🇷🇺🙏🇮🇳 The 36th Surajkund International Crafts Mela kicked off today with the much-anticipated participation of Russia. Representing the country, the booths of Bashkortostan, Buryatiya, and Tatarstan were opened, showcasing rich traditions and culture of Russia.

Visitors to the Festival have the unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the beauty of Russia's art and heritage, as each booth presents a unique and captivating display of traditional crafts, garments, and cultural artifacts.

The 36th Surajkund International Crafts Mela is a unique platform for cultural exchange and celebration of the world's diverse arts and heritage. We invite everyone to come and experience it personally.

🇷🇺🪔🇮🇳 Discover the essence of Russia at the DCWA & Diplomatic Community 70th Anniversary Bazaar! Our booth is open until 19:00 at Sunder Nursery, Nizamuddin in New Delhi today.

From traditional souvenirs and handmade crafts to mouth-watering sweets and an array of Matryoshka dolls, we have it all. And let's not forget the star of the show - delicious pancakes in various flavors! Visit us and experience a piece of Russia.

🗓 Check out Russian House in New Delhi's activities schedule for February!

#ICYMI🔹On January 31 - February 3, South Africa hosted the first Sherpa/Sous-Sherpa meeting of the BRICS countries this year. The Russian delegation was headed by Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Sous-Sherpa to BRICS Pavel Knyazev.

The Russian Side noted the importance of implementing the BRICS Integrated Early Warning System for preventing mass infectious diseases risks, establishing the BRICS Center for Industrial Competences on the basis of the UNIDO, the Medical Association of the five countries and a specialized journal, as well as strengthening cooperation in the areas of nuclear medicine and sports.

Learn more ➡️ HERE

Good morning, India! 🌞 शुभ प्रभात, भारत!

📸 Pyatigorsk, Stavropol Krai, Russia

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🇷🇺🙏🇮🇳 To mark the 30th anniversary of the 1993 Treaty of India-Russia Friendship Treaty, Centre for Global India Insights (CGII) hosting a forum discussion ‘Next Steps in India-Russia Strategic Partnership: Old Friends, New Horizons’.

Join us online ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/live/KbJVnIW4oDw?feature=share

🎙 Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov’s comment on the 20th anniversary of US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s speech on February 5, 2003 in the UN Security Council accusing Iraq of creating weapons of mass destruction, which became the pretext for the subsequent American invasion

💬 The image of Colin Powell showing a test tube, supposedly containing anthrax powder, has long become widely recognised as a personification of hypocrisy and the US ruling elite’s conviction in their own impunity, their indisputable right to arrogantly teach the rest of the world, using force against a deliberately weak adversary in order to preserve their own global hegemony.

Although, as a decent person, Colin Powell would not hide in the future the fact that he was forced to lie under orders. We even accept that he was tormented by a conscience that is not characteristic of the American political class, especially the leaders of the today’s generation.

In the rapidly changing geopolitical conditions, the United States is now clearly unable to resort to the use of force every time it wants to, without serious consequences. The ignominious flight from Afghanistan outlined the limits of America’s military capabilities, but did not drive away old habits and manners, aggressive and unbridled rhetoric, as evidenced by the American intervention in Ukraine as a party to the conflict.

However, the Americans will still have to change their views, getting rid of the entitlement syndrome, which was so clearly manifested in the scandal with the vial. They will also have to reckon with Russia and China, as well as other major international players that are shaping a more equitable multilateral world order.

☝️ One should not expect that the memory of what happened 20 years ago will be buried in the quicksands of modern history.

⚡️ Emergency statement by the Joint Coordination Headquarters of the Russian Federation on Humanitarian Response in Ukraine

◽️ According to the information, confirmed by several independent sources, Ukrainian intelligence services intend to implement a large-scale provocation to accuse the Russian Federation of committing alleged 'war crimes'.

◽️ With this purpose, the Kiev regime has planned a guided explosion at the buildings of the narcological and oncological clinics (Alekseya Tikhogo st., 31), as well as the 1st hospital (Alekseya Tikhogo st., 17) in Kramatorsk to accuse Russia of the allegedly 'intentional attacks' against civilian facilities.

◽️ Journalists of Western mass media, accompanied by officers of the Security Service of Ukraine, have already arrived in Kramatorsk, and are currently accommodated in the 'Sapfir' hotel (Vrachebnaya st., 35).

◽️ At the same time, the staff of the healthcare facilities have not been evacuated yet. All the employees remain in remote working mode until special instructions.
 
◽️ The explosion of the healthcare facilities in Kramatorsk will be presented by Western mass media as another 'atrocity', committed by Russian forces, that will require a response from the international community, and an acceleration in supplying Kiev with long-range missiles for launching strikes at the territory of Russia.

◽️ Amidst the military failures of Ukrainian army, the Kiev authorities are trying to use these provocations for intensifying the pressure on the Western countries' public opinion in order to reach the amplification in the range of modern armament and military hardware to be delivered to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

@mod_russia_en

🪁 Ride the wind: Extreme athletes compete in Russian Snow Kiting Championships

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Good morning, India! 🌞 शुभ प्रभात, भारत!

📸 Tobolsk, Russia

🎙 Deputy Foreign MinisterAlexander Grushko’s interview with Parlamentskaya Gazeta (February 3, 2023)

Read in full

❓ Question: Russia announced its withdrawal from the Council of Europe in March 2022. Why was the draft law on terminating the Council of Europe’s treaties with Russia introduced now?

💬 The conventions listed in the draft law were ratified by federal laws, so their termination should also be formalised by a federal law the drafting of which involved complex coordination by and between several agencies.

💬 I hope our deputies and senators will support the draft law, all the more so as it is of a technical nature and just codifies the realities that took shape last year.

❓Question: The agreements signed by the CoE member states include the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and the European Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism, to name a few. How will the termination of these documents with regard to Russia affect our citizens and international security cooperation?

💬 When Russia joined these conventions, their provisions were integrated into Russian legislation, and they remain there. Let's not forget about the code of international obligations. Our country is committed to the UN universal human rights conventions and agreements within the CIS and other regional formats. In general, the Constitution of the Russian Federation guarantees a wider range of rights and freedoms than the European Convention on Human Rights and other CoE treaties.

❓ Question: Will Russia be willing to return to the Council of Europe? What will make it consider that option?

💬 As you may be aware, the Council of Europe, as the first section of its charter says, was created to achieve greater unity of the European peoples. Through the efforts of the West, it has now become something of the opposite nature. It makes no sense to return to such an organisation, which is a kind of a waiting room for the European Union.

Good morning, India! 🌞 शुभ प्रभात, भारत!

📸 Saint Petersburg, Russia