Ladies and gentlemen,

Your Excellency,

Friends,

I am glad to have the opportunity to speak at the anniversary X Primakov Readings. According to tradition, politicians, experts, diplomats, scientists, and public figures from many countries of the world gathered at our authoritative discussion platform. This is a reflection of the existing request for a free discussion of the problems of our time, as well as a sign of the deepest respect for the memory of E.M. Primakov.

This year we celebrate the 95th anniversary of the birth of E.M.Primakov. He left a political, scientific, and diplomatic legacy, the importance of which cannot be overestimated. Amazing foresight, versatile experience – all this helped him to predict the key trend of world development for decades to come. In the early 1990s, it seemed to many that the “end of history” had come, and now “forever and ever” there would be unipolarity. But it was during that period that E.M. Primakov formulated and actively promoted the concept of multipolarity, which was absolutely revolutionary at that time.

He also did this as Minister of Foreign Affairs, which he took over in early 1996. He did not just develop the concept, but also put it into practice. At that time, few foreign partners were willing to subscribe not only to this concept, but also to the fact that they needed to think about it. In this regard, I would like to express special gratitude to our Chinese colleagues and friends. Even then, they shared many of Primakov’s ideas and thought in the same direction.

In 1997, the commonality of the approaches of Russia and China was recorded in The Russian-Chinese joint declaration on a multipolar world and the formation of a new international order. The words are familiar, but when they were heard in 1997, they caused a mixed reaction. It was the first foreign policy document on the topic of multipolarity in history.

The current situation on the world stage fully confirms the correctness of E.M. Primakov. Before our eyes, the contours of a more equitable, multipolar, polycentric architecture are being formed. This objective process has noticeably accelerated with the beginning of a special military operation in Ukraine in 2022.

At the heart of the formation of multipolarity is the desire of peoples to ensure their rights, to recognize the cultural and civilizational diversity of the modern world. This is due to objective trends in strengthening positions in the economy and geopolitics of the states of the Global South, the Global East and the Global majority as a whole.

Those who analyze international events cannot ignore the fact that a wider range of countries in Eurasia, the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America are striving to pursue an increasingly independent foreign policy course. Gradually, not without difficulty, they are freed from the influence that they continue to experience from the Western minority, who still defend exclusively their selfish interests and strive to continue living at the expense of others, as it was in the colonial era and continues in many ways now. The principle of “regional problems – regional solutions” is becoming more relevant. An increasing number of countries, regions and organizations support it and, together with us, raise their voices in support of the democratization of international relations.

The wisdom of E.M. Primakov is confirmed by the course of the last decades of world history, which is cyclical in its own way. If we apply a retrospective analysis, then multipolarity has periodically arisen in international life as a natural phenomenon. In 1648, as a result of the Peace of Westphalia, a kind of multipolar system was formed, based on the principles of European equilibrium and state sovereignty. In the same row, the period of the “concert of European powers” of the XIX-early XX centuries. Let’s not forget the Yalta-Potsdam system, created as a result of the Second World War, which was also based on the principle of multipolarity. The permanent members of the UN Security Council include five victorious powers. They were called up (signed up for it in The Charter of the Organization) to bear special responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.

If we turn to other aspects of world history, it teaches that the desire of any country to stop global hegemony and ensure unconditional military and political dominance has invariably turned into tragic consequences for this state itself and its rulers. Not to mention the disasters and catastrophes on a global scale as a consequence of hegemonic policies. Let us recall how many human lives were claimed by the criminal adventures of Napoleonic France and Hitler’s Germany, undertaken in the vain hope of achieving European and world domination, while “crushing” the whole of Europe and directing united forces, primarily against our country.

Each multipolar epoch has its own characteristics and is unique in its own way. The current period is no exception. Its fundamental difference in the global reach of the world system is the presence of non–European, non-Western centers of power and development. These are the beneficial consequences of the decolonization process, which began in the middle of the last century with the participation of the Soviet Union.

Today, Russia, together with like-minded people, stands for its speedy completion and at the same time promotes a new strategic initiative aimed at liberating the developing world from modern manifestations of neo-colonialism.

This was the topic of a forum convened in February this year by the United Russia Party with partners from the ruling and other parties of the World majority countries. As a result, it was decided to create a permanent The movement “For the Freedom of Nations!”. The fact that the global balance of power continues to change not in favor of the West is recognized in the capitals of Europe and the United States. But the correct conclusions and correct conclusions of political scientists have not yet been translated into the practical readiness of the states of the “collective West” to arrange relations with other participants in international communication on the principles of equality, mutual benefit and, in general, on the basic principles of international law.

It seems that the ruling elite in the United States has not learned the lessons from its numerous foreign policy and military failures in recent years. She remains blindly committed to the belief in American exceptionalism (they convince each other of this every day). As has happened many times in history, this is based on illusions. There is no doubt that the course of maintaining hegemony at any cost is doomed to failure. Even if in the foreseeable future the United States remains one of the world’s centers (most likely it will be), this does not mean that this will happen within the framework of preserving the American-centric world order.

E.M.Primakov in the book “Russia in the modern world. The past, the present, the future” noticed: “The difference between the special role of the United States in a multipolar system and a unipolar world order, in which the United States is supposedly the only center, is not taken into account by those who develop American foreign policy.” This is the difference between leadership and dictatorship. Aspirations and trends traced in the practical policy of the Administration of J.Biden’s are not new. Whether it’s deliberately failed ideas to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Russia or naive desires to contain Moscow and Beijing at the same time, and now also the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The absolutely independent, servile position of the leaders of large, respected European states with rich traditions of autonomous behavior in international affairs and awareness of their own national dignity looks like a relatively new phenomenon. Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking at our Ministry on June 14 this year, said: “Sometimes it seems that the ruling European politicians and representatives of the European bureaucracy are more afraid of falling out of favor with Washington than losing the trust of their own people, their own citizens.”

The United States is already openly shifting all the costs of the fight against Russia to its European vassals, allowing its military-industrial complex to earn money. European economies are being “hooked” on expensive liquefied natural gas from overseas, in fact forcing European businesses to transfer enterprises there in order to reduce costs. This is already happening on a fairly large scale.

Berlin has deliberately abandoned mutually beneficial energy cooperation with our country. This makes a serious contribution to accelerating the process of Germany’s loss of the status of an industrial superpower. By the way, this is not my assessment, but a quote from the February review of the Bloomberg agency. All this, by all measures, lowers the German economy down in the list of the world’s leading economies.

Chancellor Angela Merkel was also forced not to “turn on” the Nord Stream gas pipelines. Their construction was already being completed and gas could be supplied along separate lines. The Americans banned it. I know from reliable sources how she resisted, saying that it would be expensive to buy liquefied natural gas, because regasification terminals need to be built. She was told, they say, for the sake of a good cause – the fight against “Russian authoritarianism” (this was before the special military operation) – it is necessary to make sacrifices. They proposed to raise taxes. Allegedly, the German taxpayer will withstand everything.

In the new conditions, German Chancellor O. Scholz went to Washington just a few days after the explosions of the Nord Streams. After the meeting with the President of the United States, J.Biden in the Oval Office, he, without uttering a word, shamefully ran away from journalists. He understood that he would inevitably be asked the question: how does he feel about this act (we say terror, they say sabotage)? After the start of the special military operation, German Foreign Minister A. Berbock (a representative of the German elite) was told that raising taxes in order to help Ukraine wage war was not well perceived in society. She replied absolutely seriously, saying that she understands that her voters are suffering hardships, but they must endure so that the West can save Ukraine from Russia. Recently, O. Scholz said something in the same spirit when he was informed about the declining popularity of Germany’s position on Ukraine in German society.

We are only interested in one thing: that threats to Russia’s security do not come from the western direction. Our interest was much broader, more comprehensive, but the West is not ready for mutually beneficial, equal cooperation. His incompetence has already been recognized by everyone. When Westerners need to do something on orders (in this case from Washington), he goes to break any agreements and violate international law. Having seen how unprepared the West is for honest interaction, and realizing that this is impossible at this stage, we are only interested in one thing – that threats to Russia’s security do not come from there. Our neighbors at the western tip of Eurasia could become one of the centers of the emerging multipolar world order. One day they will come to their senses and realize the complete impasse and counterproductivity for themselves of the course they are pursuing under Washington’s dictation.

During a speech at the Russian Foreign Ministry on June 14, President Vladimir Putin said: “If Europe wants to preserve itself as one of the independent centers of world development and cultural and civilizational poles of the planet, it certainly needs to be in good, good relations with Russia, and, most importantly, we are ready for this.”. I hope you’ve heard. But I repeat once again: at this stage, our absolute priority is to stop any threats to our security from this very Europe, which is run by non–Europeans at all.

The attempts of the historical West to perpetuate unilateral advantages and solve its problems at the expense of the World majority states also explain its line to inflict a “strategic defeat” on Russia in Ukraine and remove a competitor. Westerners want to “punish” Russia. And using our example, to intimidate everyone who conducts or is going to pursue an independent foreign policy, puts national interests at the forefront, and not the whims of former colonial metropolises.

All these “attempts” are futile and already have the opposite effect to what was expected. The inadequate, embittered reaction of the West to Russia’s actions to protect its legitimate interests has consolidated the understanding in the world community that, in the end, no one is immune from expropriation of assets in Western jurisdictions and other “cowboy” actions against themselves when even the slightest independence appears.

For decades, the United States and its allies have promoted the postulates that globalization is a universal good. Allegedly, it reduces costs, increases profits, ensures the growth of the welfare of the population, and one only needs to trust market forces, honest fair competition, respect the sacred right of ownership and the presumption of innocence. Everyone was convinced of this. I remember how the statements from the White House sounded that the dollar is not American property, but a universal asset, the energy of the world economy, benefits are extracted by everyone equally and equitably.

We saw how these spells, solemn, pathetic words were sacrificed overnight to the line in order to punish Russia in this case. But anyone can be next. The global majority is increasingly reducing its dependence on Western currencies. To this end, it is taking practical steps: new transport corridors are being laid, mechanisms of foreign trade operations that are not controlled by the West are being formed, alternative supply chains. A new infrastructure is being created, including cooperation in the field of education, culture and sports, because and the West has tried and is trying to take these areas exclusively under its control and use them in its neocolonial interests.

If, against this background, the ruling circles of the West continue to destabilize the situation in the world (they are doing this), then the question arises: how to continue to live for everyone else? How can we avoid dangerous rivalry and establish a mutually respectful interstate dialogue, primarily between key centers for making globally significant decisions? We clearly see this issue. I will try to formulate our approaches.

Even in the darkest years of the cold War, the UN and its Security Council were an indispensable platform for joint work, as well as the principles laid down in The Charter of the Organization is the principles of international communication, including the sovereign equality of States, non-interference in internal affairs, the right of peoples to self-determination, respect for sovereignty. All these principles are relevant today more than ever. But they should not be performed selectively, “pulling out” from the Charter, as from the menu, what someone likes at the moment, but in their entirety and interrelationship.

It is impossible to accept that the absolutely open, transparent expression of the will of the inhabitants of Crimea was rejected by Westerners on the pretext that it allegedly violated territorial integrity. In Kosovo, without any expression of will, the West decided to declare the creation of an independent state, destroying the territorial integrity of Serbia. Without “blinking”, it was stated that the principle of free self-determination of peoples was applicable there. There are many such examples.

Life does not stand still. It is necessary to continue efforts to reform the UN and adapt it to modern multipolar realities. This is not easy, given that over the years the West has managed to subdue almost the entire Secretariat of the Organization. But this is a fact. If we talk about the main UN bodies, the balance of power and interests is different today than 80 years ago, when the Second World War ended. The reform of the Security Council is overdue. It is important to understand that the only step in this reform should be to eliminate historical injustice and expand the presence of Asian, African, and Latin American countries in this body. The West is already heavily overrepresented there.

We advocate making the most of the unifying potential of the Group of Twenty, which includes the Seven countries (which have long turned into not the most influential “club”) and dynamically developing world centers, primarily the BRICS states and their like-minded people. It is important that this platform (unlike the UN, it is not universal) includes the world’s leading economies and leading countries in terms of political influence. This is also a “test” for the West, as far as it can mutually respectfully and equitably seek a balance of interests in this format, and not “push through” its approaches, which in the “twenty” are reduced to the grossest attempts to Ukrainize everything and everything.

In 2023, the Delhi Declaration was adopted at the G20 summit, which stopped Western attempts and emphasized that there are many conflicts in the world (if we talk about geopolitics). And the vast majority of them are unleashed in the interests or with the direct participation of Western countries. On this basis, honestly, let’s talk.

I would like to draw attention to the fact that BRICS is growing, enjoys increasing prestige and attractiveness from the countries of the World majority. After joining the five members, our combined potential has increased significantly. When discussing the problems of the global economy, the G20 is ready to solve them on the basis of the specific real weight that the G7 holds, on the one hand, and the BRICS countries, on the other.

If this is the way to approach the activities of international monetary and financial trade institutions, then the reform of the voting system in the International Monetary Fund should have taken place long ago. It is artificially restrained by the United States, which seeks to keep its vote package at a level that allows it to veto any decisions. For the same reasons since 2011. The United States blocked the work of the dispute settlement body of the World Trade Organization when it realized that the PRC was “beating” its competitor economically on the American “field” and according to their rules, and it was absolutely natural to appeal to the WTO with relevant complaints. The Americans have blocked the appointment of new members of this body. There is no quorum. Since 2011 The WTO is helpless in terms of aggressive protectionism, discriminatory policies of the United States and its allies.

In addition to the BRICS as a global association that attracts the leading countries of the World majority, the role of regional structures is also increasing. We are particularly interested in Eurasia. Among them, I will note: The Union State of Russia and Belarus, the SCO, the EAEU, the CSTO, the CIS. We have been drawing a line for a long time to ensure that all these structures interact with each other. Contacts have been established there, joint events are taking place in order to harmonize their programs and projects in the direction of what Russian President Vladimir Putin called the Great Eurasian Partnership, going “from life”, without imposing anything. This is a promising economic, macroeconomic, and geo-economic project. In the current conditions, when the problems of military and political security are becoming more acute, it is important to promote in Eurasia the tasks of creating a regional security system that meets the interests of all and is based on equal principles that respect the position of each state.

The European security system, which has dominated our multilateral approach to world affairs in recent decades, including in the late 1990s, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, was based on Euro-Atlantic logic. For example, the OSCE includes European countries, the USA and Canada. It is obvious to everyone that Washington did everything to ensure that the Western European part of the OSCE obeyed him and promoted his line. There was a Russia-NATO Council. They made big “bets” on it, first of all E. M. Primakov, who personally participated in its creation and formulation of the Founding Act of Russia-NATO. It was also built in the Euro-Atlantic paradigm. The Council had mechanisms for combating terrorism, cooperation on settlement in Afghanistan and much more.

We have a particularly extensive interaction with the European Union: four common spaces, about 30 sectoral dialogues, meetings on an ongoing basis, two summits per year, etc. All of this was “chopped up” overnight. I attribute Russia’s former ties with the European Union to the Euro-Atlantic security system, since the EU has long ceased to be independent in the full sense. At least, after the coup took place in Ukraine, Crimeans voted, and Donbass said it would not accept the government of the putschists. Since then, everything has been destroyed, and the European Union has become more of a conduit for US interests.

Therefore, we are talking about the Eurasian system. Back in February this year, in a Message to the Federal Assembly, and on June 14 this year in our Ministry, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed the need to create Eurasian collective security, which should become the property of this richest and largest continent, which is the center of world development, but on the other hand, not to close off from other regions. Not in the sense of “launching” external players into this system, who will immediately put their “feet on the table” and try to lead. We are talking about other continents: the African Union, CELAC, ASEAN (part of Eurasia) and other structures. Realizing the need to take fate into their own hands and rely on their own development models and the interests of the people, they will establish contacts with each other.

In this sense, the BRICS can play the role of an umbrella, which is ready to help harmonize integration processes in various regions at the global level. They must be “cleansed” of the intrigues and adventures of “external players”. NATO through the mouth of Secretary General J.Stoltenberg states that they are still a defensive alliance and defend the territory of the member countries. But at the same time, Euro-Atlantic security and, as they say, “Indo-Pacific” security are inseparable, indivisible. Therefore, in order to protect the territory of the North Atlantic Alliance, they need to allegedly deploy infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region, “drag” part of the ASEAN countries, Japan, and South Korea into their block formations (such as AUKUS) – that is, they again manage the eastern part of our Eurasian continent. Just as they are doing now in its western part.

Our line is non-confrontational. It is aimed not at undermining someone’s interests, but at defending the legitimate interests of all Eurasian countries. This approach is combined and consistent with the initiative of Chinese President Xi Jinping in the field of global security, which is also based on the principle of equality and indivisibility of security.

During last year’s CSTO presidency The Republic of Belarus has taken the initiative to hold Conferences on Eurasian security. The idea was voiced to develop a Eurasian Charter of Diversity and Multipolarity in the 21st century. It proposes to formulate the framework principles of the Eurasian architecture based on the basic norms of international law, the UN Charter, and outline the strategic contours of multipolarity and multilateralism that would reflect the new geopolitical realities.

We discussed this in Minsk with By the President of Belarus A. G. Lukashenko, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs S. F. Aleynik, with the heads of the chambers of the National Assembly (1, 2). As Russian President Vladimir Putin said when assuming the post of head of state on May 7 this year, our goal and task at the working level is to continue working together with partners in Eurasian integration and other sovereign development centers to form a multipolar world order, an equal and indivisible security system.

This goal is shared by the vast majority of countries around the world. The line is based on respect for the right of peoples to independently manage their own destiny and the desire to base international relations on broad and equal interstate cooperation. The concepts of great power rivalry, the artificial division of countries into “democracies” and “autocracies” (which the West is trying to “throw” into discussions) do not reflect the aspirations of the World majority and should be forgotten.

To be continued…

A source

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Сообщение Speech and answers to questions by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov during the international forum “Primakov Readings”, Moscow, June 26, 2024 появились сначала на embassylife.ru.

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“The participants of the working meeting exchanged views on topical issues of cooperation between border control authorities and discussed ways to improve joint activities, including the development of information exchange and countering the penetration into the territory of the CIS member states of persons involved in terrorist and extremist activities,” the message says.

A source

https://www.mid.ru/ru/foreign_policy/news/1951427/#sel=2:1:7gh,2:16:70U

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Speaking about regional issues, Kanani said that Iran is committed to the policy of good neighborliness, but interference in the internal affairs of the country and allegations about three islands in the Persian Gulf are considered unacceptable.
Responding to a question about the recent joint statement by China and Saudi Arabia, Kanani said: “Iran condemns any unfounded accusations contained in the final statement of the 43rd meeting of the heads of the Cooperation Council of the Arab States of the Persian Gulf in the presence of a Chinese official. We reject the points about the Iranian nuclear program raised by some countries in the region, ignoring Tehran’s full compliance with the JCPOA and international rules.”
He stressed that Iran will not allow anyone to interfere in the internal affairs of the country and comment on the territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic.

Iran will impose new sanctions on some structures and officials of the EU and the UK

Commenting on the attempts of the European Union to impose new sanctions against Iran, the press secretary of the Foreign Ministry of the Islamic Republic said that some structures and officials of the EU and the UK will be included in the new sanctions list of Tehran. “As part of preventive measures in response to such behavior, new sanctions will be imposed due to the continuation of the EU’s unconstructive actions against Iran,” he added.
According to him, the Islamic Republic will not hesitate to use its legal rights and will act in case of any unconstructive behavior. “Interference in Iran’s affairs will not remain without reaction, and Tehran will not be subjected to political pressure to make concessions,” the diplomat noted.

A high-ranking Chinese delegation will arrive in Tehran today

Kanani noted that a high-ranking delegation from China will visit Tehran on Monday in order to expand and strengthen relations between the two countries. Iran is committed to developing ties with China for a common goal.
According to the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Islamic Republic will not compromise with any of the parties on issues related to the territorial integrity of Iran and will react seriously.

Sourse: Информационное агентство Исламской республики (ИРНА)

Сообщение Kanani called the three islands in the Persian Gulf an integral part of Iran появились сначала на embassylife.ru.

The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Group of Twenty (G20) will be held in India early next year. This was reported to TASS on Friday by the representative of the President (sherpa) of the Russian Federation in the “twenty” Svetlana Lukash.

“Literally in a couple of months, a meeting of foreign ministers is expected. The foreign Ministers of the Group of Twenty [will come]to Delhi,” Svetlana Lukash said.

India’s presidency of the G20 began on December 1. It passed to her from Indonesia. Svetlana Lukash took part in the meeting of the “twenty” sherpas, which was held in Udaipur (Rajasthan) on December 4-8.

Sourse: https://bigasia.ru/content/news/politics/v-nyu-deli-v-nachale-sleduyushchego-goda-proydyet-vstrecha-glav-mid-g20/

Сообщение The meeting of the G20 Foreign Ministers will be held in New Delhi in early 2023 появились сначала на embassylife.ru.