🇷🇺🇺🇳 Permament Mission of the Russian Federation to the UN:

🎙 Statement by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at UNSC briefing regarding the acts of sabotage at the Nord Stream pipeline (11 July 2023)

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💬 At our initiative, the Security Council has remained seized on this matter for several months by now. We note that regardless of the format of discussion and positions of states on the draft resolution that we proposed, almost all Council members unwaveringly condemned this crime and underscored the importance of finding out the truth and identifying the perpetrators.

We expect the authorities of Germany 🇩🇪, Denmark 🇩🇰 and Sweden 🇸🇪 to take concrete steps to conduct an objective and transparent investigation into all the circumstances of what happened with a mandatory involvement of Russian investigative authorities and other interested parties.

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🔹 We have also noted that the authorities of Germany, Denmark and Sweden claim in their joint letter that access to the crime scene is allegedly open. In that case, we will proceed from the assumption that our investigative bodies and experts can examine it independently at any time as part of the criminal proceedings initiated by the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation to look into a case of international terrorism.

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🇷🇺 The Russian Federation will raise the issue of sabotage of Nord Streams in the Security Council until the perpetrators are identified and held accountable.

We will use all means at our disposal to achieve that goal.

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☝️ The Council must make it clear that crimes against transboundary pipeline infrastructure that pose a direct threat to international peace and security will not go unpunished. Only in this way can we prevent the recurrence of such crimes, to which any state can fall victim.

🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with Lenta.ru online newspaper (July 13, 2023)

Key points:

🔸 We have to admit that Vladimir Zelensky’s Western curators completely refuse any form of de-escalation. The Kiev regime has directly and immediately rejected the possibility of talks on peace initiatives proposed by China, Brazil and African countries.

🔸 Must be recognized the new territorial reality following the free expression of the will of residents of the Donbass people’s republics and the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions in favour of political integration with Russia.

❗️ The Kiev authorities must guarantee the rights of Russian speakers and ethnic minorities in Ukraine, including the official status of the Russian language.

🔸 We warned the UN Security Council about the plans of the Ukrainian neo-Nazis to destroy the dam back in October last year. The lack of response on the part of the United Nations Secretariat has reinforced the confidence of the Ukrainian authorities that they will get away with it.

🔸 The United States and its NATO satellites are creating risks of a direct armed clash with Russia, and this is fraught with catastrophic consequences.

🔸 Russia is ready to help strengthen the sovereignty of African states and all their security dimensions in every possible way. This is the key idea of the upcoming the Russia-Africa Summit in St Petersburg.

🔸 Aggressive steps by unfriendly states create an existential threat for Russia. We will have to uphold our right to free and sovereign development using all available means.

🔸 We realise that a stronger multipolar world is a reality, rather than someone’s whim. The updated Foreign Policy Concept proclaims Russia’s civilisational mission as a world power.

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🇷🇺🇧🇳🇻🇳🇮🇩🇰🇭🇱🇦🇲🇾🇲🇲🇸🇬🇹🇭🇵🇭 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov takes part in the #RussiaASEAN meeting.
 
📍 Jakarta, July 13

🔴 #LIVE: Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions following the #RussiaASEAN meeting.

📍 Jakarta, July 13

🔗 https://www.ruptly.tv/event_route?link_id=86b3e519-712a-4ea0-83e7-91395c32aaed&provider_id=15

🔗 https://mid.ru/en/press_service/video

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⏰ Генеральное консульство России в Киркенесе закрыто 14 и 17 июля 2023 г. в связи с проведением выездного консульского обслуживания в г.Альта.

‼️Dear visitors,

⏰ The Russian Consulate General in Kirkenes is closed on July, 14 and July, 17 due to the consular session in Alta.

⚡️ On the results of the NATO summit in Vilnius ⚡️

🗓 On July 11-12, Vilnius hosted a summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Its results show that NATO has once again returned to the Cold War schemes, this time to protect “their one billion” from the other part of humanity based on the ideology of dividing the world into “democracies and autocracies.”

Led by the United States, the collective West refuses to accept the rise of a multipolar world and intends to use every instrument at its disposal, including military methods, to defend is hegemony. NATO’s attempts to use the UN Charter to camouflage its aggressive aspirations and actions are not credible. The bloc and the global organisation have nothing in common.

The Western “rules-based order” is a misappropriated prerogative to violate international law. The results of NATO’s actions are well known; they include the proliferation of instability, the destruction of states, the rise of terrorism, war crimes committed with impunity, the death of civilians, including children, and an endless wave of refugees.

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❗️ NATO, which is whipping up militarisation and aggravating military-political tension to ensure its superiority, continues with its provocative expansion policy. The focus of its aspirations is Ukraine’s further integration with NATO.

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☝️ We will scrutinise the results of the Vilnius summit. Taking into account the threats and challenges to Russia’s security and interests, we will use all the means and methods available to provide a prompt and appropriate response to them. In addition to the decisions taken, we will continue to strengthen our military structure and the country’s defence system.

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🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statement and answers to media questions following the Russia-ASEAN Conference

📍 Jakarta, July 13, 2023

#RussiaASEAN meeting

💬 We have held the annual Ministerial Meeting between Russia and ASEAN Member Countries once again. The meeting involved the Secretary-General of this organisation. We prioritised such aspects as high technologies, digitalisation and smart cities. We had a separate discussion of our collaboration on countering new challenges and threats. Cooperation between #ASEAN and the Eurasian Economic Union (#EAEU) is another issue.

We are expecting ASEAN representatives at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok in September 2023. We have drafted specific plans aiming to expand practical cooperation in various fields and in the interests of all participants.

On #NATO policy in the Asia-Pacific region

💬 It is true that the ASEAN approaches are now going through a serious test because of the desire of the US and its allies to replace the ASEAN-centric security architecture in the Asia-Pacific region, which took shape over decades and suited everyone until recently, with their “Indo-Pacific strategies” and NATO expansion in this region.

Japan and South Korea already told that they are willing to deploy American nuclear weapons on their territory or to acquire their own. This is a seriously dangerous trend.

#JCPOA

💬 I am not very optimistic about the prospects of resuming the JCPOA. Another point is that, along with this stalled and withered process, the Iranians and the Americans are engaged in unofficial and direct contact below the radar on normalising their relations by unblocking Iran’s seized foreign reserves in exchange for deciding the fate of certain US citizens who were charged with breaking the law in Iran.

We will only welcome any improvement in these relations. Once again, this has little to do with the JCPOA.

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🗓 On July 13, Jakarta hosted Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s annual meeting with the Foreign Ministers of member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (#ASEAN).

The event marked the fifth anniversary of the Russia-ASEAN strategic partnership. The participants reviewed the implementation of decisions adopted by the leaders of Russia and the 10 ASEAN countries at the 2021 summit. The agenda included issues of deepening political, socioeconomic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation still further.

🤝 The Sides discussed practical measures to expand collaboration in combating terrorism and transnational crime, including drug trafficking, and efforts to facilitate the safe use of information and communication technologies. They agreed to finalise the relevant mid-term working programmes in the near future.

The Ministers exchanged opinions on the topical international agenda, and this discussion highlighted similar #RussiaASEAN approaches towards the most pressing global and regional issues.

📃 Following the conference, the participants adopted a joint statement on the fifth anniversary of the Russia-ASEAN strategic partnership.

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#HumanRights #NorthernEurope

❗️ Northern Europe nations pose themselves as human rights champions, but in reality the trends as regards human rights situation are quite disturbing. The issues mainly stem from the mass migration, deficiencies in the law enforcement system, the spread of radical neo-liberal ideas and far-right ideologies.

🇸🇪 In Sweden:
• The statistics of hate crimes are alarming: 6-7 thousand cases per year, about 70% of them have xenophobic and racist overtones.
• The situation is still aggravated by heightened activities of aggressive right-wing extremist and neo-Nazi movements.
• Violations against refugees have increased due to the worsening migration crisis.

🇩🇰 In Denmark:
• Discriminatory attitudes towards migrants still persist.
• There is a practice of detaining persons who have been refused asylum (this mainly concerns people from Syria).
• The number of religious and racially motivated hate crimes continues to rise.

🇳🇴 In Norway:
• Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia are not uncommon.
• A number of radical right groups confessing ideas of national and racial exclusivity operate in the country.
• Human rights activists note the excessive use of isolation and coercive methods in prisons.

🇮🇸 In Iceland:
• Sexual violence is widespread. A survey by the University of Iceland found that every fourth Icelandic woman has been raped or sexually assaulted in her lifetime.
• Human rights community notes with concern a rise of hate speech, especially towards ethnic and religious groups and foreign Muslims.
• There is a rise of Russophobia in Icelandic society.

🇫🇮 In Finland:
• Racial discrimination and xenophobia remain a problem.
• Right‑wing extremist sentiments are widespread and even growing in society.
• There have also been cases of disproportionate use of coercive measures by law enforcement agencies against participants in peaceful demonstrations.
• Significant growth of discriminatory attitude towards our compatriots has been noted.

👉 Learn more

⚡️ The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation:

💬 In connection with the incident on the Crimean Bridge, a criminal case of a terrorist attack has been opened

Upon the fact of damage to the Crimean Bridge, the Main Investigative Directorate the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation has opened a criminal case on the grounds of a crime under Article 205 of the Russian Criminal Code (terrorist act).

According to the investigation, on the night of July 16-17, as a result of a terrorist act committed by the special services of Ukraine, one of the sections of the Crimean Bridge was damaged. Two civilians were killed (a man and a woman travelling in a car on the bridge), their minor daughter was injured.

As part of the criminal case, the necessary examinations have been appointed. The investigation is identifying persons from among the Ukrainian special services and armed formations involved in the organization and execution of this crime.

⚡️ Foreign Ministry statement on the terrorist attack on the Crimean Bridge

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In the early hours of July 17, the Crimean Bridge suffered yet another terrorist attack with the use of two Ukrainian water-surface drones. One of the deck sections was damaged.

Two civilians were killed: Alexey and Natalya Kulik, residents of the Novy Oskol municipality of the Belgorod Region, who were crossing the bridge in their car. Their 14-year-old daughter, Angelina, has become an orphan; she was admitted to a hospital in a moderately severe condition.

Kiev said that it was a joint operation by the Ukrainian Navy and Security Service. It confirms the involvement the country’s political leadership and security services in the terrorist attack. The reaction of some Ukrainian MPs to the Kulik family tragedy was even more cynical and unsettling. They sneered at people’s grief, which allows us to make conclusions about the moral and mental development of the Kiev politicians.

A criminal case was opened after the terrorist attack, and the necessary investigative actions are being taken. We are confident that those guilty will be found and will not escape justice. If the investigation finds that the surface drones that attacked the bridge are of Western origin, and that Western countries played a role in planning, sponsoring and conducting this operation, it will confirm their complicity in the Kiev regime’s terrorist activity.

❗️ The Foreign Ministry strongly condemns the terrorist attack on the Crimean Bridge, which is a purely civilian facility. We hope that the international community and relevant multilateral agencies will put their foot down and give a proper assessment of yet another crime committed by the Ukrainian authorities.

The damage to the Crimean Bridge caused by the terrorist attack will be repaired shortly. All attempts to disrupt the transport link to the peninsula and tear Crimea from the rest of Russia are invariably futile.

❗️ Foreign Ministry statement on the #IstanbulAgreements

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Almost a year ago, on July 22, 2022, two interrelated agreements were signed in Istanbul, namely, the Black Sea Initiative on Ukrainian food and Russian ammonia exports and the Memorandum of Understanding between the Russian Federation and the Secretariat of the United Nations on promoting Russian food products and fertilisers to the world markets.

A year later now, progress on implementing these agreements has been disappointing.

The Black Sea Initiative was launched just a week after it was signed. However, contrary to the purported humanitarian objectives, the Ukrainian food exports were almost immediately transacted on a purely commercial basis and, until the last moment, were used to serve Kiev and its Western curators’ self-serving interests.

The Russia-UN Memorandum has never really worked. The Americans and the British are keeping pace as they impose extraterritorial restrictions. As a result, Russian bank payments, insurance and transport logistics, as well as spare parts supplies and foreign assets have been completely blocked.

We are forced to state that none of the five systematic objectives stipulated in the Russia-UN Memorandum has been accomplished.

❗️ The blatant sabotage of the Istanbul agreements defeats the purpose of continuing the Black Sea Initiative which did not live up to its humanitarian rationale.

👉 In accordance with paragraph H of the agreement, Russia objects to an extension <...> This means:

• revoking safe navigation guarantees,
• curtailing the maritime humanitarian corridor,
• resuming the status of a temporarily dangerous area in the northwestern Black Sea,
• disbanding the JCC in Istanbul.

Without Russia, the Black Sea Initiative will cease to operate as of July 18.

☝️ Once concrete results rather than promises and assurances are in place, Russia will be ready to consider resuming the deal.