Sergey Lavrov: “We cannot put up with the idea that the world should continue to live permanently according to American “rules”

Photo: MFA Press service

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made some important remarks during talks with Foreign Minister of the Republic of Cuba Bruno Rodriguez, Havana, April 20, 2023 (photo):

- Tensions are being ratcheted up in the international arena, and the West’s attempts to dictate its will and ignore the legitimate positions of others not only persist, but are mounting. You mentioned the long decades during which the West (I mean the United States) has imposed and continues to maintain an unlawful and illegitimate trade and economic blockade of Cuba. In recent decades, long before the current developments, we too were subjected to US sanctions. So, we have the same assessments.

- We cannot put up with the idea that the world should continue to live permanently according to American “rules.” These are the rules they have in mind when they impose a rules-based world order on everyone else. We all understand this very well. These rules reflect their desire to continue their colonial methods of living off others and eliminating competitors.

- We value the fact that from the onset of the special military operation, our Cuban friends, President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez and other senior officials clearly laid out their position and expressed, in their assessments, a full understanding of the reasons that led to the current situation.

- I’m talking about NATO’s reckless expansion to our borders and its complete disregard for our proposals to reach agreements on ensuring each other’s security on the principles of indivisible security.

- In addition to the buildup of a direct military threat to the security of the Russian Federation, we could not ignore the gross violation by the Kiev regime of the basic rights of millions of its citizens, who, in fact, were brought to the brink of annihilation not only in terms of the destruction of their language, traditions, culture, and religion, but oftentimes, in terms of their physical survival.

- We will continue to work together in the international arena in order to mobilise countries that also reject this diktat to join our efforts in favour of forming a multipolar world order in full compliance with the UN Charter, which contains the important provision that “The Organisation is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members.” The fact that our Western colleagues do not do this and do not respect anyone else is obvious.

read more in our Telegram-channel https://t.me/The_International_Affairs