РУССКИЙ
10:03 24.11.2024 •
Photo: MFA
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statement and answers to media questions at a news conference following the joint meeting of the Collegiums of Russian and Belarusian Foreign Ministries, Brest, November 22, 2024.
Mr Ryzhenkov,
Colleagues,
Today, we have accomplished significant work. Commencing last night, we engaged in discussions on numerous crucial issues within an informal setting. We convened in Brest at the invitation of Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov and our counterparts from the Belarusian Foreign Ministry.
In this year marking the 80th anniversary of Belarus’s liberation from Nazi forces, and in the lead-up to the forthcoming 80th anniversary of our common Victory in the Great Patriotic War in May 2025, it is symbolic to gather here in Brest, a city of sacred importance to our peoples. This is a Hero City. By laying flowers at the Eternal Flame today, we commemorated those heroic acts and emphasised the necessity to preserve this revered memory.
Following the floral tribute, we engaged with young people, specifically students from Brest University and several other universities. Our dialogue focused on the preservation of historical memory and the prevention of attempts to glorify Nazis or equate Nazi criminals with the liberators of Europe. This conversation was timely and beneficial, much like the flower-laying ceremony, which set the tone for our endeavours.
We addressed the matters raised by Mr Ryzhenkov, adhering to a pre-established agenda. A key focus was the imperative of countering legal aggression in its various manifestations. It is unacceptable to blatantly breach international law obligations, as the West is currently doing, violating all the tenets of the WTO, the principles of the IMF and the World Bank, and even its own concepts of globalisation. The West preached the importance of fair competition, the presumption of innocence, and property inviolability, yet abandoned these ideals when it became necessary to penalise competitors – in this instance, the Russian Federation. Numerous other nations, including the Republic of Belarus, also face this pressure. We shall pursue justice through the remaining international legal mechanisms, despite the West’s attempts to dismantle them.
Simultaneously, as discussed in depth today and regularly by our Presidents, we must cultivate our own platforms to render us immune to the West’s capricious conduct. BRICS and the SCO are advancing this objective, as are efforts within the Union State and the EAEU. We shall undoubtedly persist in these endeavours.
In China, they opine that every crisis brings opportunities. The sanctions debacle has not only compelled us to act but has also served the beneficial role of deterring reliance on those who have proven utterly unreliable as negotiating partners.
Recently, President Vladimir Putin, while addressing the Valdai Discussion Club, remarked that we have finally recognised the West’s incapacity to negotiate and the peril of assuming that we might reach an accord with them again. This was evident in February 2022, when the West dismissed our European security proposal. Now, together with our Belarusian friends, we are already deliberating on Eurasian security. At the second Minsk International Conference on Eurasian Security (October 31 – November 1 this year), Belarus proposed the development of a Eurasian Charter of Diversity and Multipolarity in the 21st Century. Today, one of the documents emerging from the Collegium meeting was our joint statement outlining a vision for this Charter. The ensuing step is to draft the Charter itself, commencing this endeavour with all our partners in the SCO, CIS, and CSTO. With Belarus now a full SCO member, our efforts will be even more effective. We are pleased that the Republic of Belarus is among the first wave of BRICS partner countries, which presents additional collaborative opportunities.
We also discussed the forthcoming anniversary of the Union State. December 2024 will commemorate 25 years since the signing of the Treaty on the Establishment of the Union State. In observance of this milestone, the Supreme State Council will convene. I underscore its importance, as it is anticipated to host the signing of pivotal documents, which have been the primary focus of security efforts this year. This includes the Union State Security Concept and the Russian-Belarusian Treaty on Security Guarantees, both vital documents in safeguarding the legitimate interests of our nations.
I wish to once again express our gratitude to our Belarusian friends and hosts for organising this event, for their customary hospitality, and to the leadership of Brest and the Brest Region for providing us with such exemplary facilities.
Question: Yesterday, President of Russia Vladimir Putin addressed people living in our country and also the architects behind the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine. Is there now an understanding that the signal was heard and received? Will the current US Administration try to add more fuel to the fire before it leaves?
Sergey Lavrov: It is difficult for me to decide for them or make guesses. Those who allowed Vladimir Zelensky to use these missiles also allowed it themselves. President of Russia Vladimir Putin has said so many times. Not a single missile would have flown anywhere without their direct involvement.
As for the reaction to our response, as far as I understand, Vladimir Zelensky was scared. He began accusing his masters that they left him unarmed for such a response from the Russian side. This is useful, because being closer to reality and feeling it on your own skin is useful.
As for what to expect from US President Joe Biden and his outgoing administration, the supply of ATACMS missiles and the permission given to the British and French to use Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles spells “bad legacy” for the next administration. Apparently, this runs in the Democratic Party’s blood. In December 2016, when then US President Barack Obama was already leaving the office and there were three weeks left before the inauguration of Donald Trump, Obama played a dirty trick on his successor and expelled dozens of Russian diplomats. There were over 120 of them in total (including family members). They were required to leave Washington on a day when there was no direct flight to Moscow. So, they had to ride with little children and all their belongings six hours by bus to New York. This additional “comfort” was done intentionally, as you can see. Meanwhile, Barack Obama stole (there is no other word to describe it) two Russian diplomatic compounds. We have not been allowed access there to this day. In this way, the plans for the first weeks of Donald Trump’s stay in the White House – to launch a normal dialogue with the Russian Federation – were significantly undermined.
I do not rule out that this desire to make a mess is also manifested in the current conditions.
Question: Just yesterday it was reported that training of military personnel is underway in the West in order to attack Belarus. This information was released by Belarusian media.
If this is true, what is Moscow’s position, considering that Belarus is a member of the Union State and in the context of the updated nuclear doctrine?
Sergey Lavrov (adds after Maxim Ryzhenkov): As for the updated Nuclear Doctrine of the Russian Federation and how it relates to the activities of the Union State, I have already mentioned that two draft documents have been prepared for the Supreme State Council meeting, which will take place before the end of the year.
The first document is the Union State Security Concept. The second is a draft bilateral interstate agreement on security guarantees. The content of the updated nuclear doctrine is fully aligned with these two Russian-Belarusian documents.
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