On December 20, The Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Singapore held a reception to commemorate the conclusion of Russia’s chairmanship of BRICS. The event brought together an esteemed audience, including diplomats, scientists, business leaders, students, and members of the Russian community in Singapore.

H.E. Nikolay Kudashev, Ambassador of Russia to Singapore, opened the evening with insightful remarks, emphasizing the growing unity among non-Western countries and the pivotal role of BRICS in shaping a multipolar global order: “The unity of the non-Western countries of the South and East has grown stronger, as affirmed by the outcomes of the BRICS Summit in Kazan. This summit was marked by the expansion of BRICS and the inclusion of new ASEAN partners, many of whom are represented here today.”

Ambassador Kudashev also addressed the broader geopolitical landscape, citing the success of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine as a turning point in thwarting the West’s hybrid warfare tactics. He highlighted the accelerated continental Eurasian integration processes, driven by active dialogue among key organizations, including the SCO, CIS, CSTO, EAEU, and ASEAN.

The reception featured a vibrant cultural program, including the Russian tradition of lighting of the Christmas tree, a Food Festival, Ded Moroz’s Lottery, and the screening of the film “By your power, through my will”.

Embassy recommends: "White Nights" by Fyodor Dostoevsky
"White Nights" has recently gained traction online, emerging as a favorite among readers and book enthusiasts on social media. If you're into emotional stories about fleeting love and self-discovery, Dostoevsky's White Nights is a must-read. This short novel follows a dreamy narrator and a mysterious young woman during four magical nights in St. Petersburg.
Do you know why it's called "White Nights"? "White Nights" refers to a natural phenomenon that occurs in St. Petersburg during the summer, when the sun never fully sets, and the city is bathed in a soft, twilight glow all night long. This atmosphere mirrors the novel's mix of hope, longing, and bittersweet romance.

🎙Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with '60 Minutes' television programme (December 25, 2024)

💬 Sergey Lavrov: We have not had any illusions about the prospects [of 2025]. Resolving the Ukraine crisis doesn’t have any prospects, either. It has long been clear to everyone holding unbiased positions that it can be settled only in the context of agreements on lasting security and stability in Europe, which would take into account the interests of the Russian Federation and the legitimate interests of all other countries. <...>

President Putin has repeatedly stressed that we never walk away from talks. We need to see serious, concrete proposals. When we have them, we will decide on how to respond to them based on our national interests, the goals of the special military operation, and President Vladimir Putin’s June 14 speech at the Foreign Ministry.

✅On December 13, 2024, Moscow hosted the fourth meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council, which also included the participation of the heads of government from observer states of the #EAEU — Uzbekistan and Cuba.
✅The heads of government of the Union emphasized the effectiveness of the EAEU in the face of unfavorable external conditions, noting positive trends in key macroeconomic indicators. Between January and September, the Union's combined GDP grew by over 4.5%, industrial production increased by 4.5%, retail trade turnover rose by 8%, and passenger transportation expanded by 7%.
✅A key focus of the discussion was the recently launched supranational mechanism within the EAEU for subsidizing joint cooperative projects using the Union's budget.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with Russian and international news media, Moscow, December 26, 2024:

BRICS has become extremely popular. There were delegations representing 35 countries at the Kazan Summit, as well as heads of six multilateral organisations, including the United Nations. This high level of attendance demonstrates how important this structure has become and that there is a growing interest for forging closer ties with BRICS on the part of other organisations of the Global South and East which have been seeking to assert their independence in international affairs.

I strongly believe that sustainable development of the multipolar world is impossible without establishing interaction between these associations of a new type, where there are no “superiors” and “subordinates”, no “bosses”, no orders that must be obeyed, as is the case in the European Union and NATO.

For your consideration we present the article “The First Global Treaty against Cybercrime” by P. Litvishko, Deputy Head of the Department of International Legal Cooperation of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Russia.

Предлагаем ознакомиться со статьей заместителя начальника Главного управления международно-правового сотрудничества Генеральной прокуратуры Российской Федерации П.Литвишко "Первый глобальный договор против киберпреступности: от геополитической конфронтации к профессиональному компромиссу".

URL: https://interaffairs.ru/news/show/48982

🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with TASS news agency (December 30, 2024)

Key points:

#Ukraine #USA

• We have not received any official signals [from the USA] regarding a settlement in Ukraine.

• We are not happy with the proposals made by members of the Trump team to postpone Ukraine’s admission to NATO for 20 years and to station British and European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine.

• What we need is reliable and legally binding agreements that would eliminate the root causes of the conflict and seal a mechanism precluding the possibility of their violation.

#RussiaUSA #NATO

• We are ready to renew the political dialogue which Washington terminated after the start of the special military operation, if the United States is ready for this. Since it was the Americans who cut it off, it is for them to make the first move.

• They [the West] have been long relying on efforts to interfere in the domestic affairs of other countries, including our closest neighbours, as their foreign policy tool. For many years, Washington and its satellites have been acting this way in an effort to deter and contain their geopolitical rivals and do away with any unwanted actors, as confirmed by what happened in Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Ukraine.

#Georgia

• The developments in Georgia stem from the double standards when caring for democracy and human rights serves as a pretext for overturning election results after even the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights with its tainted reputation recognised the election as being free and fair. Why do they want to change the results? Just because the puppet masters in Washington and Brussels did not find the way people voted there to their liking.

• The United States and the European Union are trying to impose a distorted vision on Tbilisi which consists of dividing everyone into those who are with us and those who are against us. Meanwhile, it seems that Georgian authorities have opted for a sovereign policy which meets the country’s national interests. They refuse to act as pawns manipulated by the West in its effort to destabilise Georgia, undermine its economy and incite escalation in its relations with Russia.

#Syria #MiddleEast

• The Syrians’ hopes for improvements after a convincing defeat of international terrorism, including with the help of Russia’s Aerospace Forces, have not materialised.

• Washington, which has effectively occupied the resource-rich north-eastern part of Syria and is putting serious sanctions pressure on Damascus together with a coalition of its satellites, bears a great deal of blame for this. This line for strangling the Syrian economy stirred up social discontent.

• Trying to maintain its influence [in the Middle East and North Africa], Washington actively interfered in the internal affairs of Arab countries and aggressively drew new dividing lines there. Iraq and Libya are still trying to clear up the consequences of the Americans and their satellites’ reckless behaviour.

#China

• The Americans are taking inciting actions in the Taiwan Strait and supplying weapons to Taipei while forging a quasi-political dialogue with the local authorities.

• It is clear to us that this policy pursued by Washington in violation of its obligations to Beijing on Taiwan is part of their strategy to step up military and political pressure on the PRC and eventually undermine regional security at the eastern end of the Eurasian continent.

• Russia reaffirms its adherence to the #OneChina principle, recognises that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China, opposes any form of “Taiwan independence,” and firmly supports China’s measures to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity and achieve national reunification.

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☦️ President of Russia Vladimir Putin congratulated all Orthodox Christians and all Russians celebrating Christmas.

The message reads, in part:

✉️ “This bright, much-awaited holiday is dear to millions of people all over the world. It gives believers joy and hope and inspires good thoughts, deeds and actions. During the Christmas season we clearly feel with all our heart how important for us are parental, family traditions that are being handed down from generation to generation.

I should say that the Russian Orthodox Church and other Christian denominations in Russia play a tremendous creative role in uniting the people and in preserving our historical memory and unique cultural and spiritual heritage. Religious organisations make a meaningful contribution to strengthening the institution of the family, to educating young people and to affirming in society such intransient moral ideals and values as caring for one's neighbour, mercy and compassion, and support for those in need of help and attention. This multifaceted and much needed work deserves most profound recognition.

I wish Orthodox Christians and all Russian citizens celebrating Christmas good health and wellbeing.”