Russia's Junior Diplomats & Strengthening Traditional Spiritual and Moral Values as a Guarantee of Russian Unity

Two traditional events took place over the last day of October and first day of November: the speech given to graduates entering Russia’s diplomatic service and Lavrov’s address to the Forum Strengthening Traditional Spiritual and Moral Values as a Guarantee of the Unity of Russian Compatriots, which is depicted in the above photo. Russia is well known for the very intense and complete education given to those wanting to become members of its diplomatic corp, a discipline that’s been in existence since 1549 when Russia’s Ambassadorial Department was created. As you read Lavrov’s address to its newest employees, think of what it means to take on such a career where you must learn several languages besides your own and the potential to be posted far from the homeland is most likely. Every year a special holiday is devoted to the foreign service and tributes are paid to those who sacrificed their lives while performing their duties. As one can imagine, Russia’s diplomats interact with the community of Russian compatriots—Russophiles—abroad, thus the connection between the two addresses ought to be easy to see and understand. One of the major reasons why Russia’s diplomats are superior to those we see in the West, especially those from the Outlaw US Empire, is because they are groomed as professionals carrying on a 550+ year tradition, not political appointees with very doubtful expertise as the last several decades have revealed. When reading the speeches of Lavrov’s deputies and the briefings provided by Maria Zakharova, it becomes clear that they are all from the same school and share the same very high standards of conduct, knowledge and wit. Recently, a commentator had this to say about the inanities uttered by the Outlaw US Secretary of State Blinken—“He’s a mind divided against itself.”

What you’ll now read are Lavrov’s words to those making diplomacy their career. He doesn’t sugar-coat the challenges they’ll face, but does it using Lavrov’s unique mannerisms, the attributes that make him the best diplomat on the planet. And do take note of his closing remark, for that’s the maxim for the emerging Multi=Polar World.

Congratulations to everyone on joining the Foreign Ministry!

We hold such events traditionally and annually. Usually, we wait about two months after the actual start of your work, so that you have the opportunity to understand whether you have made a mistake in your choice or if there are other plans.

Only those who are 100% sure that they did everything right are left here. That's a good thing. We will encourage you in every possible way so that you are actively involved in our Foreign Ministry family.

Most of them (as usual) are graduates of MGIMO and the Diplomatic Academy, our subordinate institutions. We are always glad to see representatives of sister universities: Moscow State University and Moscow State Linguistic University. At one time, we also had people from the Far East from the Siberian Federal District (Yekaterinburg). Geography began to narrow. We need to think about how to resume this trend.

You've passed your final exams, passed a variety of interviews, pre-graduation practice, and you've also been forced to undergo a medical examination. You've successfully passed the tests in every sense. I know that there are many excellent students here, people with honors diplomas, as well as those who are engaged in social work, the volunteer movement and inter-university exchanges. We all encourage that.

As for our Foreign Ministry organization. There is a Council of Young Diplomats and a Council of Veterans. The main thing is that after working in the Council of Young Diplomats, do not immediately move to the Council of Veterans, but work for some time in adulthood.

I will not speak in detail about the situation in the world. President of Russia Vladimir Putin has described it many times, including in great detail yesterday, when he spoke at the evening meeting on international relations and the internal problems that those who imagine themselves to be the arbiters of fate are trying to create for us.

I am sure that you are familiar with our assessments, which coincide with the overwhelming majority of the world's states. We call it the World Majority. That's eighty-five percent of the population. None of them joined the sanctions. Yes, sometimes they do not vote at the UN in the way we would like, but they honestly explain that they are doing this in order to "get rid of" their Western colleagues, who persistently, without a twinge of conscience, do not allow everyone else to decide for themselves who is right and who is wrong.

Russia explained the reason why it could not achieve results for many years and was forced to launch a special military operation to eliminate a direct threat to its security on its borders, and not somewhere overseas. The West condemned all this and stated its point of view. It would seem that if everyone else is respected as independent states, treat them as adults, express your point of view, but do not threaten, do not force them to do as you want, against their will and desire. The West is doing just that. But these are attempts in vain. None of the countries of the world majority joins any sanctions and does not break off relations with us. On the contrary, trade and investment cooperation with China, India, the Gulf states and many countries in Latin America and Africa are growing rapidly. This trend is very sustainable. I see no reason why everyone else would harm themselves to please the West, as it demands of them. This is already being done by Europe, which, by many indications, is the most affected by what it has started against Russia, using as an instrument of aggression our Ukrainian neighbors, or rather their leadership, which is based on its legitimacy an anti-constitutional coup d'état.

We now have a large number of contacts with the states of the Global South. These include the BRICS countries, the SCO, our closest allies and neighbours, Belarus (we are building the Union State with it), the CSTO, the CIS and the EAEU. Our relations with Africa are on the rise. The second summit was held in St Petersburg this summer. In the autumn of this year, the Russia-Latin America International Parliamentary Conference was held. The BRICS summit in South Africa ended successfully and productively. We are interested in the full development of our relations with the countries of the Global South. They are ready for equal and mutually beneficial interaction. Relevant projects are coordinated with us.

At the same time, we are not slamming the door on the West. If and when they come to their senses, "sober up" from their attempts to revel in their own greatness, impunity and exclusivity, and if they turn to us, saying that in fact it is necessary to take advantage of the fact that we are by and large neighbors, then we will think. It would be wrong not to take advantage of these huge competitive advantages that the Eurasian continent now provides, as it is the most rapidly developing. If they come up with such proposals and are ready to move away from the line that was pursued with us earlier, we will see how serious they are. They have always tried to reach agreements that are at least a little bit in their favor. As a rule, not a little.

What did they do with all the advantages and benefits that the Russian Federation brought them through cooperation projects? Nord Stream was blown up, and no one will find or blame anyone. At best, "hooligans on some boat", "two oars" and "three bombs" all blew up and "hello". The same thing is happening now: the Ukrainian Nazis blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station. They called for an investigation into this several times, but no one wants to do anything. As for the situation with the Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline. Fertilizers, first of all, went to Europe. It's blown up. No one is worried about the need to stop such things. The EU is depriving itself of cheap Russian energy resources and is making colossal efforts to please the Americans to spend money, to build special plants, just to switch to liquefied natural gas, which is already much more expensive. That's a fact.

It is also a fact that the Americans have passed unilateral selfish laws, thanks to which German business, French and other EU countries "flowed" to America. Europe is beginning to experience what is called deindustrialization. It's their choice. We have said it loud and clear.

On October 26, I spoke in Minsk at a conference convened by President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko on Eurasian security. Together with our Chinese, Belarusian and other colleagues, we confirmed our interest in common, continental cooperation in Eurasia. This is the most promising, most densely populated continent rich in natural resources. The logistical possibilities there are far from being exhausted. If Europe, as she said, wants to fence itself off from Russia, then we will build our strategic plans based on this and the fact that we can no longer rely on them. When they want to contact us again, we will decide how profitable it is for us and how much we can rely on their ability to negotiate.

We welcome the presence among you of people with knowledge of rare and oriental languages, which are now being actively taught. Their number is expanding at MGIMO: traditional Arabic, but also Dari, Azerbaijani, Hebrew, Chinese, Korean, Mongolian, Tajik, Turkish, and Hindi. There are languages that have traditionally been taught at MGIMO, but there are also new ones, primarily the languages of the CIS countries.

At the Higher Courses of Foreign Languages, we have the opportunity to improve your language skills and add one or even several foreign languages to your track record. We will do our best to facilitate this.

You have good basic knowledge in professional terms. There is no doubt about it. There are all opportunities for self-improvement, including at the well-proven Refresher Courses at the Diplomatic Academy. There's a wealth of experience there, too. I sincerely recommend taking advantage of these opportunities.

We must proceed from the premise that in the modern world, a diplomat is a universal person and specialist who must have knowledge of languages and an understanding of the cultural and civilisational diversity of the world. It is good to know not only the history of the countries in which you are to work, but also, above all, the history of your own – Russian – state. In today's environment, these are digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and much more.

On all these seemingly technological, highly specialized issues, there are international structures that are negotiating how to regulate these spheres of international life and human activity, which appeared only a few years ago. It is not clear how to make sure that they, first of all, do no harm to anyone. You know, the topic of artificial intelligence is being discussed now. Secondly, how to ensure that none of the members of the international community feels disadvantaged in the formats that will be agreed upon for the development of this or that sphere of activity.

The UN Charter unequivocally states that the Organization is based on the sovereign equality of states. This is the criterion by which we evaluate everything that happens. There has not been a single action that the United States and its closest allies have carried out, since the creation of the United Nations (since World War II), that has respected this basic principle of the Organization – the sovereign equality of states.

Now, Lavrov addresses the Compatriots Conference which aims to reinforce the vision articulated about Russia and the uniqueness of its civilization by President Putin. As you read, be ready to note the crossover between this address and the one previous as the values underlying both are essentially the same. When closely examined, its clear that Russia and China are pushing the same basic dynamic when it comes to the basic values inherent within optimal human relations—equality regardless of any other qualities, which is something Liberalism always touted but never made a reality—just look at the wording within the UN Charter for proof.

Dear compatriots, delegates and guests of the Forum,

I am glad to welcome you to this hall and to declare open the World Thematic Conference of Russian and Foreign Compatriots 'Strengthening Traditional Spiritual and Moral Values as a Guarantee of the Unity of Russian Compatriots'.

We dedicated today's conference to coordinating with you the values that underlie Russia's civic identity and, without exaggeration, are one of the most important pillars of our multi-ethnic and centuries-old statehood. The representative composition of today's meeting is a clear confirmation that the topic of spiritual and moral values is one of the priorities of the movement of Russian compatriots abroad.

It is a good tradition that our meeting is taking place on the eve of National Unity Day. This national holiday was established in memory of one of the most important, key events in Russian history - the liberation of Moscow in 1612. from the Polish interventionists. On this day, we pay tribute to the glorious past of our Fatherland, the courage of our ancestors who, united, defended Russia's independence and statehood and its right to an independent, original path of development. Patriotism, citizenship, service to the Motherland, responsibility for its fate – all this constitutes a solid foundation for the development of Russian society at the present stage.

We are facing the most important task – to ensure the connection between times and generations, to educate young people in the spirit of our traditions and love for the Fatherland. In this regard, it is difficult to overestimate the role of compatriots living abroad who have preserved a spiritual connection with their historical homeland and feel their involvement in its fate.

The alignment of our efforts is especially in demand today, when the "collective West" led by the United States has unleashed another war against our country. Like Napoleon in 1812 and Hitler in 1941, the United States has now united almost all Western countries in order to once again try to destroy Russia, inflict a "strategic defeat" on it and eliminate it as an independent player in the international arena. The level of Russophobia that we see in Western countries is literally off the charts. We know the conditions in which many of you have to work. The coordinating councils of organisations of Russian compatriots and various associations of our diaspora are confronted with this ugly phenomenon of Russophobia on a daily basis.

Despite all the difficulties, I would like to emphasise that in this difficult period you are together with Russia, with the multi-ethnic and multi-religious Russian people. We are doing a lot to popularize Russia's rich cultural, historical and spiritual heritage, and to preserve and promote the position of the Russian language and literature. You remain the bearers of Russian traditions, passing them on to your children and grandchildren. In fact, you contribute to the formation of an objective, unbiased image of our country. I would like to take this opportunity to once again express my deep gratitude to all of you for this.

The theme of our Conference is also relevant because we have witnessed how traditional values are being eroded and basic norms of morality are being revised in a number of Western countries. Permissiveness, tolerance taken to the point of absurdity, and various destructive models of behavior are being aggressively implanted. Bans on religious paraphernalia are being introduced. The European Union turns a blind eye to the blasphemy against Muslim shrines and the actions to destroy (without exaggeration) Orthodoxy.

Such a course, implemented contrary to the aspirations of the majority of ordinary citizens, causes irreparable damage to the moral health of people, deprives them of their civilizational roots, and leads to mutual alienation, depersonalization, and self-destruction of society. And in its worst manifestations, it contributes to the growth of radicalism, aggressive nationalism, neo-Nazism, xenophobia and intolerance.

We are deeply concerned about the incessant attempts of the neoliberal elite in the West to impose alien "values" on other peoples. The consequences of irresponsible "social engineering" can be clearly seen in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa.

In neighboring Ukraine, Nazis and anti-Semites are glorified at the official level, the canonical Orthodox Church is being banned, and the church schism is deepening. On October 25, at a meeting with representatives of religious associations, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that "the goal of all these actions is obvious: to multiply instability in the world, to divide cultures, peoples and world religions, and to provoke a clash of civilisations." And on October 30 of this year, at a meeting with members of the Security Council, the Government and the leadership of law enforcement agencies, the head of state emphasized the attempts to use the current dramatic situation in the Middle East and other regional conflicts against our country to destabilize and split our multi-ethnic and multi-religious society.

We have no doubt that the current challenges will be overcome. All the necessary decisions have been made. Russia, as a state-civilization, will continue to uphold the moral principles of international life and promote the principles of honesty, truth, kindness and justice in interstate communication. Reliance on the ideals common to the main religions and cultures, respect for the identity of the peoples of the world, their right to their own path of development is the most important help in finding optimal responses to the numerous challenges and threats of our time.

Such a creative line enjoys the widest support in the world community. An increasing number of people, including those on the European continent, not only sympathize with our country, but also look to Russia as a defender of enduring traditions and true values. The creation of the International Movement of Russophiles in March of this year, which includes figures from many countries both East and West, is a vivid testimony to this.

Based on the unique experience of peaceful coexistence of representatives of different religions and cultures accumulated by our people, domestic diplomacy will continue to consistently promote a peaceful, positive, balanced agenda in the interests of reducing conflicts, forming a fairer architecture of international relations, which should reflect the diversity of the modern world and its stability and provide as much as possible good external conditions for the internal development of our country. solving socio-economic problems and improving the well-being of the population.

Along with the Constitution of the Russian Federation and the updated Foreign Policy Concept approved by President Vladimir Putin in March of this year, the Presidential Executive Order On Approving the Fundamentals of State Policy for the Preservation and Strengthening of Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values, adopted in November 2022, remain the most important points of support in this work.

We continue to count on your principled civic position and your readiness to consistently defend it despite external pressure. I am confident that you will be able to continue to convey the truth about Russia to a wide audience in your countries and to promote the Russian language and the best achievements of Russian culture.

For its part, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to do everything necessary to protect the rights and legitimate interests of compatriots, to help strengthen all ties between our citizens living abroad and their historical homeland.

I would like to wish all participants in the Conference fruitful work and all the best.

Here’s the English version of Russia’s New Foreign Policy Concept mentioned and linked to in Russian above. The second document linked to above is available in English here and must be considered a fundamental policy document that complements the Foreign Policy Concept. A third item of importance also in English is a paper from 2014’s first quarter edition of Russia in Global Affairs, “Historical Memory Policy,” which outlines the basis for both and much more that explains what we’ve seen, heard and read since roughly 2018. It’s also very instructive to view what’s been said by Putin and Xi regarding their relationship and the shared aspects of their civilizations over the past six years. What they’ve presented to the world since 4 February 2022 is rooted in those developments and related work done over those years. It shows what can result when diplomacy is acted upon and how it’s been explained to the world beginning with the very basic premise that all nations big and small as well as people are equal and ought to share the fruits of life just as equally.

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