:20:59+00:00
On November 2, the international community observes the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.
🇷🇺Russia attaches special importance to the safety of journalists and the problem of impunity for crimes against them. Violations of the rights of journalists, and even more so the threat or use of physical abuse against media professionals while on assignment are unacceptable and must be severely punished under applicable laws.
☝❗ In this regard, the safety of media professionals in Ukraine remains a matter of serious concern. They still face physical abuse. For instance, Russian correspondents in the country’s southeast regularly come under fire from the Ukrainian Armed Forces. There has been no progress so far in the investigations into the killing of journalists Anatoly Klyan, Anton Voloshin, Igor Kornelyuk, Andrei Stenin, Andrea Rocchelli, Oles Buzina, Sergey Dolgov, Vyacheslav Veremiya, Pavel Sheremet and others.
☝❗ We call on the relevant international structures and human rights NGOs to respond in a harsher manner and forcefully condemn all forms of pressure exerted by Ukrainian authorities on the media, including getting rid of journalists viewed as undesirable by the Kiev authorities.
🇷🇺Russia strictly abides by the principles of transparency and openness regarding its information space, enabling foreign and Russian journalists to operate on its territory without any obstacles, and is proactive in its interactions with the relevant international structures on media-related matters.
📢The safety of journalists will dominate the agenda of expert discussions as part of the upcoming international conference on the freedom of the media, to be held on November 6 under the auspices of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Desir and the Russian Foreign Ministry. Russian war correspondents are ready to share their unique experience of working in conflict zones with the relevant international structures and their foreign colleagues.
#KeepTruthAlive #JornoSafe #EndImpunity #IDEI2019 #Russia #ForeignMinistry #MEDIA #FreedomOfSpeech #Journalism #OSCE #UNESCO #Ukraine #Kiev #Europe
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2019-11-02 11:02:41+00:00
☝Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria #Zakharova on the sidelines of the International Public Diplomacy Forum, Dialogue on the Volga: Peace and Mutual Understanding in the 21st Century, Volgograd, November 1, 2019
🔗https://bit.ly/2r8zdZP
#Russia #Volgograd #Coventry #DialogueOnTheVolga #UK #Coventry #Burundi #Greece #OSCE #Lithuania #Latvia #Estonia #Syria #Venezuela #Lebanon #Bolivia #Chile
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2019-11-02 08:51:19+00:00
Remarks by Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the OSCE Vladimir Zheglov at the OSCE Permanent Council meeting on the situation in Ukraine and the need to implement the Minsk Agreements, Vienna, October 31, 2019 http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3882308
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2019-11-02 08:31:23+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov’s meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3882424
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2019-11-02 08:11:04+00:00
Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova on the sidelines of the International Public Diplomacy Forum, Dialogue on the Volga: Peace and Mutual Understanding in the 21st Century, Volgograd, November 1, 2019 http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3882176
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2019-11-02 08:07:49+00:00
🔸On October 30, a group of #Japanese citizens began a pilot tour of the islands of #Kunashir and #Iturup in keeping with the agreements reached by President of #Russia Vladimir #Putin and Prime Minister of #Japan Shinzo Abe after their meetings in #Osaka this past June and in #Vladivostok in September. The tour will end on November 2 and will complete the pilot activities agreed for the current year as part of establishing joint economic activity with Japan in the Southern Kurils. There are plans to sum up the results during the next consultations between deputy foreign ministers of the two countries.
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2019-11-02 08:01:18+00:00
Press release on a Japanese tourist group’s pilot trip to the Southern Kuril Islands http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3882264
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2019-11-01 20:19:26+00:00
🇷🇺 The World Thematic Conference of Russian #Compatriots Living Abroad “Female Compatriots and Succession of Generations” was held in #Moscow on October 30-31. The conference was attended by 155 Russian community leaders and activists, prominent representatives of our diaspora from 93 countries, Russian Federal Assembly members, heads and representatives of the federal and regional executive authorities, well-known Russian females from among political and public figures, #entrepreneurs, teachers of Russian philology, #scientists and #journalists.
🔹 Speaker of the Federation Council of the Russian Federal Assembly Valentina Matviyenko noted during her address to the forum that the women’s communities abroad are playing a major role in building the bridges of friendship between countries, in strengthening trust and mutual understanding of our compatriots and friends of Russia, and are a driving force of the international movement of compatriots. “The protection of compatriots’ rights has undoubtedly been, is and will be of great importance when it comes to Russian foreign policy,” said Valentina Matviyenko. She added that the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have secured an increase in the financing of the Foundation for Supporting and Protecting the Rights of Compatriots Living Abroad.
🔹 Foreign Minister and Chairman of the Government Commission on Compatriots Living Abroad Sergey #Lavrov sent a message of greetings to the conference participants, in which he pointed out the contribution of women compatriots to the continuity of generations, the preservation of the Russian language and culture in families and bringing up children in the spirit of love to their historical Motherland.
🔹 The conference helped further unlock the creative and intellectual potential of women compatriots and to increase the opportunities for their self-actualisation for the benefit of the multiethnic and multireligious #RussianWorld. Special attention was paid at the conference to the role of women compatriots in upholding the historical truth, and encouraging the moral and patriotic upbringing of the younger generation, including in the preparations for and the holding of commemorative events, by foreign communities, for the 75th anniversary of #Victory in the #GreatPatrioticWar, including the #ImmortalRegiment.
🔹 At the conference, a protocol on cooperation was signed by the Council of the #Eurasian #Women’s Forum under the Federation Council of the Russian Federal Assembly and the World Coordination Council of the Russian Compatriots. The conference participants decided to join the activities of the Eurasian Women’s Forum and the work on the establishment of an international #NGO of Russian-speaking females with a view to develop ties between the communities of women compatriots all over the world.
🔹 The 34th meeting of the World Coordination Council was held on the eve of the forum.
🔹 Active compatriots were given awards at the close of the event, and a final resolution was adopted.
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2019-11-01 20:11:51+00:00
❗ Comment by Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria #Zakharova on the #NATO Council’s visit to #Ukraine:
💬 We have read the statements following the visit made by the NATO Council to Ukraine on October 30-31, led by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. NATO officials seem to be giving another package of groundless claims and accusations to #Russia. They are trying to misinterpret the internal Ukrainian conflict and present it as a conflict with Russia. They seem to ignore the efforts being made within by the Contact Group, which plays a central role in determining ways to implement the Minsk Package of Measures through dialogue with the authorities in Donetsk and Lugansk.
NATO continues its destructive actions, working for exacerbation rather than for reconciliation; its moves contribute to increasing the tension, including through promises given to #Ukrainians that “NATO will always be on the side of Ukraine.” NATO’s military support for Kiev obviously has a destabilising and provoking impact on Ukraine.
The purpose of the NATO officials’ visit is clear – to encourage #Kiev’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations in the spirit of the 2008 NATO Bucharest Summit decisions. However, NATO cannot resolve the problems Ukraine is facing in the sphere of national reconciliation, eliminating corruption, or bringing peace to the east of the country. Quite the contrary, considering the historical experience of NATO expansion and its “humanitarian interventions,” calls for Kiev to rush into the arms of the Euro-#Atlantic are provoking a split in the country, deepening the new dividing lines in #Europe, and contributing to the growth of ethnic and other conflicts.
As for the impossibility of “doing business as usual” with our country, well, that would certainly remain impossible if NATO’s policies and military development continue to be guided by the Cold War logic of exaggerating the nonexistent “threat from the East” rather than the interests of pan-#European #security.
The key to resolving the modern security challenges is not in joining a select circle, but in the need to launch an inclusive dialogue with everyone. The NATO-centricity of #Western approaches only complicates the already difficult situation on the European continent.
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2019-11-01 20:08:05+00:00
On November 1, Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and #Africa Mikhail Bogdanov met with Ambassador of the Republic of the #Congo to #Russia David Maduka and Russia’s Honorary Consul in Pointe-Noire Duc Michel Nguebana.
In the context of the further development of traditionally friendly #Russian-#Congolese relations, the officials discussed the results of the economic forum and the Russia-Africa Summit held in #Sochi on October 23-24, which was attended by President of the Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso.
In addition, Duc Michel Nguebana was presented a badge For Cooperation from the Foreign Ministry, the award he received for his personal contribution to the development of Russian-Congolese ties and his active work in the International Coordination Council of Russian #Compatriots Living Abroad.
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2019-11-01 20:05:41+00:00
🔹 On November 1, in keeping with tradition, Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov met with the 2019 university graduates who were employed by the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The minister congratulated the young #diplomats on the beginning of their careers, highlighted important items on the international agenda and answered questions that the new generation of Foreign Ministry staff takes an interest in.
The diplomatic service veterans who attended the event, as well as a representative of the Council of Young Diplomats at the Foreign Ministry extended their greetings to the audience.
#Russia #Diplomacy #Education #University #ForeignPolicy #InternationalRelations
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2019-11-01 19:14:43+00:00
📅 The Battle for the Arctic ended 75 years ago, on November 1, 1944.
⚔️ Following intense defensive battles in the summer of 1941, Soviet soldiers managed to stop the advance of the Nazis and their Finnish allies, thus preventing them from capturing Murmansk. The trench war in the Arctic lasted until 1944.
⚔️ During the war, 1.2 million tonnes of foreign goods, including military equipment, munitions and food, were delivered by the Allies to the Soviet Union via Murmansk under the Lend-Lease programme. The Nazis tried to disrupt the supply routes with major Luftwaffe and Navy forces. The convoys were escorted by British and Soviet ships. The Soviet Northern Fleet, in turn, was active in disrupting the transport of enemy cargo. Soviet sailors destroyed 200 enemy ships and auxiliary vessels, over 400 transports and about 1,300 aircraft during the war.
⚔️ From October 7 to 29, 1944, the Karelian Front, with the support of the Northern Fleet, successfully carried out the Petsamo-Kirkenes offensive operation to liberate the Soviet Arctic and northern Norway, including the cities of Kirkenes and Neide. The Petsamo-Kirkenes operation was the final phase of the Battle for the Arctic.
⚔️ The Red Army and the Northern Fleet helped the Norwegians to oust the enemy at the cost of 2,000 lives of its soldiers. At the time, member of the local anti-fascist Resistance J. Lippe wrote: “The Soviet Army came to Norway not only as a military force, but also as a friend of the Norwegian people.” Monuments to Soviet soldiers with the inscription, Norway thanks you, have been erected in Oslo, Kirkenes, Bodo, Elvenes and several other cities.
#Arctic #Norway #LiberationOfNorway #ThisDayInHistory #IRemember #IAmProud #GreatPatrioticWar #WorldWarII #WWII #USSR #Germany #Russia #Norway #GreatBritain #US #Finland #Murmansk #Kirkenes #Oslo #Memory #History #Feat #Heroism #SovietUnion #NoOneIsForgottenNothingIsForgotten #Salute #AntiFascism #RedArmy #NorthernFleet
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2019-11-01 18:56:18+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin’s meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3882254
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2019-11-01 18:56:17+00:00
Press release on the World Thematic Conference of Russian Compatriots Living Abroad “Female Compatriots and Succession of Generations” http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3879944
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2019-11-01 18:36:36+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with UAE Ambassador to Russia Maadhad Hareb Al Khaili http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3882223
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2019-11-01 18:36:35+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Iraqi Ambassador to Russia Haidar Hadi http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3881993
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2019-11-01 17:56:35+00:00
Comment by Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova on the NATO Council’s visit to Ukraine http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3880301
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2019-11-01 16:46:18+00:00
Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s meeting with university graduates who have joined the diplomatic service http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3882039
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2019-11-01 16:46:17+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko’s meeting with Ambassador of Abkhazia to Russia Igor Akhba http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3882013
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2019-11-01 16:46:16+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Ambassador of South Sudan to Russia Chol Tong Mayay Jang http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3882003
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2019-11-01 16:41:21+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov’s meeting with Ambassador of the Republic of the Congo to Russia David Maduka http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3881983
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2019-11-01 16:31:15+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov’s meeting with French Ambassador to Russia Sylvie-Agnes Bermann http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3881803
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2019-11-01 16:30:40+00:00
❗Fake RT report in Serbian social media
🔹On October 20, 2019, a video clip presented as an #RT report was shown in the Serbian social media. The authors of the captions in Serbian accused Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister of #Serbia Nebojsa Stefanovic of covering up his father’s involvement in smuggling weapons directly to ISIS militants (terrorist organisation banned in #Russia).
🔹The technique of producing this fake is very primitive: the photo of the Stefanovic family is superimposed on an RT video footage. The background is an RT investigative report (https://www.rt.com/news/468064-us-purchased-arms-terrorists-yemen/) that tells a completely different story. RT lays emphasis on the unseemly role of the United States in arming ISIS terrorists in Yemen. It reveals how the Americans purchase weapons in Serbia and transfer them to ISIS militants in Yemen. The RT report does not mention Serbian politicians at all.
🔹The timing of the fake’s appearance is indicative: it was shown right after the visit of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev to Belgrade and ahead of his Serbian counterpart Ana Brnabic’s trip to Moscow.
🔹The initiators of this fake obviously wanted to damage the trust-based atmosphere of dialogue between the Russian and Serbian leaders and undermine Belgrade-Moscow rapprochement. They also tried to settle personal accounts with the Stefanovic family and destabilise the domestic political situation in Serbia.
🔹We are convinced that whoever ordered this media fake failed to achieve their goals. The progressive development of multifaceted Russia-Serbia bilateral cooperation will continue.
https://twitter.com/Biba1204/status/1185939481930674176?s=20
#FakeNews #Fake
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2019-11-01 15:54:28+00:00
There is certainly a lot to be done in order to resolve the remaining issues of the complete disengagement of forces and hardware, the amnesty, re-establishment of economic ties, lifting the blockade announced by the Petr Poroshenko regime, and the final approval of the processes of granting a special status to some districts in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions and stating this status in the #Ukrainian Constitution in accordance with the Minsk Agreements.
We uphold the OSCE activity in the Transnistrian settlement, as well as in searching for agreements on Nagorno-#Karabakh. We note the Organisation’s crucial role in the #Geneva Discussions on Security and Stability in the South Caucasus.
We also spoke today about the challenges facing the OSCE in view of the complicated situation persisting in the Balkans.
We discussed the activities of the OSCE specialised institutions, including the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the work of the High Commissioner on National Minorities and the OSCE Representative on the Freedom of the Media. We believe that the Representative on the Freedom of the Media should act in an impartial and transparent manner in strict compliance with the approved mandate.
Overall, I think the talks were very useful. We will continue our discussions during a working lunch. I believe OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger and his team are moving successfully towards the OSCE Ministerial Council in Bratislava. We will try to ensure that the member countries focus on looking for a consensus on all the items on the agenda.
🔗 More: http://bit.ly/2C8EkLr
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2019-11-01 15:54:28+00:00
🔹 Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov at a joint news conference following talks with OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger, #Moscow, October 31, 2019:
💬 We have held constructive, substantive and very detailed talks with #OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger. This is his second visit to Moscow this year. We welcome the regular nature of our contacts.
Russia has reaffirmed its position. We consistently stand for enhancing the OSCE’s authority in #European and global affairs. The organisation is designed to be a platform for mutually respectful dialogue to work out collective responses to threats and challenges which are common for all Euro-#Atlantic countries and beyond. Unfortunately, the way the OSCE’s uniting potential has been currently used is far below its capacity.
We shared the opinion that the OSCE can make a significant contribution, provided the OSCE member states have the political will, to the challenging and currently stagnant process of re-establishing trust in the Euro-Atlantic region. We are also confident that the strategic goal of implementing the 2010 #Astana Summit agreements on building the comprehensive and indivisible security community in the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasia should remain in focus. It fits perfectly with the Russian initiative to support the establishment of the Greater Eurasian Partnership joined by all nations and organisations on our enormous common continent.
We discussed the preparations for the OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting in #Bratislava on December 5-6. The Russian side confirmed its readiness to work constructively on draft decisions in the three dimensions of OSCE activity in the sense that they should be based on addressing Russia’s priorities. Naturally, when we talk about the need to address our priorities we mean that we are also ready to take our partners’ positions into account, because the OSCE can only operate on the basis of consensus.
Russia will propose a draft declaration for the Bratislava OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting, which we prepared with our CSTO allies, on the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, and also draft decisions on current issues of anti-terror, countering the drug threat, the need to ensure free access to information for the public and journalists. Our last year’s draft decision on protecting language, education and other rights of ethnic minorities remains on the table. We reminded OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger yet again that, unfortunately, in the past five years the OSCE member states failed to adopt declarations on fighting anti-Christian and anti-Muslim discrimination.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Charter for European Security and the Platform for Co-Operative Security. They were adopted at the summit in Istanbul in 1999. We deem it important to envision the adoption of a document at the OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting that would reaffirm the principles stated in those documents: indivisible security and the need to establish partnership not only within the OSCE but also between all regional and subregional organisations.
We discussed the prospects for political settlement in southeast Ukraine in the context of our traditional support for the OSCE’s role in implementing the #Minsk Agreements, which have no alternative in overcoming that crisis. We shared opinions on ways to increase the effectiveness of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission. We supported the role the OSCE plays in the Contact Group, including in political issues.
As you are aware, #Kiev, #Donetsk and #Lugansk have recently signed the Steinmeier formula.
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2019-11-01 15:39:52+00:00
I believe that today’s presentation will allow all those present here to gain an in-depth knowledge of the opportunities that the region offers in the economy, including investment opportunities, and in cultural cooperation as well as people-to-people ties, including tourism.
I would like to wish Head of Udmurtia Mr Brechalov and all the residents of the republic every success together with prosperity and I would like to wish all you here all the very best. Enjoy yourselves at this interesting evening.
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2019-11-01 15:39:52+00:00
📖 Remarks by Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov at a presentation given by the Republic of #Udmurtia, #Moscow, October 31, 2019:
💬 It is a great pleasure for me to welcome all of you to our mansion and to yet another presentation by a Russian #region. Today, it will be the Udmurtian Republic. I welcome representatives of federal and regional authorities, our colleagues from the #diplomatic corps, members of the #Russian and foreign business communities and our fellow-journalists.
Udmurtia is a unique region having an identity of its own, where different cultures come into contact, enriching one another. In the distant year of 1489, the northern part of this region, which was part of the Vyatka area at that time – was integrated into the Russian state while its southern area was included as part of #Russia in 1552, at the same time as the Kazan Khanate was.
Today, Udmurtia with its vast industrial potential ranks among the country’s leaders, in terms of industrial growth rates, which keep increasing. The republic has rich deposits of minerals, primarily #oil, and manufactures modern equipment required for this field on a large scale. In addition to this, it is Russia’s only producer of zirconium and calcium products, which are used in the #nuclear industry.
Udmurtia is internationally recognised as a high-#technology and reliable defence industry centre and also well known for its space radio electronics and it has the infrastructure required for this sector. It has an industrial cluster of defence factories, which has evolved over time, including the Izhevsk Aksion-Holding Motor Plant, the #Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant Kupol , the Votkinsky Zavod Plant, the Kalashnikov Concern, the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant and the Chepetsky Mechanical Plant.
Today, the republic’s authorities are handling very important matters, such as supporting small and medium-sized #businesses and developing the transport #infrastructure. Great attention is attached to the efforts being made to implement social programmes and support youth initiatives and the volunteer movement.
Udmurtia is expanding and improving its external economic and international ties and we are doing our very best to support these efforts. Udmurtia maintains relations with over 100 countries, including #China, the Republic of #Belarus, #Kazakhstan, #Egypt, #Germany, #SaudiArabia, #Poland, #Romania and the Republic of #Korea. Thanks to Udmurtia’s well-considered and sensible investment policy, foreign businesses’ heightened interest in the region continues unabated.
With its vast tourist potential, Udmurtia is an inalienable part of Russia’s rich cultural and historical heritage. It has 84 cultural heritage sites, which have federal status, and 22 cultural heritage sites of regional significance, including those associated with outstanding personalities, such as Pyotr Tchaikovsky, writer and 1812 Patriotic War hero Nadezhda Durova and many others.
This year the #region will celebrate on a grand scale the centenary of the birth of the legendary firearms inventor Mikhail Kalashnikov. He led the work to create the armaments that have become the symbol of our army. The Kalashnikov submachine gun has earned itself a reputation, in its own right, as one of the 20th-century’s most important inventions and it will remain a reliable weapon in the arsenal of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and many other countries for many decades yet to come. A number of regions of the Russian Federation, as well as leading Russian companies, members of the business and academic communities, cultural figures and athletes have already actively joined the preparations to mark the centenary of Kalashnikov’s birth.
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2019-11-01 15:28:28+00:00
❗ Permanent Representative of #Russia to the OSCE Alexander Lukashevich’s interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta, October 29, 2019:
❓ Mr Lukashevich, I would like to start with a difficult question. The people seldom understand the role and importance of such institutions as the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in #Europe (#OSCE). They believe that it is all talk and little action, apart from that of the adoption of resolutions. This is partly true. Are there too many international organisations that are hardly having any influence on realities? And it also costs a fortune to maintain them.
💬 In general, multilateral #diplomacy helps to increase predictability when it comes to international relations. In the modern day world, it is difficult to resolve any problems in a bilateral interstate format alone. International organisations are platforms for interaction between states, dialogue and the coordination of positions on complicated global and regional matters. Whether we want it or not, the absolute majority of problems nowadays are of a cross-border nature. One country alone or even a group of countries cannot resolve them. Coordinated collective efforts are needed for the maintenance of peace and stability on the #European continent. This is exactly what the OSCE is doing. Andrey #Gromyko said on this account that 10 years of talks are better than one day of war.
❓ Can the OSCE be regarded as the European #UN?
💬 A vital part of the Charter for European Security is the Platform for Cooperative #Security, which is based on cooperation and stipulates a framework for the interaction of various regional organisations under the umbrella of the OSCE. At that time, we believed that we only needed to take the last step towards creating a European UN, that is, approve a charter that would confirm the central role of the new organisation in the European security architecture. But that step has never been taken.
The OSCE is still not a subject of international law. In other words, it can only issue recommendations, not adopt binding decisions. The charter has not been adopted. The result is that the OSCE is a major platform for the discussion of common European topics but not a decision-making centre.
❓ How have the OSCE’s priorities changed over the past decades?
💬 At its inception, the OSCE was designed to set the rules of the game for the coexistence of two confronting systems. Later, there was a short period of time when the OSCE was expected to become the central link in the Euro-#Atlantic security architecture. At some stage we managed to keep the OSCE in the front ranks of international relations. Important moves were taken, which I have mentioned. But eventually the Western countries refused to bring this process to its logical conclusion. They probably feared losing the dividends of “Cold War winners.” The numerous phases of NATO enlargement were not designed to create an open system of European security but to draw East European countries into the orbit of #American influence.
However, we look at the OSCE as a promising venue for rebooting the system of European security. The biggest problem is that the OSCE’s potential is not being used in full measure. Instead of building bridges between the conflicting parties, this unique organisation, which includes all Euro-Atlantic states and some #Eurasian countries, is largely running idle or, worse still, is being used for increasing confrontation. Russia is categorically against this approach. We have been trying to direct the OSCE’s efforts towards reducing tension in Europe and combating common for all countries transnational challenges, such as terrorism, drug trafficking, cybercrime and organised crime.
🔗 http://bit.ly/36pcyZm
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2019-11-01 14:26:19+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko’s meeting with Co-Chair of Geneva International Discussions on Security and Stability in the South Caucasus, EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus Toivo Klaar http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3881838
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2019-11-01 12:11:19+00:00
Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko’s meeting with Head of the Human Security Division at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation Heidi Grau http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3881823
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2019-11-01 11:51:40+00:00
Permanent Representative of Russia to the OSCE Alexander Lukashevich’s interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta, October 29, 2019 http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3879985
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2019-11-01 11:46:10+00:00
Remarks by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a presentation given by the Republic of Udmurtia, Moscow, October 31, 2019 http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3879924
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2019-11-01 11:31:16+00:00
Press release on the results of the 99th meeting of the Joint Russian-Kazakh Demarcation Commission http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3880191
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2019-11-01 10:36:10+00:00
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions at a joint news conference following talks with OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger, Moscow, October 31, 2019 http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3879821
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2019-11-01 08:57:49+00:00
🙂🎤🤶🎵🎶🎼 Buranovskiye Babushki performed at the presentation of #Russia's Udmurt Republic at the Foreign Ministry. #BuranovskiyeBabushki #Udmurtia #Moscow #Lavrov #Folklore
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2019-11-01 08:22:17+00:00
🔹 On October 31, the Foreign Ministry hosted a presentation on the economic and investment potential of the #Udmurtian Republic. The event was attended by representatives of the diplomatic missions accredited in #Moscow, federal and regional authorities, business communities and #Russian and foreign #media.
☝️ The event was opened by Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov, who noted the republic’s high #investment attractiveness, advanced rates of industrial growth and diversification, as well as its commitment to producing high-tech products. The region is making great efforts to intensify contacts with foreign partners and expand the geography of its external ties. #Udmurtia’s leadership is working consistently to create state-of-the-art investment and transport infrastructure to attract both Russian and foreign companies.
🔹 In their remarks, Head of Udmurtia Alexander Brechalov and representatives of the leading local companies described the business conditions in the region and promising #innovations and new products, as well as their plans to encourage business cooperation with foreign partners. A number of innovative projects, in which business people and interested foreign parties could take part, were presented.
The presentation drew great interest from the guests and showed the trend of Udmurtia’s advanced development and exports, as well as its readiness for steady cooperation in various fields and rich #culture.
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2019-11-01 07:36:40+00:00
Press release on Udmurtia’s presentation at the Foreign Ministry http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/3879934