Talks between Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad of the Republic of Senegal
Mankeur Ndiaye
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad of
the Republic of Senegal Mankeur Ndiaye will come to Russia on a working visit
on April 16-18. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold talks with him on
April 17.
Russia and Senegal maintain a constructive and
substantive political dialogue based on shared perceptions of global processes,
including the creation of a polycentric world order as a more fair and safe
system of international relations. Meaningful cooperation is underway in
various multilateral formats, including the UN, given the non-permanent
membership of Senegal in the Security Council in 2016-2017.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Foreign Minister
Mankeur Ndiaye will discuss key issues of the global and regional agenda with
an emphasis on settling conflicts on the African continent and in the Middle
East, as well as fighting international terrorism.
A focus of the forthcoming talks will be promoting
mutually beneficial trade, economic and investment cooperation between Russia
and Senegal. Trade between our two countries amounted to over $82 million in
2016. An in-depth exchange of views on ways to improve business ties in the
sphere of fisheries, geological prospecting, and mining will be held.
Cooperation in the humanitarian sphere, in particular, training Senegalese
specialists at Russian institutions of higher education, where about 25
citizens of that country are currently studying, is an important area of our
relations.
We look forward to Minister for Foreign Affairs and
Senegalese Abroad of the Republic of Senegal Mankeur Ndiaye’s upcoming visit to
Moscow giving an additional impetus to joint efforts to unlock the potential of
the traditionally friendly relations between the two countries.
Talks between Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and
Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Foreign and Expatriates
Minister of the Syrian Arab Republic Walid Muallem
Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers and
Minister of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs of the Syrian Arab Republic Walid
Muallem will pay a working visit to Russia on April 13-15 at the invitation of
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
During the talks, the ministers will discuss the
situation in Syria, which came under attack and continues to be attacked by
international terrorists, and was also subjected to military aggression by the
United States. I will say more about this later. Possible joint steps to
minimise the negative consequences of this gross violation of international law
for international and regional peace and security will be considered.
Trilateral meeting between Foreign Minister Sergey
Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and
Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic Walid Muallem and Foreign
Minister of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif
On April 14, Moscow will host a trilateral meeting
between Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic Walid Muallem
and Foreign Minister of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif.
Talks will mainly focus on the military and political
situation in Syria. The participants will discuss measures for trilateral
coordination in order to prevent the degradation of the situation and
undermining of efforts for a political settlement in Syria amid Washington’s
military aggression against Damascus.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s talks with Foreign
Minister of Qatar Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani
On April 15, Moscow will host talks between Foreign
Minister Sergey Lavrov and Foreign Minister of Qatar Mohammed bin Abdulrahman
Al-Thani, which will continue the good tradition of bilateral contacts and the
discussion of the situation in the region.
During these talks, the ministers will exchange views
on a wide range of current issues on the regional and international agenda and
the further development of bilateral relations.
The Moscow meeting will allow for coordination on key
topics in the Middle East, with an emphasis on searching for ways to settle
crisis situations there and the need to resolutely counter the threat of
international terrorism.
The current situation in and around Syria is expected
to be a focus. The ministers will discuss the military and political
developments in Syria and prospects for promoting a political process with
constructive international assistance.
Particular attention will be paid to the further
development of Russian-Qatar relations, including the maintenance of regular
political dialogue and the expansion of trade and economic ties. In this
regard, the parties will discuss the progress in implementing agreements
achieved at the Russian-Qatar high-level meeting in January 2016 in Moscow.
We will provide additional information on all of the
contacts just mentioned and publish expanded materials following their
completion.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s working visit to the
Republic of Abkhazia
In accordance with an agreement, Foreign Minister
Sergey Lavrov will pay a working visit to Abkhazia on April 18-19.
On April 18, Mr Lavrov will take part in the opening
ceremony of the new Russian Embassy compound in Abkhazia.
On April 19, Mr Lavrov will hold talks in Sukhum with
Abkhazian President Raul Khajimba and Abkhazian Foreign Minister Daur Kove,
during which there are plans to exchange opinions on key issues of bilateral
relations, consolidation of Abkhazia’s international position and coordination
of Russian-Abkhazian foreign policy cooperation.
Mr Lavrov’s visit to the Republic of Abkhazia is meant
to give more impetus to developing Russian-Abkhazian relations based on the
principles of alliance and strategic partnership, and also to strengthen
cooperation between our countries’ foreign ministries.
Russia’s position on space cooperation
As you know, today is Cosmonautics Day, and I would
like to wish you a happy one. Traditionally it is observed on a wide scale as
an important event. Cosmonautics Day (International Day of Human Space Flight declared
by the UN) is a good opportunity for focusing on some of the most important
aspects of Russia’s space activity, in particular its international dimension.
Developing the country’s space capabilities is one of
Russia’s national priorities, as President Putin has repeatedly stated.
Designed through 2025, the Federal Space Programme provides for the development
of all fundamental areas, including the study of planets of the solar system
and the moon with the help of automated spacecraft and a manned space flight
programme. I would like to draw your attention once again, considering that
members of international media outlets are present here, and it is very
important for us to make our assessments and our vision of this area of
international cooperation clear to our foreign partners.
Russia is ensuring guaranteed access to outer space
from its territory. Foreign policy priorities have been defined and are being
consistently followed. Russia advocates the peaceful use of outer space and the
prevention of an arms race in space.
Back in 2008, a Russian-Chinese draft international
treaty on the prevention of the placement of weapons in outer space and the
threat or use of force against outer space objects was submitted for
consideration to the Disarmament Conference in Geneva. In 2014 an amended
version of that document was submitted.
Essentially the only state that is opposed to the
international community’s efforts in this area is the US. Under these
circumstances, to enhance mutual confidence and transparency, back in 2004,
Russia assumed a unilateral political commitment not to be the first to place
weapons in outer space, and urged all responsible countries to follow suit.
Many of them, including those that have significant space potential, have
already become full participants to this initiative. Even more countries have
co-sponsored a corresponding resolution of the UN General Assembly, which has
been approved by an overwhelming majority of votes for three years in a row.
Today, the international initiative regarding no first placement of weapons in
outer space is the most effective, viable, cost-free, and transparent
confidence-building measure in this sphere and it is gaining momentum. Of
course, the main goal is to prevent an arms race in outer space.
It is noteworthy that back in 2005, at the Russia-EU
summit in Moscow, an agreement was reached on combined efforts to prevent an
arms race in space. We believe that these agreements still stand. We therefore
have quite a few questions about the EU’s collective position, which was formed
under pressure from Washington and obligates all EU countries to refrain from
endorsing this simple and understandable resolution of the UN General Assembly
for the third time in a row, which calls for dialogue in this area without even
requiring any new obligations from EU countries, which cannot boast
independence in their actions.
Furthermore, at the UN Outer Space Committee in
Vienna, Russia put forward a host of important proposals designed to ensure the
safety of space operations and the preservation of outer space as a secure,
stable and conflict-free environment. Substantive talks are under way.
We are ready to work constructively on all these
issues with all states in the interest of preserving the peaceful skies over
our planet.
This is the first time we are observing this day and
this holiday without our outstanding cosmonaut Georgy Grechko. He will forever
remain in our hearts. His shining memory will live on. We regard everything
that he has done for the development of the space industry and international
cooperation in the peaceful use of outer space as an invaluable contribution.
His name has been inscribed in gold letters not only in national history but
also in the world history of cosmonautics.
The situation in Venezuela
We’re receiving a lot of requests to explain Moscow’s
position on this issue.
We’re watching with concern the situation in
Venezuela, a country with which we maintain friendly relations, where
opposition activists continue to clash with law-enforcers, even with the Easter
holidays approaching. We feel sorry for the people who were killed or injured
in street violence that is spiralling out of control. We cannot help mentioning
a growing risk that the destructive scenarios which we have spoken about time
and again and have warned against and which call to mind the grievous events in
Chile in the 1970s might be implemented.
We believe that non-violence offers a way to end
political confrontation – this is exactly our vision of how to resolve the
political crisis and resume nationwide dialogue for the sake of searching
jointly for answers and solutions to the socioeconomic challenges facing the
country.
In this context, we’re concerned about the statements
by the US Southern Command to the effect that further aggravation of the crisis
in Venezuela might require a prompt response at a regional level. It should be
understood that statements like these are adding to the instability, escalating
the situation in that country. They cannot be treated otherwise than words to
encourage Venezuelan radicals to create an atmosphere of uncertainty and
instability and incite violent confrontation. We consider the fact that
tensions are running high in Venezuela to be a very dangerous trend. Honestly,
in our view, this would hardly be in the interests of the United States and the
entire international community, including the countries in the
region.
We would like to say again that all political
processes unfolding in Venezuela should be strictly in line with the
constitution, keep to both its letter and spirit in full, and comply with the
governing laws. There is no alternative to a peaceful settlement of Venezuela’s
internal problems reached at the negotiating table and in compliance with the
constitution – and there cannot be any.
Results of Russian MPs’ work at the
Inter-Parliamentary Union’s 136th Assembly in Dacca and the 137thAssembly
in St Petersburg this October
Last week, the capital of Bangladesh, Dacca, hosted
the 136th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. I would
like to note the positive results of the Russian delegation’s work.
At the Assembly’s plenary session the
Inter-Parliamentary Union adopted a resolution initiated by our country on the
role of parliaments in observing the principle of non-interference in the
internal affairs of states.
We repeatedly observed such actions in the past,
including in the former Yugoslavia, Iraq and Libya, and now we can see attempts
to do the same in Syria. The resolution was supported by an overwhelming
majority of the delegations, despite the expected resistance from
representatives of several western countries.
Also important was the support for the Russian
initiative to establish a working group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s
Executive Committee on Syria. This group’s mandate is to include developing
measures, to be accepted by the global parliamentary community, to promote an
open and universal political settlement in Syria and also to support effective
global efforts in fighting international terrorism in the region.
The group will have an opportunity to visit where
events are happening, in particular, Syria. It will consist of representatives
of the Executive Committee (besides Russia, the wish to participate was expressed
by France, the Netherlands, Iran and Namibia) and of all six geopolitical
groups in the Inter-Parliamentary Union. The IPU Executive Committee has
invited both the Syrian Parliament and representatives of the opposition to
cooperate within the framework of the group. Russia’s representative
(Konstantin Kosachev, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Federation
Council) will be the coordinator of this working group.
This can be considered a continuation of efforts
toward an intra-Syrian settlement made by Russian MPs. This settlement is
developing in addition to TV link-ups with colleagues from Syria, Iran and
European countries and trips to Syria together with European MPs. In our
opinion, all this is having a perceptible effect and European MPs’ attitude to
the events in that country is gradually changing. Our aim is not to steer it in
an advantageous direction for us but to make it non-biased, impartial and
independent, instead of going with the flow.
Participants in the Assembly in Dacca offered their
condolences for the tragedy in St Petersburg and expressed solidarity with the
people of St Petersburg and all Russia.
I would like to remind you that the next IPU Assembly
will take place in Russia. We can say that in Dacca, Bangladesh passed the baton
as host to St Petersburg. There was a presentation on this city on the Neva
River and a discussion of key issues on the agenda of the autumn session of
2017.
In particular, there are plans to adopt another
resolution in St Petersburg, initiated by Russia and dedicated to the 20th anniversary
of the Universal Declaration on Democracy. The resolution will acknowledge the
absence of a universal model of democracy and the fact that democracy is not
the exclusive privilege of a certain country or region.
It should be emphasised that, for its part, Russia
will spare no effort to make the Inter-Parliamentary Union’s 137th Assembly
a success.
The situation in Syria
The military-political situation in Syria sharply
deteriorated following the massive US strike on April 7 against the al-Shayrat
airfield where Syrian Air Force planes are based. In this room, as well as for
many other audiences, we have given an extended evaluation of that, issuing
corresponding statements and explanations and making comments. As is known,
Russia responded to that outright act of aggression against a sovereign UN
member state by suspending the Russian-US memorandum on the prevention of air
incidents in the course of operations in Syria. A corresponding explanation was
provided via both the Defence Ministry and the Foreign Ministry. Washington’s
use of force is a serious challenge not only to regional but also to
international security.
Unfortunately, there is no stopping anti-Russian
forces in the West, which are bent on wiping out the positive achievements on
the path toward a peace settlement. They were put in place mainly through the
efforts of Russia and its partners in the Astana process, as well as the
efforts of UN envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and his team in Geneva.
Some western media outlets are not above peddling
these fake news stories and outright slander. Consider, for example, the AP
report of April 11 citing a high-ranking US official as saying that Russia knew
about Syria’s coming chemical weapons attack in advance!
How can we comment on this? These news stories can
only be commented on in the same spirit. Let’s try to do the same today. Maybe
those across the ocean knew about the terrorists’ coming provocation and so
targeted their cruise missiles at Syria’s al-Shayrat airport in advance. Are
these the kinds of polemics we will engage in or will we talk in a constructive
manner? Will we destroy the media with these fake reports or will we come to
understand the need for a responsible approach toward dealing with long-running
international problems? Would it not be better first to understand what really
happened at Khan Sheikhoun on April 4 and ensure, as Russia immediately
proposed, an impartial, objective and professional international investigation
on the ground with the participation of OPCW experts? Unfortunately, our
colleagues chose to act differently.
Our partners’ actions consists of constantly repeating
the “vial of white powder” show at the UN Security Council that the US used to
justify the need to destroy Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq in the early 2000s.
The comparisons are not simply appropriate, they are self-evident. There is
only one “but” here: the situation today is far more dangerous, because a new
bloody and insidious player has emerged – international terrorism, as
represented by ISIS, al-Nusra and other Al Qaeda affiliates. How they evolved,
as a result of what countries’ mistakes and in what region – I believe we have
talked enough about that to repeat it today.
Independent experts from the Swedish Doctors for Human
Rights (SWEDHR), a Swedish NGO, have questioned the videos of the “victims of
the chemical attack” that were accompanied by comments in Arabic as to how best
to position a child in front of a camera.
As before, we urge our partners for equal cooperation
based on mutual respect in the interest of achieving the most important goals
on the international agenda today: eliminating the seat of international
terrorism in Syria and reaching a political settlement in that country.
To be continued...
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