Lavrov spoke about changes in foreign policy since the beginning of the military operation

Russia is reviewing its obligations in international organizations, which are infringing on the interests of the country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a government hour in the State Duma. He spoke in the lower house of parliament for the first time since the start of a special military operation in Ukraine. “Work is underway across the entire spectrum of our international obligations. In this regard, the topic of contributions to organizations where our interests are infringed is also considered. We are delaying the payment of dues,” the minister admitted. According to the diplomat, the department is conducting an appropriate inventory: Moscow is withdrawing from some conventions and agreements that have already lost their relevance.

On January 17, President Vladimir Putin submitted to the State Duma a draft law on the termination of international treaties of the Council of Europe in Russia (it has not yet been adopted). Against the backdrop of the start of a special operation in Ukraine, the Council of Europe on February 25, 2022 suspended the representation of Russia in the statutory bodies of the Council of Europe. In this regard, on March 15, the Russian Foreign Ministry handed a notice of withdrawal from the organization to Secretary General of the Council of Europe Maria Pejchinovich-Burich. At the same time, attempts to turn Russia into a “rogue state” and isolate it have failed, Lavrov said. He explained that Russia proceeds from the fact that the modern world is “multipolar”. He recalled that the countries of the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, which make up the world’s majority, do not want to live by the rules that Western countries have come up with. “Therefore, it is natural that three-quarters of the world’s states did not join the anti-Russian sanctions,” Lavrov added.

Regarding relations with friendly countries, Lavrov singled out partnership with the PRC (Chief of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee Wang Yi will visit Russia on the 20th of February and meet with representatives of both the diplomatic corps and the Kremlin). “Together with our Chinese friends, we are vigorously working to strengthen the bilateral strategic partnership, which has reached a historically unprecedented high level. The current link between Moscow and Beijing cements the foundation of the emerging polycentric architecture,” he said. Among the large far-abroad countries with which Russia is developing good relations, the minister named India, Brazil, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and South Africa. Answering a question from Deputy Andrey Kuznetsov from the A Just Russia faction, Lavrov recalled that building a multipolar world would not mean chaos, on the contrary, decisions taken by countries – regional leaders on the basis of consensus would be much more stable than initiatives pushed through unilaterally.

The West, as Lavrov notes, is strengthening the information blockade of Russia. Replying to Svetlana Zhurova, a deputy from the United Russia faction, Lavrov recalled that the United States and Great Britain continue bloc discipline within the collective West, as a result of which those who wish to maintain ties with Russia, including through the parliamentary line, find themselves in a difficult situation. The deputies listened to the minister’s speech with approval and unanimously adopted a resolution approving the work of the Foreign Ministry.

Anti-colonial rhetoric, which Lavrov again resorted to during his speech in the Duma, is also becoming mainstream and is actively used by the Kremlin, political analyst Yevgeny Minchenko believes. Probably, Lavrov already tested it during negotiations during the recent tour of Africa, not only in public, but also in personal communication with the leaders of African countries, the expert says.