Tag: Sergei Lavrov

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Lavrov lands in South Africa for BRICS summit

The Russian diplomat’s aircraft touched down at the South African Air Force facility in Waterkloof, just like on his trip to Pretoria in January….reports Asian Lite News

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday landed in the South African city of Johannesburg to take part in the 15th BRICS Summit.

As Russian President Vladimir Putin will participate in the summit via videoconference, Lavrov will personally represent Russia at the BRICS Summit.

The Russian diplomat’s aircraft touched down at the South African Air Force facility in Waterkloof, just like on his trip to Pretoria in January.

Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, will take part in the summit via videoconference. The Russian leader will brief the attendees on a variety of topics, including the goals of Russia’s association presidency in 2024.

Earlier, the South African government granted diplomatic immunity to all international participants, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials, at BRICS-related events to be held in the country, as per local media.

“Immunity from personal arrest or detention and from seizure of their personal baggage, and, in respect of words spoken or written and all acts done by them in their capacity as representatives, immunity from legal process of every kind,” the document reads.

A warrant for Putin’s arrest was issued by the International Criminal Court in The Hague in March, and since South Africa is a member of the formation, it is obliged to arrest Putin when he is in the country. Despite this, South Africa, as the current chair of the BRICS alliance, has officially invited Putin to the summit in August.

The largest gathering of heads of state and government from the Global South in recent years will take place during the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg from August 22–24.

The 15th BRICS Summit’s Johannesburg Declaration will include the final agreements, according to the Kremlin press office, as reported by Russian news agency TASS.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Johannesburg on Tuesday evening, while the Chinese president Xi Jinping and Brazilian President Lula da Silva have arrived in Johannesburg.

The BRICS includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

This year’s BRICS is under the presidency of South Africa and is organising the first face-to-face summit since 2019 in Johannesburg.

South Africa became Chair of BRICS on January 1 under the theme: “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism.”

During his visit to South Africa, PM Modi will also participate in a special event “BRICS – Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Dialogue” being organized after the BRICS Summit, which will include other nations invited by South Africa, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced in a press release. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Indian community in South Africa has something special for PM Modi

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Russia seeks to take on Western ‘hegemony’

Pic credits Twitter

Russian foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov took an apparent jibe at West’s “selfish interests”…reports Asian Lite News

Russia’s upcoming new foreign policy concept will focus on terminating the West’s “monopoly” in international affairs, the country’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said.

International affairs should be determined not by the West’s “selfish interests”, but on “a fair, universal basis of a balance of interests as required by the UN Charter”, Lavrov said at Russia’s State Duma, Xinhua news agency reported.

“The United States and its allies are obsessed with a maniacal desire to revive the neo-colonial, unipolar world order to interfere with the objective process of the formation and rise of new world centres,” he said.

Washington and its allies are waging “an all-out hybrid war against Russia that has been prepared for many years” in order to defeat Russia on the battlefield, destroy its economy, cordon off the country and turn it into an “outcast”, Lavrov added.

However, all of the West’s attempts to isolate Russia have failed, he stressed.

ALSO READ: India-Russia ties ‘under stress’ amid West interference: Envoy

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Lavrov rules out changes to Russia’s Military Doctrine

Russian-FM-Sergei-Lavrov

“As has been repeatedly explained, Russia’s Military Doctrine and the Fundamentals of State Policy on Nuclear Deterrence remain unchanged,”said Lavrov…reports Asian Lite News

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the special military operation has revealed a few alarming facts, including illegal military biological programmes at Pentagon-installed labs, as well as experiments with the creation of prohibited chemicals.

“Yesterday, Volodymyr Zelensky called on his Western handlers to take a pre-emptive nuclear strike against Russia. This character actually gave the world further evidence of the threat emanating from the Kiev regime. It is to neutralise that very threat that the special military operation was launched,” said the Minister while speaking at the fourth meeting of the United Russia Party General Council Commission for International Cooperation and Support for Compatriots Abroad, Moscow on October 7.

“His ‘soul friends’ in Poland recently reaffirmed that they had the same dreams of acquiring nuclear weapons. So far, at this stage, Warsaw wants to join NATO’s practice of conducting joint nuclear missions, which grossly violate the requirements of the Non-Proliferation Treaty,” said the Minister.

“What about NATO? In addition to its lies and threats against us, the alliance, together with the EU, continues to reiterate its all-out support for Zelensky, who is at the forefront of Ukraine’s struggle for European values, freedom and democracy,” he said.

“As has been repeatedly explained, Russia’s Military Doctrine and the Fundamentals of State Policy on Nuclear Deterrence remain unchanged. Any attempts by Washington or its vessels to distort this reality or our approach are aimed at intimidating the international community, forcing its sensible part to follow the failed path of reckless support for Kiev in all its crazy schemes,” he added.

“The European Political Community, proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron, held its inaugural summit on Thursday. Head of EU diplomacy Josep Borrell proudly stated in its wake that the process of forming a security structure has been launched without Russia. They are dancing to Kiev’s tune and encouraging the insane fantasies of the people who are still in power there. The US and its allies are taking on enormous responsibility for the dangerous ratcheting up of international tensions, pumping weapons into Vladimir Zelensky’s Ukraine despite his openly proclaimed nuclear ambitions,” said the Minister.

“As you remember, French President Emmanuel Macron once diagnosed the North Atlantic Alliance with ‘brain death’. Judging by the way NATO is nurturing the neo-Nazi regime in Kiev, this ‘disease’ has gone too far,” the Minister added.

Once again, we warn the US and other sponsors of the Kiev regime against deeper involvement in the situation as parties to the conflict, he said.

ALSO READ: Russia appoints General Armageddon to lead Russia in Ukraine

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US rules out Blinken-Lavrov meet in Cambodia

Russian Foreign Minister called for return to “silent diplomacy” on the issue of prisoner exchange, without speculation and stuffing, reports Asian Lite News

The United States has no plans for a meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during their visit to Cambodia for meetings with ASEAN, State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters.

“We have no plans to meet with Foreign Minister Lavrov when they are in Cambodia,” Price said during a press briefing on Friday.

Meanwhile during a phone conversation with Blinken, Foreign Minister Lavrov called for return to “silent diplomacy” on the issue of prisoner exchange, without speculation and stuffing, the Russian Foreign Ministry said following the conversation.

“Regarding the possible exchange of imprisoned Russian citizens, the United States has been urged by the Russian side to return to a professional dialogue in the ‘silent diplomacy’ mode, without speculative media stuffing,” the ministry said.

 Negotiations on the exchange of prisoners between Russia and the United States are being conducted, but there is no concrete result yet, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said earlier, commenting on a US statement about a possible exchange of Russian Viktor Bout for Americans Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan. (ANI/Sputnik)

ALSO READ: Blinken, Lavrov discuss Ukraine on phone

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Blinken, Lavrov discuss Ukraine on phone

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the situation in Ukraine during a phone conversation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Lavrov outlined Russia’s principled approaches in light of the ongoing special military operation, stressing that its goals and objectives will be achieved, the statement added on Friday.

It said that they also discussed global food security and problems of bilateral relations, Xinhua news agency reported.

ALSO READ: Xi and Biden exchange warnings on Taiwan

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Blinken’s conditional nod for Lavrov’s invitation

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov(Twitter)

Tensions over Ukraine have increased in recent months, with Russia and NATO accusing each other of amassing troops on the Russian-Ukrainian border…reports Asian Lite News

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has proposed dates for holding a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, late next week, who accepted it if Russia does not invade Ukraine, local media reported.

Taking to Twitter, State Department’s Spokesperson Ned Price said that the Russians have responded with proposed dates for late next week, which we are accepting, provided there is no further Russian invasion of Ukraine.

He stated that if Russia does invade in the coming days, it will make clear they were never serious about diplomacy.

“We will continue to coordinate with our Allies and partners and push for further engagements with Russia through the @NATO-Russia Council and @OSCE.”, he added.

US Secretary of State, noted in his remarks at the United Nations Security Council earlier today that, because the US believes the only responsible way to resolve this crisis is through diplomacy and dialogue, he had proposed to meet Foreign Minister Lavrov in Europe next week, as per Price.

Tensions over Ukraine have increased in recent months, with Russia and NATO accusing each other of amassing troops on the Russian-Ukrainian border.

The United States and Ukraine accuse Russia of preparing to invade. Meanwhile, Moscow denies the claims and maintains that it has no intention of attacking any country.

The conflict in Donbas between Ukraine’s government and the breakaway of Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics has been going on since 2014. The Minsk Agreements, designed to find a political resolution to the conflict, was negotiated by the leaders of France, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine — the Normandy group — in February 2015. However, the agreement has so far not been observed and sporadic clashes continue. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Russia not happy with US response to security concerns

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Talks with Blinken very frank: Lavrov

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov(Twitter)

During their discussion held on the sidelines of the Arctic Council meeting in Reykjavik, Lavrov and Blinken expressed willingness to cooperate but also admitted “serious differences” amid the two countries’ tense relations, reports Asian Lite News

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that he had “very frank” talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during their first-ever meeting earlier this week in Iceland.

Addressing reporters here on Friday, Lavrov said Blinken listened attentively after accusing Russia of interfering in the US presidential elections and launching cyber attacks on important systems.

The US side provided no evidence to prove these charges, he said.

During their discussion held on the sidelines of the Arctic Council meeting in Reykjavik, Lavrov and Blinken expressed willingness to cooperate but also admitted “serious differences” amid the two countries’ tense relations.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a briefing on Friday that Russian and Us diplomats are making efforts to mend bilateral relations.

Blinken
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Iceland.(pic credit: https://twitter.com/SecBlinken)

He said that mutual understanding between scientists, technologists, students and visionaries can become “the foundation for normalising ties”.

Wednesday’s meeting was the first between a member of US President Joe Biden’s administration and a high-ranking Russian official.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has suggested a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladmir Putin in a third country at a summit, but it is unclear whether the latter will accept the invitation.

US-Russia ties have nose-dived over Washington’s allegations of election interference and cyberattacks, the treatment of Navalny and the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

The two sides have imposed a wave of sanctions and counter-sanctions.

ALSO READ – Blinken, Lavrov discuss stable ties despite differences