#Announcement

🎙 Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova will hold a briefing on current foreign policy issues at approximately 14:00 MSK (11:00 am GMT) on February 28.

Accreditation is open until 11 am on February 27.

⚡️ Statement by the Foreign Ministry regarding the response to the 13th EU package of sanctions against Russia

The European Union continues its futile attempts to put pressure on Russia through unilateral restrictive measures. On February 23, the EU countries adopted the 13th package of sanctions. We consider these EU moves illegitimate and believe they undermine the international legal prerogatives of the UN Security Council.

⛔️ In response to this unfriendly move, the Russia has significantly expanded the list of representatives of European institutions and EU member states, who, under Federal Law No 114-FZ On the Procedure for Entering and Exiting the Russian Federation dated August 15, 1996, are denied entry to our country.

It concerns officials from law enforcement agencies and commercial organisations in the EU countries and EU nationals who are involved in providing military assistance to the neo-Nazi Kiev regime; representatives of European agencies engaged in prosecuting Russian officials for “illegal arrests and deportation of people from Ukrainian territories;” those who are involved in establishing a “tribunal” against the Russian leadership and collecting relevant materials; those who call for confiscation of Russian state assets or the use of the profits from them in the interests of Ukraine; those who support the sanctions against our country and try to undermine Russia’s relations with other states, and those who are engaged in distributing misinformation about our country.

The Russian stop-list also includes representatives of the Council of Europe, members of the legislative assemblies of the EU countries, participants in the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE and PACE, who systematically make unfriendly statements regarding Russia.

❗️This is to reiterate that any unfriendly actions by Western countries will be met with a timely and commensurate response.

🇷🇺🇺🇳 The 55th Session of the UN Human Rights Council has commenced in Geneva (February 26 - April 5), with the first four days dedicated to its high-level segment.

🎙 A wide range of issues on the international human rights agenda will be discussed during the Session, including:

• protection of the rights of children and persons with disabilities;
• ensuring freedom of religion;
• respect for human rights in the fight against terrorism;
• prevention of torture;
• protection of cultural and social rights;
• combating discrimination against minorities;
• other thematic topics.

🌐 Additionally, discussions will be held on the situations of human rights in Belarus, Syria, Ukraine, as well as in Afghanistan, Venezuela, Guatemala, Honduras, the DRC, Iran, Cyprus, DPRK, Colombia, Mali, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Sudan, CAR, Sri Lanka, Eritrea, and South Sudan.

🇷🇺 The Russian Federation, which participates in the Session as an observer, intends, as before, to actively use its potential to overcome confrontation and promote a unifying agenda, as well as to foster understanding among partners of the importance of establishing constructive international dialogue on issues of promoting and protecting human rights with due respect for the national and cultural-historical peculiarities of each state.

Dear friends, have a good day! 🌅 भारतीय दोस्तों, आपका दिन मंगलमय और शुभ हो!

📸 Can you guess the location?