🎙 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at the 42nd meeting of the Council of the Heads of Constituent Entities of the Russian Federation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Moscow, April 22, 2024)

💬 Today’s agenda focuses on promoting inter-regional cooperation between constituent entities of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China.

🔹Russian-Chinese relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction continue developing in a dynamic and all-round manner and demonstrate high durability and an ability to adapt to the changing international realities.

🔹A highly important part of strategic partnership, hinges on coinciding or largely similar positions of our countries on key issues of the international agenda. Work is underway to merge the integration potentials of the EAEU and China’s Belt and Road Initiative, including in the context of implementing the initiative of President Vladimir Putin to forge a Greater Eurasian Partnership.

🔹 Russia-China trade and economic cooperation is developing actively, despite persistent attempts by the collective West states to hamper this process. Bilateral economic ties have become virtually de-dollarised. Today, national currencies account for over 90 percent of mutual payments and settlements.

🔹 Interregional cooperation traditionally remains an important component of consolidating the diverse complex of our relations. Following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions in 2023, the Russian Federation’s territories and China’s provinces greatly expanded the volume of their exchanges.

🔹 Forty-three Russian regions and Chinese provinces and autonomous regions have signed 117 cooperation agreements in various fields. Russian municipalities have signed 313 twin city agreements with their Chinese partners.

🔹 We believe the potential of the interregional interaction is far from being exhausted. Broad opportunities for its further development open up in new international realities.

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#RussiaChina 🇷🇺🇨🇳

О выездной консульской сессии в Белфасте

▪︎20 апреля 2024 года было проведено первое за последние 30 лет выездное консульское обслуживание российских граждан в Северной Ирландии, г. Белфаст.

▪︎В течение дня более 70 соотечественников обратились к нашим сотрудникам по широкому спектру консульских вопросов. Речь идет, главным образом, об оформлении паспортов, гражданства несовершеннолетним детям, доверенностей и справок о несудимости. Особое внимание традиционно было уделено пенсионерам и многодетным семьям.

▪︎Отмечаем, что консульские выезды неизменно пользуются повышенным спросом у наших граждан, в том числе проживающих за пределами консульского округа Посольства России в Великобритании. В данном случае более половины посетителей составили жители Республики Ирландия.

▪︎Имеем в виду развивать практику консульских выездов и расширять ее географию. Оказание содействия нашим соотечественникам - приоритет в работе Посольства вне зависимости от расстояний и политической конъюнктуры.

🤝Благодарим наших соотечественников за позитивное настроение, ответственное отношение к делу и высокие оценки нашего труда.

📹 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s video address to participants in the Moscow Nonproliferation Conference

Key talking points:

• The arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation system crisis reflects unprecedented degradation in the sphere of international security.

• The West is balancing on the dangerous edge of a direct military confrontation between nuclear powers, which could have catastrophic consequences.

• The US-led collective West is cynically complementing the deliberate destruction of balanced and equal agreements that do not suit Washington with the promotion of apparently dishonest schemes that would create advantages for the United States.

• Striving to attain decisive military superiority, Washington and its allies are enlarging the network of alliances directed against other countries. They are working energetically to implement a number of highly destabilising military-technical programmes.

• There is no basis whatsoever for an arms control and strategic stability dialogue with the United States in the face of a total hybrid war being waged against our country.

• Moves to undermine the existing arms control and non-proliferation system are affecting the stability of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. <...> The Western countries have used the treaty for years to address political agendas unrelated to nuclear non-proliferation.

• The attempts of the Western countries to tailor the OPCW to their vested interests are a source of serious concern. The Western states have already turned this prestigious and strictly technical international agency into an instrument for implementing their geopolitical interests in the Middle East and beyond by privatising the OPCW Secretariat.

• We are convinced that to prevent further degradation of the world situation <...> all countries should pool their efforts to upgrade the international security system relying on the principles of multilateralism, equality and indivisibility.

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🎙️Ответ Посла России А.В.Келина на вопрос СМИ об очередном британском «пакете» военно-технического содействия киевскому режиму

▪︎Анонс планов правительства Р.Сунака передать киевским подопечным еще один транш военной помощи – это не более чем дань текущей политической конъюнктуре.

▪︎В Лондоне, с одной стороны, постарались встроиться в кильватер линии США на дальнейшую подпитку вооруженного конфликта на Украине, которая была подтверждена принятыми 20 апреля в Конгрессе решениями. С другой, вложились в формирование благоприятного медиа-фона в преддверии визита Р.Сунака в Польшу, которая также методично опустошает свои арсеналы поставками киевскому режиму.

▪︎Для правящих тори имиджевый аспект особенно важен в канун намеченных предварительно на осень с.г. парламентских выборов – ведь лейбористы, как здесь отмечают, начинают переигрывать их уже и в позиционировании себя в качестве «партии сильной обороны».

▪︎Отчаянная попытка с помощью очередной «подачки» изменить неутешительную для Запада динамику конфликта на Украине предпринята за счет британских налогоплательщиков. В украинскую «черную дыру» безвозвратно канут те деньги, которые могли бы быть направлены на купирование наиболее болезненных симптомов остро ощущаемого здесь «кризиса стоимости жизни».

▪︎Впору задуматься и о гуманитарном аспекте анонсированного британского военного транша. Эта новость неслучайно совпала с решением Киева прекратить предоставление консульских услуг проживающим за рубежом украинским мужчинам призывного возраста.

▪︎Явно исполняя свою часть «сделки», режим В.Зеленского активизирует мобилизационные мероприятия, призванные загнать побольше собственных граждан на передний край проспонсированного Западом «конфликта по доверенности» против России.

❗Знаем, что, несмотря на круглосуточную антироссийскую пропаганду, в Британии по-прежнему остается немало думающих людей, которые осознают - происходящее чревато для Украины и украинцев, о которых якобы заботится официальный Лондон, катастрофическим сценарием.

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🎙 Russia's President Vladimir Putin's address to participants in 12th International Meeting of High Representatives for Security Issues

💬 President Putin: Welcome to St Petersburg for the opening of the 12th International Meeting of High Representatives for Security Issues.

During the upcoming plenary sessions, discussions, and roundtables, you will analyse the global landscape, discuss key aspects of global and regional stability, and share perspectives on enhancing responses to the most urgent and perilous contemporary challenges.

Undoubtedly, international terrorism remains one of the gravest threats of the 21st century <…> At the same time, the tactics employed by these criminals are becoming increasingly complex and barbaric.

Once again, this was demonstrated by the bloody terrorist attack that took place on March 22 in the Moscow Region. Russia’s intelligence services and law enforcement agencies are investigating and scrutinising every detail of this despicable act, identifying all parties involved, including instigators, sponsors, and orchestrators. None of them should escape just punishment.

I know that your meeting will primarily focus on addressing the issue of safeguarding the information space from both external and internal threats. This topic holds importance for all nations, as it significantly contributes to ensuring national security, social stability, and economic development.

We strongly advocate for the systematic and concerted efforts of the global community in establishing unified, legally binding norms and principles governing state conduct in the information domain.

Undoubtedly, the key factor in strengthening the sovereignty and security of nations lies in safeguarding and protecting traditional spiritual and moral values <…>

Russia stands ready for close cooperation with all interested partners to uphold global and regional security and to establish a new multipolar international order that aligns with the interests of the majority of nations.

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🎙️Ambassador Andrei Kelin’s answer to “RIA Novosti” question about another British “package” of military-technical assistance to the Kiev regime

▪︎The pledged delivery by the UK Government of yet another tranche of military aid to its Kiev proxies is an exercise in political expediency.

▪︎On the one hand, London is trying to jump on the bandwagon of US policy of fueling armed conflict in Ukraine. On the other hand, it seeks to shape a favourable media landscape for the visit of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to Poland.

▪︎For the ruling Tories the optics are of particular significance ahead of parliamentary elections tentatively scheduled for autumn – because the Labour Party, admittedly, is starting to outshine them as the “party of strong defence”.

▪︎Statements by Rishi Sunak in Warsaw regarding the intention of spending up to 2,5% of GDP on defence by 2030 serve the same purpose. And, of course, London is throwing down the gauntlet to other European countries to get behind its initiative.

▪︎The desperate attempt to alter the disappointing dynamic of the conflict in Ukraine is being undertaken at the expense of British taxpayers. Money that could have been spent on muting the more painful symptoms of the intensely felt “cost of living” crisis are set to irretrievably disappear down the Ukrainian “black hole”.

▪︎It is hardly a coincidence that Kiev has simultaneously decided to cease providing consular services to military-age Ukrainian men living abroad. Clearly holding up its end of the “bargain”, Zelensky’s regime is stepping up mobilisation activities designed to drive more of its own citizens to the frontline of the Western-sponsored proxy conflict against Russia.

❗We know that despite the round-the-clock anti-Russian propaganda many reasonable people in the UK clearly understand that this turn of events is fraught with a catastrophic scenario for Ukraine and the Ukrainians for which official London pretends to care.

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🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s address to the participants in the 3rd international youth forum Russia-Africa: What Next? (Moscow, April 24, 2024)

💬 Over the past years, this forum has established itself as one of the key platforms for promoting the youth dimension in our cooperation with African countries.

I believe that your mission involves supporting efforts to implement the agreements resulting from last year’s Russia-Africa Summit in St Petersburg. This meeting at the highest level laid a solid foundation for generating steady momentum in promoting multifaceted ties between Russia and Africa in the near future. The summit’s outcome documents – the Declaration and the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum Action Plan 2023–2026 – set forth our converging approaches on these matters.

According to the updated Foreign Policy Concept as approved by President Vladimir Putin on March 31, 2023, one of the unquestionable priorities for us today is to forge lasting strategic partnerships with African countries.

🌍 Russia views the African continent as a global centre with its own unique identity in the emerging multipolar global architecture. The fact that our African friends have made great strides in their national development is a source of great satisfaction for us. This is largely attributable to proactive youth engagement in political, economic and humanitarian processes.

❗️ Russia reaffirms its commitment to helping African countries strengthen their sovereignty and security in all aspects and dimensions.

We will keep up our proactive efforts to promote capacity building in African countries, including by increasing the number of scholarships we award, as well as by opening branches of Russian universities and schools across the continent, and developing a network of open education centres.

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🤝 On April 24, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had a traditional meeting with the leadership of the Association of European Businesses in Russia and multiple European trade and industrial associations.

During the event, the Russian side assessed the current geopolitical situation and emphasised risks linked with the increasingly greater politicisation of the trade and economic interaction sphere. The participants openly exchanged opinions on a number of current foreign policy issues, including foreign business operations in Russia.

🌐 April 24 marks the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace. Established by the UN General Assembly resolution 73/127 of December 12, 2018, it seeks to promote the values of the United Nations and reaffirm the faith of our peoples in the purposes and principles enshrined in its Charter.

🇺🇳 #UNCharterIsOurRules

From Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at the UN Security Council’s open debates “Effective multilateralism through the Defence of the Principles of the UN Charter” (New York, April 24, 2023):

💬 For a little less than 80 years of its existence, the UN has been carrying out the important mission entrusted to it by its founders. For several decades, a basic understanding by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council as regards the supremacy of the charter’s goals and principles guaranteed global security.

• Today, our UN-centric system is going through a deep crisis. The main reason is a striving by some UN members to replace international law and the UN Charter with a certain “rules-based” order.

• Our Western colleagues have been inconvenienced by holding talks based on universal formats, such as the UN, for a long time now. In order to provide an ideological substantiation for the course on undermining multilateralism, they initiated a concept of united “democracies” as opposed to “autocracies.”

• Summits for Democracy, the Alliance for Multilateralism <...> – all these and other non-inclusive projects were designed to thwart talks on the corresponding matters under the auspices of the UN.

❗️ Let's call it what it is: no one authorised the Western minority to speak on behalf of all humankind. Please act decently and respect all members of the international community.

👉 It is our common duty to preserve the United Nations as the hard-won epitome of multilateralism and coordination of international politics. The key to success lies in working together, renouncing claims to anyone's exceptionalism and showing respect for the sovereign equality of states.

🎙 Foreign Ministry statement on the 20th anniversary of UNSC Resolution 1540

April 28 will mark 20 years since the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1540. It became the first decision in which this international body addressed the issue of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in a comprehensive manner. The Russian Federation was at the origins of this resolution and acted as its co-author.

The resolution filled the void, which existed at the time of its adoption within the global security architecture. In fact, it emerged as the only universal legally binding document on the non-proliferation of WMDs, covering all their types, including nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, as well as their means of delivery and related materials.

Resolution 1540 offered states an important impetus for adopting effective measures at the national level to prevent WMDs, their means of deliver and related materials from getting into the hands of non-state actors, including terrorists. Its full implementation by all countries would constitute a genuinely global response to the proliferation challenge, which weighs on all members of the international community without exception.

🇷🇺 The Russian Federation reaffirms its commitment to the objectives of this resolution. Our country has adopted and continues to fine-tune measures aimed at ensuring its effective implementation and stands ready to carry on with its sustained and system-wide efforts, within the resolution’s framework, in the spirit of cooperation and non-interference in the sovereign affairs of other countries.

There is hope in Moscow that UNSC Resolution 1540 remains viable in today’s challenging international environment, while the international community makes the best use of its unifying potential for maintaining and ensuring peace and security.

🗓 Today we commemorate #ElbeDay, dedicated to the historic encounter between Soviet and American forces on the banks of the Elbe River.

On April 25, 1945, the two allied armies met for the first time near Torgau in Germany. This contact marked an important step toward the end of World War II in Europe, heralding the final downfall of the Nazi regime.

Watch the documentary "Encounters at the Elbe: Springtime Before the Cold War" to explore and take a close look at the full story and key details of that landmark event imbued by the spirit of the soldier's brotherhood and hope for a lasting and happy peace.

#WeWereAllies

#Opinion by Russian MFA Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova

💬 The old colonialist ideologies persist; moreover, in the 21st century, indigenous peoples continue to endure increasing hardships under the dominance of European and overseas colonial powers.

Take Greenland, for instance. It’s officially an autonomous territory under Denmark, inhabited by the Inuit. They have their language, beliefs, culture, land, and cities. However, the land was colonised by Northern Europeans, and later the Americans, without consulting the locals, established a military base on the island. In 1968, an American B-52 bomber carrying thermonuclear bombs crashed there, resulting in widespread radioactive contamination.

As a result, Inuit Greenland transformed into a colony and then into an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark with the added presence of American military forces.

Like all Western metropoles, Denmark, and consequently the EU, extracted resources from the island. Recently, Ursula von der Leyen, the gynaecologist-turned-head of the European Commission and recipient of the 'Ms Vaccine Corruption' title for the 2020-2021 season, visited Greenland. Were the locals of any interest to her? Their living conditions, social issues? Despite being formal residents of an EU member state (though Greenland itself is not part of the EU), they were not.

Ursula went to Greenland to assess its mineral resources. According to The Guardian, “the autonomous Danish territory is of strong interest to Brussels, especially for highly sought after raw materials.” Her special adviser affirms his boss’s interest: “Greenland had many of the raw materials – such as rare earth elements and metals – that it needed for its green transition.”

Meanwhile, the Aftonbladet newspaper featured an article detailing the disregard and violation of the rights of the Sami, the small indigenous community of Northern Europe, in Sweden.

Erika Bjureby, head of the local Greenpeace office, and Anna Johansson, Secretary General of Amnesty International Sweden, write, “The enduring hostility toward the Sami people is resurging. Presently, oppression intertwines with the exploitation of the natural habitats crucial to the Sami’s livelihood. Sweden neglects indigenous peoples’ rights, prioritising land exploitation over Sami well-being.” Sweden will continue exploit the Sami land and oppress its population. What future awaits the Sami in such a country?

In Canada, the indigenous residents, the First Nations, the Indians have suffered racism from London and then Ottawa for decades. Tragic stories emerge from boarding schools where numerous Indian children faced abuse and death. Last month, Karen Hogan, the country’s auditor general, criticised the federal government’s mismanagement of Indigenous housing issues. Despite a budget of 45 billion Canadian dollars for housing and communal services, only under 4 billion was allocated. Consequently, indigenous people continue to reside in substandard housing, while their homes remain neglected compared to those of “respectable whites.” Justin Trudeau may talk a lot about reconciliation, but the harsh reality reveals persistent discrimination and banal colonialist racism in Canada. Statistics indicate that over half (54 percent) of respondents became victims of incidents due to their race or ethnicity.

NATO countries exhibit racism and harbour colonialist attitudes towards other ethnic groups.