Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's Remarks and Q&A at the Federation Council's Government Hour and Short Presser

Yes, another long read.

The annual appearance of Russia’s Foreign Minister before the Federal Assembly’s Federation Council occurred today where Lavrov provided very detailed explanations of Russia’s Foreign Policy that included an extremely detailed explanation of Russia’s position on the Palestinian issue that interested readers will want to copy for their own records. As you’ll read, Rusia’s position while correct from its POV is rather limited for the reasons Lavrov provides. Of course, Russian policy isn’t limited to just Palestine as it’s deeply involved in the construction of what might be called the Eurasian Integration Process. And then there’s the problem of relations with the West that are commented upon. A short presser transcript follows. Now Mr. Lavrov:

Dear Valentina Ivanovna,

Dear members of the Federation Council,

Colleagues

I am glad to have another opportunity to take part in the Government Hour.

The interaction between our Ministry and the Federal Assembly, its chambers, committees and commissions is long-standing and comradely. We highly appreciate the kind and unbiased attitude of the parliamentarians. In fact, the rich "feedback" helps to increase the efficiency of the Russian diplomatic service. It is no exaggeration to say that the rich experience of senators in various fields is an important help in our activities.

We are interested in continuing joint efforts to implement the foreign policy approved by the President of the Russian Federation. Its goals remain to ensure Russia's security, create favorable external conditions for accelerated internal development and strengthen the country's position in the international arena as one of the world's leading powers. That rightfully belongs to us. In working towards these goals, we particularly appreciate the support of legislators who express the aspirations of all our people.

We will continue to do our utmost to promote all initiatives in the field of parliamentary diplomacy, be it bilateral contacts with foreign partners or participation in multilateral forums such as the CSTO, the CIS, BRICS, the G20, the UN, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and other venues.

I would like to make a special mention of the initiative of the United Russia All-Russian Political Party to hold an international inter-party forum of supporters of the fight against modern practices of neocolonialism in Moscow. It was supported by all factions. Through the Foreign Ministry, we are actively contributing to the preparation and subsequent implementation.

Since our last meeting in December 2021, the situation in the world has not become easier. Much of the bad that is happening is rooted in the irrepressible desire of Washington and a small group of countries that have sworn allegiance to impose their vision of "everything and everything" on the world. Hence all the notorious concepts such as the "rules-based order" and the division of all states into democracies and autocracies. The meaning of such constructions is obvious, simple and not hidden: to ensure a privileged position for itself, that is, for the West, and to continue to solve the problems of its development at the expense of others. In this case, at the expense of the World Majority. Westerners are still not ready for honest and equal interaction with other countries.

At the same time, it is obvious that it is no longer possible to restrain the world's new centers of growth and development in a straightforward and crude manner. The balance of power is rapidly changing not in favor of our Western colleagues. Back in 2021, the aggregate GDP of the BRICS countries (President Vladimir Putin recently cited these figures) exceeded that of the G7 in terms of purchasing power parity. With the entry of new members into the association (from January 1, 2024), the gap will widen. At the end of last year, despite the sanctions, Russia rose to fifth place in the world ($5.33 trillion), ahead of Germany ($5.31 trillion). Moreover, according to all estimates, this year the growth rate of our economy will be more than 3%, and the German economy will shrink.

It is not easy for our ill-wishers to realize that the bet on a sanctions blitzkrieg against the Russian economy has completely failed. Therefore, those who unleashed a hybrid war against us do not admit their mistakes and are trying to use new illegitimate tools in order to "exhaust" Russia (as they say), cherishing the dream of eliminating our country as an independent geopolitical entity.

For the same purposes, the "collective West" is actively using Ukrainian neo-Nazis. After the collapse of hopes that were pinned on a "counteroffensive," Washington stopped talking about Russia's strategic defeat on the battlefield. They turned on a new mantra (as it manifested itself during Vladimir Zelensky's visit): "Don't let Putin win" in Ukraine, saying that he would then conquer all of NATO. And then America will not be able to sit it out. But the essence of their approach remains the same – to force their Kiev "clients" to die for the sake of the interests of their masters overseas in order to try to undermine Russia's development. As President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said, we (and you have seen this in real cases) are ready for such a challenge and will continue to firmly defend our truth.

The policy of isolating Russia has failed. President Vladimir Putin's numerous contacts with his foreign colleagues show that our responsible policy, based on the principles of the UN Charter, enjoys the broadest support of the world's majority states.

The tectonic shifts taking place in the world and forecasts of the evolution of the international situation are reflected in the new version of the Foreign Policy Concept, approved by the Presidential Executive Order on March 31 of this year.

We do not adapt to the concepts and schemes put forward by other countries. We independently shape our foreign policy agenda, focus on our own priorities, comply with the universally recognised norms of international law and take into account the interests of our partners who are ready to work with us, based on mutual respect and consideration of interests.

One of the key tasks is to build up strategic partnership and alliance with neighboring countries, both in bilateral and multilateral formats. Integration within the Eurasian Economic Union, of which Russia is chairing this year, is deepening. In 2024, we will chair the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Cooperation within the framework of the Union State of Russia and Belarus is expanding. We closely coordinate our foreign policy steps with our Belarusian friends, including at key international venues. Work in the CSTO, which remains an important mechanism for regional security and stability, is an integral factor.

We attach great importance to ties with other neighbours and with all countries of the Eurasian continent in general. The Russian-Chinese relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation are going through the best period in their history. It is difficult to overestimate the role of a rich, trust-based dialogue at the highest level. This year alone, two Russian-Chinese summits were held (in March in Moscow and in October in Beijing). The foreign policy link between Moscow and Beijing plays a stabilizing role in the international arena.

Relations of special and privileged strategic partnership with India are progressively advancing. Ties with the ASEAN countries, Turkey, and the countries of the Middle East are developing on the rise. This was vividly reflected during President Vladimir Putin's visits to the UAE and Saudi Arabia and his talks with President of Iran Emomali Raisi in Moscow.

Together with our African friends, we are working to implement the decisions of the second Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg in July this year, including the agreement to create a mechanism for regular meetings of Russian foreign ministers, which we are implementing.

Multifaceted cooperation binds us to the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. I would like to make a special mention of the contribution of parliamentary contacts to the development of ties with this region. The results of the Russia-Latin America International Parliamentary Conference held in Moscow on September 29-October 2 deserve the highest praise. In terms of the composition of the participants and their feedback, which they shared with our diplomats, this event was extremely useful and promising.

From January 1, 2024, Russia will assume the chairmanship of BRICS. This association is one of the pillars of the emerging multipolar world order. We will promote the smooth integration of new members into the BRICS working structures. We expect to come to the Kazan summit next October with a solid set of decisions in the political, security, financial, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres. We have planned about 200 events, including ministerial contacts. The BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting will take place in Nizhny Novgorod in the summer of 2024.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation operates on an equal and mutually respectful basis similar to that of BRICS. We view the SCO as a core element of the Greater Eurasian Partnership, which is open to all states and organisations located on our continent. Numerous international partners, including ASEAN member states and our Chinese friends, are interested in President Vladimir Putin's initiative put forward in 2015, and they support the alignment of integration efforts within the EAEU and projects implemented under the auspices of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Against the backdrop of positive trends that reflect the objective process of forming a truly polycentric and just world order, the western part of the Eurasian continent is sinking deeper into a political, socio-economic and ideological crisis. Under Washington's diktat, the EU countries are losing their independence and severing mutually beneficial ties with Russia, which for many decades have helped ensure their economic well-being. For the sake of loyalty to the hegemon, they deprive themselves of the colossal comparative, competitive advantages given to our common space by history. In order to justify the disastrous Russophobic course, a frontal attack on common history has been launched. As part of the hybrid war being waged against Russia, a number of European countries, primarily in Poland and the Baltic states (but not only), are following the Kiev regime, glorifying Hitler's collaborators and demolishing monuments to Soviet soldiers-liberators. For many years, we have been fighting the falsification of history, including within the framework of the UN General Assembly, where we annually submit a draft resolution on combating the glorification of Nazism, which enjoys the support of the overwhelming majority of the international community, except for the collective West.

Of particular concern is the fact that Germany, Italy and Japan (former Axis powers) voted against it for the second year in a row. They used to abstain. Such behavior by Berlin, Rome and Tokyo casts doubt on the sincerity of their repentance for the crimes against humanity committed during World War II. As well as the agreements and understandings on the basis of which these three countries were admitted to the UN. This makes one wonder what a reckless state the "collective West" is in now.

Among our absolute priorities is the protection of the legitimate rights of Russian citizens abroad. Recently, in the West, they have been subjected to blatant discrimination and persecution on the basis of nationality. Another urgent task is to help compatriots in areas of crisis. The whole world saw how the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Emergency Situations "pulled" out of the Gaza Strip, and a few months before that from Sudan, Russians, as well as citizens of the CIS countries and other states who were in trouble due to aggravated local conflicts.

Further consolidation of the multi-ethnic and multi-confessional Russian world is also on the agenda. I would like to take this opportunity to draw your attention to an extremely popular initiative that was launched this year – the international Russophile Movement, which unites foreign citizens who feel the spiritual and cultural affinity of Russia and share its traditional moral values. At the beginning of 2024, a broad congress of the Movement is planned.

We are working to unlock the potential of cultural, public and people's diplomacy. We will make maximum use of the International Russian Language Organisation, which was established by the CIS leaders in October at the initiative of President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. It involves the participation of representatives of all countries of our planet.

The Day's programme of action on the world stage is complemented by a number of major international events in the humanitarian field scheduled for 2024, including the World Youth Festival, the Games of the Future and the BRICS Games, and the World Friendship Games. I would also like to mention the Intervision Song Contest, which is being revived on a new conceptual basis. Through the Foreign Ministry, we will do everything possible to ensure that athletes, artists and guests from abroad have the best impressions of their stay in our country.

Dear Colleagues,

The foreign policy approved by President Vladimir Putin is of a long-term strategic nature. It is not subject to two- or four-year "electoral cycles" like in many Western countries, where politicians boast of their supposedly democratic traditions. But in reality, all the long-term strategic interests of their peoples are sacrificed to electoral "maneuvers" and intrigues.

Our course in world affairs does not depend on the whims of ill-wishers. The main thing is that he enjoys broad support from the leading political forces and citizens of the country. This is one of the key factors that gives our steps in the international arena the necessary stability, ensures the effectiveness of solving national development problems and improving the level and quality of life of all Russian citizens.

Question: How do you see the prospects for the development of the UN in the context of the situation in the Middle East?

Sergey Lavrov: You are probably following the actions taken by our diplomacy together with our colleagues from the overwhelming majority of countries. The task is to stop the bloodshed, to ensure compliance with all norms of international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians during hostilities and the prevention of indiscriminate shelling of territories where civilian infrastructure is located, especially civilians.

You have heard the position taken by our Israeli colleagues. They believe that they have every right to destroy Hamas by any means. In real time, we see what is the result of such a line. In fact, blocks are being razed to the ground. More than 18,000 civilians have already been killed (this figure is increasing every day). Of these, 2/3 are women and children. The situation is dire. In the UN, unfortunately, there is a dispute about who will prevail in rhetoric, in the ideological struggle (if you will).

From the very beginning, we strongly condemned (including through President Vladimir Putin) the Hamas terrorist act of October 7 against Israeli civilians with a huge number of casualties. We urgently called for the need to suppress such terrorist activities. But at the same time, we cannot accept the methods that have been used against Hamas. In fact, civilians suffered the most from them.

Our Israeli colleagues (I think it was Mr Netanyahu) said that the ratio of terrorist victims to civilian casualties is approximately one to one. This bears little resemblance to the actual situation. It is impossible to check the state of affairs after the fact. Even UN staff are experiencing enormous difficulties not only in moving around the Gaza Strip, but even in being there. Not to mention the fact that about 100 UN staff (a record number for any conflict) lost their lives in the Gaza Strip.

Against this backdrop, together with the majority of other countries, particularly the Arab and Muslim world, and other members of the Non-Aligned Movement, we have initiated a draft resolution in the Security Council that would call for a humanitarian ceasefire. Our Western colleagues did not agree to this. They blocked our draft resolution, then a similar resolution put forward by Brazil.

At that time, the developing countries appealed to the UN General Assembly. A watered-down resolution was adopted not demanding a humanitarian ceasefire, but calling for a humanitarian truce. The West voted against this weak call as well. Then, in order to "signify" something to do with what was happening in the Security Council, a resolution was even weaker than the General Assembly resolution. There was no talk of a ceasefire, not even of a truce, but of humanitarian pauses for several days, with the understanding that hostilities would resume immediately after them.

We abstained and did not block it. Only because it's something. But when the Security Council adopts texts on an obviously humanitarian issue, when people are dying, and that text devalues even the weak appeal of the General Assembly, it is a mess.

This month, our friends from the UAE are concluding their tenure on the Security Council. They are genuinely trying to agree on a resolution that will be consistent with the authority and responsibility of the Security Council. We try to actively help them. So far, it hasn't worked.

There are many legal aspects that are disputed. The most important thing is that any resolution aimed at taking concrete actions to save civilians must be accompanied by political assessments. They demand that Hamas be specifically condemned. In response, the developing countries then propose to condemn Israel's response. They say no, we condemn Hamas, and Israel has the right to defend itself. Developing countries have responded with the decision of the International Court of Justice, which is still in force, which states (it was adopted more than 15 years ago) that the occupying Powers do not enjoy the right to self-defence in relation to the occupied territory. There is a conflict between the legal assessment of the situation and political slogans.

We have said this many times, including in President Vladimir Putin's assessments. We have heard what UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said as the custodian of the UN Charter. He said that the terrorist attack of October 7 this year was outrageous and could not be justified in any way, but it did not take place in a vacuum. By "vacuum" he meant the existing solution, which is already 75 years old. In accordance with it, the State of Palestine, an Arab state, was to be established next to the State of Israel. Nobody created it. Judging by the position taken by the West, they have no intention of creating a Palestinian state.

According to our information, the West and the current Israeli leadership do not want the unification of Gaza with the West Bank, as required by the decision to create a state. To our great regret, despite the appeal of Russia and many other countries of the international community, they do not stop the creation of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in the territories that under all circumstances should become an integral part of the Palestinian state. As you can probably see from the reports, the settlers are very often very aggressive. In East Jerusalem alone, 1,800 new settlements have recently been approved. By and large, they will be built in the Palestinian territories.

The practice of demolishing Palestinian homes and expelling Palestinian families from those homes continues. Israel wants to develop those territories for new settlements, in violation of all Security Council resolutions on what a Palestinian State should look like. This practice of illegal settlements is frowned upon. The U.S. has repeatedly called on its main ally to refrain from doing so.

For many years, in frank conversations with almost all of my Israeli colleagues who have been in this post, I have said, considering Israel's intransigent position on the Palestinian issue, that the unresolved problem of the creation of a Palestinian state is the single most significant factor fueling extremism throughout the Middle East. They said it was an exaggeration. Like, in fact, there are enough terrorists there as it is.

Recently, when Israel's operation against Gaza began, one of the Israeli military commanders said that there were no civilians there, they had been terrorists and extremists since they were three years old. You could put it that way. That's exactly what I was talking about. The unresolved Palestinian problem with the establishment of a state to a great extent fuels extremist tendencies. When children are born, what do their parents tell them? That they live in paradise? They say they live in an occupied territory where a Palestinian state should have been established 75 years ago. And within boundaries that are greater than what is now left to them. Of course, children in kindergartens or in families, when they are brought up, are told about this. Yes, they do not grow up in the mood to live in peace with all the people around them if they see the wall that has enclosed them, the blockade that has been in place for 50 years.

We have always paid great attention to ensuring Israel's security (President Vladimir Putin emphasised this). There are two million of our citizens there, and they are not former citizens. The vast majority of them retain their Russian citizenship. We have very close ties. There is the Holy Land, the roots of the Orthodox religion and its shrines.

President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin has always emphasised in his contacts with Israelis, Arab and other countries that we must all prevent steps that would jeopardize and threaten Israel's security. We are convinced that they are "burning with fire and sword" some groups of the Palestinian population, including the militant wings of organisations that are clearly acting on the basis of terrorist principles.

We also know how to fight terrorism. Remember (many of you here have probably witnessed) Beslan and Nord-Ost on Dubrovka. At that time, the entire "enlightened" Western world demanded that our special forces not storm these buildings. Because, in addition to the terrorists, there are also civilians who were either in the hospital in Beslan or came to watch the musical Nord-Ost. Remember the angry appeals addressed to us. Then, a hopeless situation forced us to carry out these operations. There were civilian casualties, which was then the subject of a special investigation. The West then claimed that Russia was violating international humanitarian law. Compare this to what is happening now, when some Israeli military leaders say that what is happening in Gaza is a tragedy of war.

Let me stress it again. We will never agree to any agreements that will undermine and infringe on Israel's security. We are convinced that it can be ensured only in accordance with UN decisions, which presuppose and demand that an independent and independent state of Palestine should live and develop next to this state in security and good-neighbourliness with each other and with all neighboring countries.

Question: The Greater Eurasian Partnership, the idea of which was put forward by President Vladimir Putin in 2015, is gaining more and more support and is gaining real momentum, taking into account the development of regional cooperation and the institutions of strategic partnership between Russia and China, as well as the alignment of the EAEU and the One Belt, One Road projects. Do you think it is possible to formulate new approaches to the security architecture in Europe and Eurasia as a whole on the basis of the concept of the Greater Eurasian Partnership to replace the obviously outdated OSCE format, which was created in a different era on the basis of the Helsinki Final Act of 1975 and the Charter of Paris for a New Europe of 1990?

Sergey Lavrov: Not only is it possible, but we are already working on it. The Greater Eurasian Partnership, as President Vladimir Putin has always emphasised, since this initiative was put forward in 2015 at the Russia-ASEAN summit, is not some scheme "drawn in offices and then handed down to potential participants," as is the case with a number of US initiatives (as they say) for the "Indo-Pacific region." This is the idea that all sub-regional structures on the Eurasian continent and individual states that are not part of any structures, "going from life", will grope, search for and find promising mutually beneficial areas of mutual effort.

You mentioned the Belt and Road Initiative. The Chinese have an agreement on this matter with the Eurasian Economic Union. The EAEU, in turn, has an agreement with ASEAN and the SCO (which also has an agreement with ASEAN), but there are also a number of other structures that we will be happy to see in this consultative process, groping for promising areas of cooperation.

I would like to mention the Arab League, which to a large extent unites the countries located in Eurasia and the Persian Gulf, which are entirely located on our continent.

When we participated in the last meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council, I spoke about this in my speech. The OSCE as a structure did not become an organization. It was advantageous for the West to keep it in such a blurred and "amoeba" state that it could be easily manipulated. The organization has ceased to perform all its functions. There were many useful agreements in the areas of arms control, information exchange, transparency and mutual restrictions, and confidence-building measures. They have all been destroyed by the West, or sent to the "landfill". As a security organization, it does not bring us any added value.

But in the rest of the Eurasian continent, where the economic and financial foundations for the further development of this vast space are being built, conditions are ripening for Eurasian security.

The SCO, for example, deals with these issues in many respects. It was created as an organization of border cooperation between five countries. These issues are still relevant. It also has an anti-terrorist structure. There is also an anti-terrorist center in the CIS. By definition, the CSTO deals with security issues, also building ties and bridges with its partners in the region.

I would like to note Kazakhstan's initiative, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia. Now our Kazakh friends want to transform it into an organization. We support them. But it should be a Eurasian organization. From the point of view of conceptual approaches, if history and God have given us this huge continent where we are neighbors.

This is exactly what should have happened with the OSCE. But when the OSCE was proclaimed, the West did not want to adopt any charter, despite our fifteen years of efforts.

I mentioned in my opening remarks that the Europeans have decided to give up these natural competitive advantages. They preferred that their capabilities be suppressed by the Americans, who do not hide it. If they had decided to behave correctly on a general continental basis and develop projects on an equal footing, they would now have a completely different situation. We are working to make Eurasian security a reality. We will not fence ourselves off from anyone, but will build security with those who do not want to ensure their security at the expense of others, who are ready (unlike the OSCE) to implement the principles of indivisible security on the Eurasian continent, which were proclaimed in the OSCE and then trampled on by NATO expansion. This process culminated in the outbreak of the war against us in Ukraine.

Question: The Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation, which was approved more than six months ago, is an important document that provides answers to all the challenges facing our country and the world as a whole. This is our long-term response. If we concretize it in terms of what it offers to partners interested in working with us, it is open, honest and equal cooperation. A good basis for expanding the circle of like-minded people, or at least states that are ready to work together. We see that this circle is expanding with almost every new multilateral event in our country. At the same time, it is clear how excited the West is about our successes and is launching purposeful work with the "collective South." What are our priorities for expanding support for our ideas with the countries of the "collective South"?

Sergey Lavrov: These priorities are listed in the text of the Foreign Policy Concept itself. These are our closest neighbors, allies, like-minded countries and countries of the Global South – China, India, ASEAN, Africa, Latin America.

We don't have secondary regions. The main principle is that we want to work with all those who are interested in equal interaction based on the principles of justice, democratization not within any country according to Western patterns, but democratization of international relations. We are actively developing these relations in Latin America, Africa and Eurasia.

I started with our immediate neighborhood. I wouldn't call it our diplomatic offensive. We have shown how we want to work. And we have done this not only conceptually on paper, but also with practical actions.

In his opening remarks, I listed the events – our bilateral summits and other meetings, multilateral platforms where we simply stand up for justice. It is very difficult to "wind up" the truth. It is visible and manifested, whether it is in Ukraine or what is happening in the Middle East.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stressed that for many years, long before the special military operation in Ukraine, the United States refused to work in the quartet of international mediators who have a full-fledged legal mandate from the UN Security Council – the United States, Russia, the European Union and the UN. They just stopped working. We have always advocated that it should not consist only of countries that do not represent the region, but that the League of Arab States should actively work with it as a full participant. The Americans said that the Quartet could meet without them, they were not interested, they would decide everything themselves. They monopolized the process.

The previous administration declared that it was ready to give the Palestinians territory "from the lord's shoulder." At the time, all of this was rejected by both the Palestinians and the Arabs. It was a mockery.

Now the Americans want to "solve" this issue in much the same way – to "invent" what will later be called a state. If you look at the map of the West Bank, there is no question of any state. It is a patchwork quilt, with patches reflecting Israeli settlements predominating.

Back to your question. The West is alarmed. You can explain it in any way you want. I don't know what feelings he has inside. But it is a fact that they want to do everything to prevent an even stronger rapprochement between the Global South and the Russian Federation than there was until recently. They are "running" all over the world, "frightening" that if someone meets with Russia, they will punish them, they will not give them something as aid, they will not supply weapons, they will not let them into the United States at all, they will not give them visas. They are really speculating on the personal connections of certain leaders of the world majority in the West. A lot of people have accounts there, children are studying. They don't shy away from this either.

If you are big democrats, then let others also show their independence, their independent ability to think. We did what we did. Not only on the night of February 24, 2022, did President of Russia Vladimir Putin explain in detail why we had no other choice. He had been warning for eight years, if not more, beginning with the Munich Speech. As for Ukraine, he warned from the moment when the bloody anti-constitutional coup d'état took place there, rejected by the residents of the east and south of Ukraine. Its "authors" first of all declared a "crusade" against the Russian language, which all subsequent "rulers" in Kiev, who came to power after the coup d'état, subsequently put into practice. The Russian language was exterminated by law. The latest amendment to the law on national minorities clearly and legally prohibits the Russian language "for all eternity." That's the kind of people they are. And the whole of Europe is silent.

The West's main fear and anti-Russian energy are concentrated in the post-Soviet space. Their priority is to try to destroy the ties between the former republics of the Soviet Union, to destroy this national economic complex, the law enforcement system, which was also unified, the system of common security. It is in these areas that Western institutions, non-governmental organisations, all sorts of foundations for democracy and foundations "for all good" through the Agency for International Development or "under its roof", with clear and full coordination by the government in Washington, are trying to introduce their donor programs. Border security, equipment to detect contraband and radioactive materials, and more. The most sensitive areas. They are trying to introduce their own instructors, to penetrate more widely into the decision-making mechanisms. We are openly talking about this with our allies. The overwhelming majority of them, according to our estimates, perfectly understand the West's plan. It is clear that they do not want to quarrel with Western countries. We wouldn't want to quarrel with the West either, if it hadn't started a war against us.

We see how seriously the West takes the task of destroying our ties that have united us for decades and centuries. This is the main idea. Its reflection should be the focus of the main efforts, which require an exceptional interdepartmental format. President of Russia Vladimir Putin is well aware of this task. We will implement it.

Question: What measures are currently planned by the Foreign Ministry to simplify the visa regime with countries friendly to Russia for the purpose of international tourism?

Sergey Lavrov: We are taking part in this, but we are not planning to do it alone. These include the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, which is responsible for tourism, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. For most of the questions, we have circulated written answers to you. There are statistics, including the answer to your question.

There are now visa-free agreements with more than 60 countries. From more than 40 – about the simplified procedure for entry and exit, which is quite comfortable. Since August of this year, we have introduced (we have been meeting for a long time, but postponed this process due to the pandemic) a single e-visa that applies to more than 50 countries. In five months, more than 120 thousand people have already used it. Almost half are Chinese, about 10,000 people are Indians, Saudis, and Turks. This will also stimulate inbound tourism.

At this stage, it has been decided to limit ourselves to these steps. They create quite comfortable conditions for those who want to come to us. At the very least, everyone our respective ambassadors have spoken to is praising the e-visa.

Life does not stand still. With the People's Republic of China, we are moving towards a visa-free regime for group tourism. This process will continue. We are analysing it from the point of view of the security of our borders and compliance with our laws. But liberalization is evident. It will continue.

Question: What work is currently being carried out or is planned to be carried out to modernise checkpoints on the border with China?

Sergey Lavrov: This is not for me at all. Of course, we participate in commissions with China, including those dealing with border issues. But the modernization of checkpoints is the area of responsibility of the border service of the FSB of Russia. They employ professionals.

As far as we are concerned, we always advocate that if there is a need to expand opportunities, if a real flow from both sides requires it, this should be done.

Now they have finally decided on Upper Lars. This is an important thing closer to us. With China, I regularly see such requests from our Chinese colleagues. This is what they are doing. There is a plan for improvement. We made another bridge and railway crossing. This work is ongoing.

Valentina Matviyenko: There is a special intergovernmental commission that deals with checkpoints. It is headed by Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov. There is a special state program to modernize checkpoints. Unfortunately, it didn't work well. President of Russia Vladimir Putin has given instructions to revise it and step up this work, including with regard to checkpoints with China. In the Federation Council, the Committee on Economic Policy is responsible for this. Its Chairman A.V. Kutepov is a member of this Commission. Talk to him, talk to him, and if there are specific proposals for your region, they will be sent to this Intergovernmental Commission. Now the work has objectively intensified. But there are a lot of problems with this – they are outdated, there is no infrastructure, there are no roads.

Question: The neighbourhood of Japan is forcing the residents of the Far East to closely monitor the developments around the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant. In August of this year, China completely suspended imports of aquatic products produced in Japan. They were joined by South Korea. On October 16 of this year, Russia joined the temporary restrictive measures against the import of fish and seafood from Japan. Restrictions are introduced until comprehensive information is provided to confirm the safety of aquatic products and compliance with the requirements of the Eurasian Economic Union, as well as analysis by specialists of the Russian Rosselkhoznadzor. What measures are planned to be taken to tighten control over the radiological situation in the waters of the Pacific Ocean, taking into account the opinion of the Rosselkhoznadzor that the accumulation of radioactive substances in both bottom sediments and aquatic organisms is bound to occur since water from Fukushima continues to flow?

Sergey Lavrov: A lot has already been said about this, including by Primorye Governor Oleg Kozhemyako. From the very beginning, scientists were ready to determine how negatively this water would affect the environment and the biological resources consumed, including those consumed by our population. From the very beginning, my Chinese colleagues and I raised the issue of this process being supervised by a respected organisation, the IAEA.

In addition to what you have said, the secretary has a duty to pay special attention to this issue. They periodically submit reports that are not alarming, but do not exhaust the topic conclusively, because many questions remain unanswered.

As an additional step, we have provided the IAEA with a list of our laboratories that can and are able to analyse relevant substances, including water. We said directly that we would like to include those who will monitor the quality as the Japanese project progresses. It's going to be a long process. We were assured that they will be involved next year. We will try to do everything in such a way that it is transparent for our public.

Question: In today's conditions, regional projects aimed at solving the problems of international humanitarian cooperation are important for the regions. Tell us about the possible mechanisms for their implementation and support measures from the federal center.

Sergey Lavrov: By definition, the federal centre ensures daily close contact with the regions through all ministries and agencies without exception, including the Foreign Ministry. For many years now, our Ministry has had a Council of Heads of Constituent Entities of the Russian Federation, which, on the one hand, is engaged in the development of projects that our regions have with neighbouring regions of other countries (not necessarily neighbouring ones, they may not have direct contact, but they may cooperate closely, as is the case in many of our central regions with the provinces of China).

Its second function is to ensure actions at the regional level at the level of the constituent entities that would ensure the unity of the foreign policy of the Russian Federation.

The Council is working. I'm in charge of it. We held more than 40 meetings. We try to meet every quarter or six months (depending on the topic). This is a useful mechanism. After each meeting, we send materials to all regions and federal districts and report to the President and Prime Minister. In our assessment, they are in demand and useful. If there are any initiatives in the Tomsk Region that, in your opinion, should be supported by our ministry, you know how to contact us. We will be glad, especially since Tomsk is one of our educational capitals. It's always a pleasure to promote it.

Here’s the short presser that followed Lavrov’s Council Session:

Question: Russia has already voiced information about US attempts to interfere in our presidential elections, as well as a forecast that they will intensify as we approach March 2024.

Sergey Lavrov: We are talking about this publicly. This issue is dealt with by special services that monitor attempts of illegal involvement in our internal processes. We have nothing to hide. When we detect such attempts, we present them to the whole world. No special diplomatic demarches are required.

Americans know we know. They know that this is unacceptable. But, you see, they consider themselves entitled to interfere in the internal affairs of any state, while others are forbidden to do so. Hegemon. It is in the process of weakening and turning into a large, but not all-powerful, power. It is unstoppable.

Question: The UN General Assembly has adopted a humanitarian resolution demanding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. How far is it from the real end of the conflict? Can Russia do something in this direction?

Sergey Lavrov: We are doing everything in our power. We are solving the immediate task of freeing people who have been held hostage or want to leave the Gaza Strip as Russian citizens. This is our priority now.

At the same time, we believe it is important to address humanitarian problems in a broader, sustainable sense: the provision of medical and other services, the delivery of humanitarian aid to those who remain in the Gaza Strip and cannot leave for various reasons.

The third task is a ceasefire, not just to resolve humanitarian issues, but on a permanent basis, to deal with the problem that has not been solved (and is not being solved) for 75 years – the creation of a Palestinian state.

There are some reports that the Americans are concerned about this. Again, they want to "on their own" with someone "quietly", secretly, non-transparently come up with some kind of scheme. There are leaks about what options are "wandering" in their minds: the creation of some kind of protectorate either under the leadership of Arab states (which do not need it), or under the command of a UN mission with international peacekeepers. As far as I understand, the UN is also reluctant to get involved in a situation where nothing is clear, and Israel categorically declares that it will carry out the operation against Hamas to the end, meaning the complete destruction of the movement.

In the West, in the Arab world, and in Israel itself, there are serious doubts about how realistic this is. But the essence is the same: it is necessary to create a Palestinian state in accordance with the decision of the UN Security Council. It must be a united, independent state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side with Israel in peace, security and good neighborliness. That is still a long way off.

Thinkers in Washington want to concoct, alone or with the help of their closest allies, a sustainable and viable vision for a Palestinian state. It's impossible. If they "give something away", it will not last long and will not be able to bring peace and prosperity to either the Palestinians or the Israelis.

The persistence of injustice against the Palestinian people, to whom a state was solemnly promised in 1948, fuels serious terrorist and extremist sentiments. At the very least, it allows terrorists to exploit the discontent among the Palestinians and other Arab peoples in order to recruit more and more supporters of armed struggle and the creation of terrorist structures.

The only way to ensure that this problem is fairly resolved forever is to hold an international conference, which should be attended by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, representatives of the League of Arab States, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf. Taking into account the fact that Saudi Arabia is the author of the Arab Peace Initiative, which envisages the normalization of relations between all Muslim countries and Israel after the creation of a viable, functional Palestinian state. Of course, the UN should play a leading role in convening such an event. I hope that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will be able to take such an initiative.

I doubt if a fuller explanation of Russia’s policy in Palestine could be obtained than from what’s provided above. Unfortunately, it dominates the Eurasian Integration Process, but is also a part of it since Palestine is within Eurasia. The term I’d use to describe Russia’s position is tortured in a manner that China all other nation’s aren’t. That’s one of the reasons why I see China as the nation more capable of leading the Global Majority in applying pressure on the Zionists.

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