⚖️ On September 18, oral hearings began at the International Court of Justice in The Hague as part of the preliminary stage of the Russian-Ukrainian dispute under the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

At this point, Russia is challenging the Court’s jurisdiction to consider the claim filed by Kiev in late February 2022. By distorting the facts, Ukraine seeks a Court ruling asserting that it did not commit genocide in Donbass. According to Kiev's plan, this should allow them to argue that Russia acted unlawfully in using military force by initiating the special military operation and in recognising the independence of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR).

Addressing the court, Russia's representative Gennady Kuzmin highlighted the absurdity of Kiev's claims; the Convention has no relevance to the legitimacy of recognising the DPR and the LPR. Likewise, it has no bearing on the conduct of the special military operation in accordance with the UN Charter, specifically Article 51 on the right to self-defence, and general international law.

☝️ By attempting to reference the Convention, which provides for dispute resolution through the International Court of Justice, the Ukrainian side is simply abusing its procedural right to appeal to the Court.

A detailed legal argument to back up Russia's position was presented by a multinational team of legal counsels.

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🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s greetings to the organisers and participants of the 8th Caspian Media Forum

💬 Over the years, the forum has become an important platform that makes a significant contribution to expanding the media agenda in the region. It enables the government officials, media professionals, and the civil society and business leaders from the five Caspian littoral states to discuss solutions to key issues concerning the Caspian region. The success of this forum lies in its distinguished participants and the relevance of its programme.

With the multipolar principles gaining traction in global affairs, the importance of constructive cooperation among Caspian states is objectively increasing. Moreover, the region holds a strategic position in Eurasia as it is located at a crossroads of the continent’s transport, energy, and cultural arteries.

In this context, we consider dialogue in the sphere of information as one of the most crucial components in promoting the values of friendship, neighbourliness, trust, and mutual understanding in the Caspian Sea region.

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⚡️ Foreign Ministry statement on the situation in and around Nagorno-Karabakh

Considering the drastic escalation in the armed confrontation in Nagorno-Karabakh, we urge the parties to the conflict to immediately stop bloodshed, cease hostilities, and do all they can to avoid civilian casualties.

A move that had a dramatic impact on the prospects for Nagorno-Karabakh settlement was Yerevan’s recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh as part of the territory of Azerbaijan at the summits in October 2022 and May 2023, held under the EU aegis. This changed the fundamental conditions under which the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed their Statement of November 9, 2020, as well as the status of the Russian Peacekeeping Contingent (RPC).

☝️ As of the moment of its deployment in the region, the RPC has performed in good faith its mission to maintain the ceasefire and support contacts between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The Russian peacekeepers coordinated the effort to improve the humanitarian situation on the ground and facilitated the launch of a direct dialogue between Baku and Stepanakert. Even during these hours, the RPC is helping civilians, including by providing medical assistance. They are also evacuating local residents.

❗️The most important thing right now is to return without delay to implementing the package of trilateral agreements reached at the highest level in 2020-2022, which map out the steps needed to find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, stop the armed confrontation, and do whatever is possible to ensure the rights and safety of the population in Nagorno-Karabakh.

⚡️ Russia's position at the seventy-eighth session of the UN General Assembly:

Law of the sea

📃 As regards the law of the sea, we consider it essential to preserve the integrity of the regulatory framework established by the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and other fundamental instruments in this area.

🌊 New processes, including the agreement on marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction adopted in June 2023 and its system of global bodies, should not prejudice the provisions of existing universal and regional treaties, or mandates of competent intergovernmental organizations.

We are committed to the effective functioning of the bodies established under the 1982 Convention, i.e. the International Seabed Authority, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.

We believe that the said bodies should act strictly within the framework of their mandates under the Convention, avoiding any broad interpretation of their powers or politicization of their decisions.

#ICYMI

⚡️ We've been sharing Russia's comprehensive position at the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly

A refresher 👇

• Regarding situation around Ukraine
• Middle East settlement
• Africa
• Situation in Kosovo
• Situation in Yemen
• Iraq
• Libya
• Afghanistan
• Settlement in Colombia
• DPRK
• Myanmar
• Cyprus issue
• Bosnia and Herzegovina

***

• Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
• Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
• START Treaty
• Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention
• Arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation
• Development of important multilateral arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation arrangements

***

• Climate Change
• International anti-corruption cooperation
• Rights of the child
• International information security
• Combating maritime crime
• Drug problem
• Sport
• Fight against terrorism
• Law of the sea

#UNGA78

🇷🇺🇺🇳 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrives at the UN Headquarters for the UNGA High Level Week events and UNSC meeting.

📹 Video by Maria Zakharova

✍️ President Vladimir Putin sent greetings to President of the Republic of South Ossetia Alan Gagloev on Republic Day.

✉️ We highly value the development of friendly and neighbourly relations between our countries, and mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation in various areas.

I would like to reaffirm that Russia will continue to provide every kind of assistance to the government and people of South Ossetia in ensuring national security, as well as in every aspect of state-building and socioeconomic development.

🇷🇺🇯🇴 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks with Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Ayman Al-Safadi on the sidelines of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly.

#UNGA78 #RussiaJordan

🇷🇺🇭🇳 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Foreign Minister of Honduras Eduardo Enrique Reina met on the sidelines of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly.

#RussiaHonduras #UNGA78

🇷🇺🇨🇳 President Vladimir Putin had a conversation with Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the People’s Republic of China, Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, and Foreign Minister of China, at the Constantine Palace.

💬 Vladimir Putin: We are very glad to see a high representative of the People’s Republic of China in Russia, this time in St Petersburg.

I would like to say right away that the last time we saw each other was, I think, in February 2023. You came to Russia to prepare the visit of President of China Xi Jinping, who is a very good, important and cherished friend of ours. Indeed, his visit was a great success. I would even say that it marked a major milestone, especially considering that it took place immediately after Comrade Xi Jinping’s election as President of the People’s Republic of China. This was an important sign of trust and an affirmation of the high level of relations between us, and we understand this very well.

I must say that the visit was a success, as demonstrated by the performance we have achieved in our relations. It served as a positive impetus for promoting our bilateral ties. This relates to international affairs where our positions coincide regarding the emergence of a multipolar world instead of some kind of rules-based order. No one has seen these rules and they keep changing every day depending on momentary considerations and to benefit those who came up with this absurd formula.

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#RussiaChina

🔴 #LIVE: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks at the UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine

🔗 https://twitter.com/mfa_russia/status/1704541818572959963

🔗 https://www.facebook.com/MIDRussia/videos/672382861505335

🔗 https://mid.ru/en/press_service/video/

🔗 https://www.ruptly.tv/event_route?link_id=6c885638-a607-43d6-8148-60df3bfb4632&provider_id=4

#UNGA78

🎙 Russia's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Maria Zabolotskaya gave interview to RT on the issue regarding the International Court of Justice hearings.

🔹 The Kiev regime is using the ICJ as a platform to propagate anti-Russian made-up narratives, including the Bucha hoax and even the recent missile attack on Konstantinovka, which has been debunked by the Western media as well.

🇧🇷🇷🇺🇮🇳🇨🇳🇿🇦 Media Statement following the Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs/International Relations on the margins of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (20 September 2023)

Key points:

📄 The BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs/International Relations held their annual meeting on the margins of the #UNGA78 on 20 September 2023, chaired by the Russian Federation in its capacity as the incoming BRICS Chair for 2024.

• The Ministers exchanged views on major global and regional issues on the United Nations agenda in the political, security, economic, financial, and sustainable development spheres, as well as on intra-BRICS activities.

• The Ministers reiterated their commitment to strengthening multilateralism and upholding international law, including the Purposes and Principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations as its indispensable cornerstone, and the central role of the UN in an international system.

• The Ministers supported a comprehensive reform of the United Nations, including its Security Council, with a view to making it more democratic, representative, effective and efficient, and to increase the representation of developing countries in the Council’s memberships.

• The Ministers underscored the importance of sustained efforts aimed at making the United Nations more effective and efficient in implementing its mandates.

• The Ministers were briefed on the preparations for Russia's upcoming BRICS Chairship in 2024. Brazil, India, China and South Africa extended their full support to Russia for its BRICS Chairship in 2024 under the theme “Strengthening of multilateralism for the purposes of just global development and security” and the holding of the XVI BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia. The Ministers also look forward to the Standalone Meeting of BRICS Ministers of Foreign Affairs/International Relations in Russia in 2024.

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🇧🇷🇷🇺🇮🇳🇨🇳🇿🇦 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov took part in the traditional #BRICS FM Ministerial on the sidelines of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly.

#UNGA78

🤝 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov took part in a Meeting of the #SCO FMs on the sidelines of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly.

#UNGA78

🤝 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks with International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi on the sidelines of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly.

#UNGA78

🇷🇺🇻🇪 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks with Foreign Minister of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Yvan Gil Pinto on the sidelines of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly.

#UNGA78 #RussiaVenezuela