Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow now sees the European Union as a hostile association. According to him, the reason for this attitude was the actions of the EU: sending weapons and ammunition to Ukraine and the presence of trainers and mercenaries from European countries on its territory.
“The European Union has “lost” Russia. But he will be blamed for this. After all, it is the EU member states and the leaders of the union who openly declare the need to impose, as they say, a strategic defeat on Russia, ”the statement said. “Arguments and Facts”.
According to the head of the Foreign Ministry, Western countries are no longer ready for a real dialogue with Russia and are “busy around the clock looking for new ways to control it.” Lavrov also stressed that the Russian authorities are open to equal cooperation that will take into account Russia’s interests. According to the minister, this could contribute to “improving the situation in Europe and the Euro-Atlantic” and reducing nuclear risks in the long term.
“If the Europeans at some point give up their anti-Russian ways and choose a dialogue with Russia based on mutual respect, we will consider their suggestions and make decisions based on our national interests,” Lavrov said.
He noted, however, that Russia is currently drawing the “necessary conclusions” from the interaction in the European Union. Lavrov said Moscow would act “firmly if necessary” based on Russia’s national interests “in response to hostile steps”.
new priorities
The head of the Russian diplomatic office noted that the geography of his trips abroad has changed and currently reflects “Russian priorities in the international arena”.
Thus, the head of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs visited Iraq, Mali, Mauritania and Sudan at the beginning of February, and South Africa, Esvatini, Angola, Eritrea at the end of January. On March 2, he met with his Chinese counterpart, Qin Gang, on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Summit in New Delhi. He also stated that he expects to visit a number of countries in Latin America in the near future.
The minister stressed that Russia-China relations continue to “develop gradually” and also commented on the views of some experts that the relations between Moscow and Beijing are “uneven” and make Russia dependent on China.
“This issue has been brought up again by some “experts” after Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Moscow. “We see this as an attempt to tarnish our achievements, to spoil the friendship between Moscow and Beijing,” Lavrov said.
He stressed that in matters of trade and supply of energy resources to China, Russia “will think with its own head, relying only on national interests and the reliable, time-tested and real actions of its Chinese friends.”
Lavrov also said that Moscow “has something to offer African friends.” Possible areas of cooperation include humanitarian assistance to African states and the provision of their security. “African states are interested in Russian participation in the training of their professional staff. “We have traditionally strong positions here: Soviet and Russian higher education is in great demand among several generations of Africans,” he said.
He also expressed hope that the Russia-Africa summit scheduled for the summer will strengthen the Russia-Africa strategic partnership. The event will discuss technology transfer, industrial development and critical infrastructure across the continent.
The concept of the updated foreign policy of the Russian Federation
On March 31, Vladimir Putin approved a new law. concept Russian foreign policy. For the first time in the document, Russia is defined as “an original state-civilization, a broad Eurasian and Euro-Pacific power” that brings together the Russian people and other peoples who “form the cultural and civilizational community of the Russian world”. “
The concept states that Russia will build its relations with other countries depending on how these states treat it – constructive, neutral or hostile.
Article from the new version of the concept of foreign policy on the desire to gradually abolish the visa regime with EU countries and strengthen cooperation between Russia and the EU in economic, humanitarian, cultural, educational and other fields. , removed. The main factor that complicates the normalization of relations between Russia and European states is the strategic course of the USA. The new concept also does not include clauses on normalizing relations with Georgia and improving relations with Ukraine.