📰 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s written interview with RIA Novosti (December 31, 2023)

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#RussiaUSA

Our readiness to restore a full-fledged dialogue with the United States should not be taken for granted. Russia-US relations have become strained to the maximum due to Washington’s strategic objective of inflicting a decisive blow on Russia. We will only be able to develop a formula for peaceful coexistence and cooperation in certain areas when Washington acknowledges our core national interests and engages in sincere negotiations.

#INF

If the United States does not take any extraordinary steps to exert pressure through other means, Russia will not be the first to deploy missiles that were previously prohibited under the INF Treaty.

However, judging by the preparations made by the Pentagon, practical actions by the Americans to deploy ground-launched intermediate and short-range missiles in different regions of the world should not take long. Therefore, the time when we will have to make necessary political decisions is fast approaching.

#MiddleEast

Russia consistently advocates for the initiation of Palestinian-Israeli talks. The lack of Palestinian unity remains one of the obstacles to this.

We also assist our Palestinian friends in finding a solution. We have provided them with a venue for holding meetings in Russia. We call for unification based on the platform of the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

#KievCrimes

The crimes of the Kiev regime are already under investigation. Russian law enforcement authorities are meticulously recording and documenting the atrocities committed by Ukrainian neo-Nazis, which extend beyond the timeframe of the special military operation.

Based on the evidence gathered by the Investigative Committee, the courts of the Russian Federation have already sentenced over 200 members of Ukrainian armed groups to long prison terms for their crimes. The remaining criminals will face the same fate and will be held accountable.

🎄 President Vladimir Putin sent Christmas and New Year 2024 greetings to foreign heads of state and government:

• President of the Republic of Abkhazia Aslan Bzhania

• President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev

• President of the Republic of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan and Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan

• President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko

• President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

• President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov

• President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon

• President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov and Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty (upper house) of the Milli Gengesh (parliament) of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov

• President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev

• President of the Republic of South Ossetia Alan Gagloev

• President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia Luis Arce

• President of the Federative Republic of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva

• Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban

• President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro

• General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Vo Van Thuong

• President of the Republic of India Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister of the Republic of India Narendra Modi

• President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping

• President of the Republic of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez and Army General Raul Castro

• President of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic Thongloun Sisoulith

• President of the Republic of Nicaragua Daniel Ortega

• His Holiness Pope Francis

• President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic

• President of the Syrian Arab Republic Bashar al-Assad

• President of the Republic of Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdogan

• President of the Republic of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa

🌐 Last year, the Russian diplomatic service pursued a foreign policy course determined by President Vladimir Putin in a situation of heightened confrontation with the collective West.

The main goals were to provide political and diplomatic support for the special military operation and to expand cooperation with countries and associations that make up the Global Majority.

👉 Main foreign policy results in 2023

1️⃣ An important milestone in 2023 was the update of the doctrine underlying Russia's foreign policy: on March 31, the President of Russia approved a new version of the Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation.

2️⃣ Russia made significant efforts to develop relations with neighbouring countries, as well as the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

3️⃣ Integration with Belarus has advanced significantly. The partner countries began working on an interstate treaty on security guarantees and the Union State security concept.

4️⃣ Amid geopolitical turbulence, Eurasian integration associations that include Russia have successfully demonstrated their resilience.

5️⃣ The progress in relations with the Central Asian states was advanced by the 6th foreign ministers' meeting in the CA5+Russia format in Samarkand in April.

6️⃣ Russia contributed to the Armenian-Azerbaijani normalisation process based on the trilateral agreements of the leaders. Visas were abolished for short-term trips to Russia by Georgian citizens, and direct flights between our countries were resumed.

7️⃣ Russian-Chinese relations reached an unprecedented level in 2023. After his re-election as President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping made his first foreign visit to Russia in March. President of Russia Vladimir Putin visited China to take part in the third Belt and Road International Forum in October.

👉 Learn more about other foreign policy results

⚡️ Main foreign policy results in 2023

Per tradition, at the end of each year we summarize the outcomes of the Russia's foreign policy, implemented by the MFA and determined by President Vladimir Putin.

👉 Points 1-7

8️⃣ Russia maintained an intensive political dialogue with India, including in the context of the country's chairmanship of the #SCO and the #G20, reinforcing the Russian-Indian special and privileged strategic partnership.

9️⃣ President Vladimir Putin's meeting with Chairman of State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Kim Jong-un at the Vostochny Cosmodrome brought Russian-North Korean relations to a new level.

1️⃣0️⃣ Important joint steps were taken to expand Russian-Iranian relations. In particular, the parties signed an agreement on the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway, and the foreign ministers signed a Declaration on the Ways and Means to Counter, Mitigate and Redress the Adverse Impacts of Unilateral Coercive Measures.

1️⃣1️⃣ The launch of the mechanism of regular dialogue at the level of foreign ministers accelerated cooperation between the Caspian states.

1️⃣2️⃣ Relations with Türkiye reached a strategic level in the field of peaceful nuclear energy: in particular, Russia began supplying nuclear fuel to the Akkuyu nuclear power plant.

1️⃣3️⃣ Russia gained a stronger foothold in the Middle East. Relations with the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, primarily the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. There was progress in relations with the League of Arab States.

1️⃣4️⃣ The second Russia-Africa Summit held in St Petersburg in July marked the culmination of collaborative efforts to significantly enhance ties in this promising area of Russia's foreign policy.

1️⃣5️⃣ The expansion of traditional partnerships with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean was central to the agenda of the successful political dialogue with regional states at the highest and high levels.

👉 Learn more about other foreign policy results

❄️ Happy New Year! ❄️🎄☃️

#NewYear #NewYear2024

🎙 New Year Address to the Nation by President Vladimir Putin

💬 We are bidding farewell to 2023.

The main thing which has united us is the destiny of the Motherland. There is a deep understanding of the utmost importance of the historic period which Russia is going through, those large-scale objectives which society is facing and the colossal responsibility for the Motherland which every one of us feels.

Work for the collective good has united society. We are united in our thoughts, tasks and in combat, whether at work or on days off, displaying the main traits of the Russian people – solidarity, mercy and firmness.

I would like to address our military personnel – everyone who is on duty, who is on the front lines fighting for truth and justice. You are our heroes. Our hearts are with you. We are proud of you and we admire your courage.

I am well aware that now you feel the love of those nearest and dearest to you, the powerful, sincere support of millions of Russian citizens, the support of the entire people.

We have proved over and over again that we are able to tackle the most difficult tasks and we will never back down as there is no force that can divide us, make us forget the memory and the faith of our fathers, or stop our development.

The upcoming year of 2024 has been declared the Year of the Family in our country. And a truly big family is definitely a family where children grow up, where parents are given attention, and treated with warm-heartedness and care, and where everyone loves and respects each other.

I would like to convey my very best wishes for the new year to all Russian families. After all, the history of our huge, wonderful and beloved Motherland is shaped by the history of each family. We – the multinational people of Russia – decide and create its fate.

We are one country, one big family. We will ensure the steady development of the Motherland, the well-being of our citizens, and we will become even stronger.

Happy New Year, friends! Happy 2024!

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