Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with Argumenty i Fakty newspaper (April 4, 2023)
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#RussiaChina
• We share a vision of what is causing major international security challenges. We note the West's unwillingness to conduct a dialogue between the states based on the principles of equality. We oppose the use of sanctions pressure or other unfair competition tools.
• Our strategic cooperation is not directed against third countries, but contributes to the balanced development of the international system in its entirety.
• The alleged “dependence” and “inequality” of Russian-Chinese relations has been discussed ad nauseum mostly in unfriendly countries for a long time now. We see this as an attempt to cast aspersions on our successes and to drive a wedge into the friendship between Moscow and Beijing. These designs can be easily read into.
#InternationalSecurity
• Russia has repeatedly come up with constructive ideas and pragmatic and non-politicised proposals for overcoming pressing international issues, such as President Putin's December 2021 initiative to provide Russia with legally binding security guarantees in the western direction. However, Washington and Brussels ignored us or reacted to this initiative negatively which led to the current crisis in Ukraine.
#RussiaAfrica
• Our main difference from the Westerners is that we never lecture our foreign partners on how they should live. We do not have a hidden agenda or double standards.
• We view the St Petersburg (Russia-Africa) Summit as a systemic element of Russia-Africa cooperation. We are filling it with meaningful content in close cooperation with our African friends.
#RussiaEU
• If the Europeans decide one day to give up their anti-Russia course and start a mutually respectful dialogue with Russia, we will review their proposals and make decisions proceeding from our national interests.
READ IN FULL
#RussiaChina
• We share a vision of what is causing major international security challenges. We note the West's unwillingness to conduct a dialogue between the states based on the principles of equality. We oppose the use of sanctions pressure or other unfair competition tools.
• Our strategic cooperation is not directed against third countries, but contributes to the balanced development of the international system in its entirety.
• The alleged “dependence” and “inequality” of Russian-Chinese relations has been discussed ad nauseum mostly in unfriendly countries for a long time now. We see this as an attempt to cast aspersions on our successes and to drive a wedge into the friendship between Moscow and Beijing. These designs can be easily read into.
#InternationalSecurity
• Russia has repeatedly come up with constructive ideas and pragmatic and non-politicised proposals for overcoming pressing international issues, such as President Putin's December 2021 initiative to provide Russia with legally binding security guarantees in the western direction. However, Washington and Brussels ignored us or reacted to this initiative negatively which led to the current crisis in Ukraine.
#RussiaAfrica
• Our main difference from the Westerners is that we never lecture our foreign partners on how they should live. We do not have a hidden agenda or double standards.
• We view the St Petersburg (Russia-Africa) Summit as a systemic element of Russia-Africa cooperation. We are filling it with meaningful content in close cooperation with our African friends.
#RussiaEU
• If the Europeans decide one day to give up their anti-Russia course and start a mutually respectful dialogue with Russia, we will review their proposals and make decisions proceeding from our national interests.