Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🎙 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at the International Symposium 'Inventing the Future' (Moscow, November 4, 2024)
Key talking points:
• The global balance of power is undergoing transformative changes, driven by the objective trends in the world economy where the influence of the states of the Global South and the Global East, and indeed the World Majority, is growing.
• The economic resurgence enables an increasing number of non-Western nations to consistently bolster their sovereignty and to pursue a nationally oriented agenda in both foreign and domestic policy.
• Following the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, Washington and its allies, as part of the hybrid war they are waging, have launched an aggressive sanctions campaign against Russia. In the past decade, more than 21,000 sanctions have been imposed on our country across various domains, including economy, finance, trade, investment, media, culture, sport, and broadly, people-to-people contacts. These neo-colonial practices of the West primarily impact the developing countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
• The adverse effect of this campaign against the undesired is that the West is undermining itself. <...> Western capitals have conveniently forgotten principles such as fair competition, the inviolability of property, the presumption of innocence, among others.
• When economic pressure fails to sway truly sovereign nations, the West, led by the United States, resorts to threats, blackmail, and even the use of force.
• It is sad to state that the ruling elites in many European countries evidently see no future for themselves in a multipolar world and are looking instead to the overseas hegemon to save them.
• The West is never satisfied with what they have. The war they started against Russia in Europe wasn’t enough.
• NATO now plans to conduct “defensive” operations in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait which lie thousands of miles away from its shores. Any right-minded observer knows that this path will lead nowhere.
• The obsession [of the West] with controlling absolutely everything has led to a rash of tragedies in the Middle East.
• This year, yet another independent UN member — Yemen — came under an aggression of the West [Anglo-Saxons]. The Syrian Arab Republic is still reeling from the shock of American interference. The United States has effectively blocked all multilateral mechanisms aimed at promoting the Palestinian-Israeli settlement.
• The serious challenges facing the world call for a united effort based on equality, rather than submission to those who seek global dominance.
• Establishing direct contacts and horizontal ties among all regional integration entities and with #BRICS which already includes the key countries that are regional leaders, is a significant step towards multipolarity.
• Another area of focus is the de-dollarisation of the international financial and economic system. I wish to remind you that the share of national currencies in Russia's transactions with the #SCO and #EAEU countries has surpassed 90%, and with the BRICS nations, we are approaching 65%. This figure continues to grow.
🇺🇳 People often ask: what will multipolarity rely on in terms of international legal foundation? There’s no need to look for new principles; they are all there in the UN Charter 👉 #UNCharterIsOurRules.
The problem is that our Western partners have never fully respected these principles.
Read in full
Key talking points:
• The global balance of power is undergoing transformative changes, driven by the objective trends in the world economy where the influence of the states of the Global South and the Global East, and indeed the World Majority, is growing.
• The economic resurgence enables an increasing number of non-Western nations to consistently bolster their sovereignty and to pursue a nationally oriented agenda in both foreign and domestic policy.
• Following the start of the special military operation in Ukraine, Washington and its allies, as part of the hybrid war they are waging, have launched an aggressive sanctions campaign against Russia. In the past decade, more than 21,000 sanctions have been imposed on our country across various domains, including economy, finance, trade, investment, media, culture, sport, and broadly, people-to-people contacts. These neo-colonial practices of the West primarily impact the developing countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
• The adverse effect of this campaign against the undesired is that the West is undermining itself. <...> Western capitals have conveniently forgotten principles such as fair competition, the inviolability of property, the presumption of innocence, among others.
• When economic pressure fails to sway truly sovereign nations, the West, led by the United States, resorts to threats, blackmail, and even the use of force.
• It is sad to state that the ruling elites in many European countries evidently see no future for themselves in a multipolar world and are looking instead to the overseas hegemon to save them.
• The West is never satisfied with what they have. The war they started against Russia in Europe wasn’t enough.
• NATO now plans to conduct “defensive” operations in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait which lie thousands of miles away from its shores. Any right-minded observer knows that this path will lead nowhere.
• The obsession [of the West] with controlling absolutely everything has led to a rash of tragedies in the Middle East.
• This year, yet another independent UN member — Yemen — came under an aggression of the West [Anglo-Saxons]. The Syrian Arab Republic is still reeling from the shock of American interference. The United States has effectively blocked all multilateral mechanisms aimed at promoting the Palestinian-Israeli settlement.
• The serious challenges facing the world call for a united effort based on equality, rather than submission to those who seek global dominance.
• Establishing direct contacts and horizontal ties among all regional integration entities and with #BRICS which already includes the key countries that are regional leaders, is a significant step towards multipolarity.
• Another area of focus is the de-dollarisation of the international financial and economic system. I wish to remind you that the share of national currencies in Russia's transactions with the #SCO and #EAEU countries has surpassed 90%, and with the BRICS nations, we are approaching 65%. This figure continues to grow.
🇺🇳 People often ask: what will multipolarity rely on in terms of international legal foundation? There’s no need to look for new principles; they are all there in the UN Charter 👉 #UNCharterIsOurRules.
The problem is that our Western partners have never fully respected these principles.
Read in full
👍1
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🎙 Statement by the Representative of the Delegation of the Russian Federation in explanation of vote on a draft resolution “Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction” (L.65) in the First Committee of the 79th Session of the UNGA (New York, November 4, 2024)
💬 Madam Chair,
The Russian Federation remains fully committed to the goals and objectives of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and to preserving and strengthening this important mechanism. However, for several years in a row we have been forced to vote against both specific individual provisions and the UNGA draft resolution on the implementation of the CWC as a whole.
Russia has consistently and categorically opposed the reference in the resolution to the illegitimate decisions of the Executive Council and the Conference of the States Parties of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which are based on the findings of the Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) regarding the alleged involvement of the Syrian Armed Forces in the use of chemical weapons on the territory of its own State.
☝️ We have consistently reiterated that the decision to confer attributive functions on the OPCW Technical Secretariat was taken outside the competence of the principal organ of the Organisation. Consequently, the Russian Side does not recognise either the activities of the IIT as a whole or the reports prepared by it, which contain distorted facts and deliberately politicised and false conclusions.
The provisions of the new OP2, introduced this year by the authors of the draft, apparently for purely political reasons, are unacceptable and perplexing. This passage not only imposes a false interpretation of the situation in and around Ukraine, which is beyond the competence of the OPCW, but also contains groundless and politicised accusations against Russia as a bona fide State Party to the Convention.
👉 At the same time, it deliberately ignores the facts of numerous violations of obligations under Article I of the CWC by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including the use of toxic chemicals and riot control agents in the special military operation zone, as well as preparations for large-scale provocations in order to then accuse Russia of an alleged use of toxic substances.
Russia has repeatedly brought to the attention of the OPCW and its Member States, as well as other specialised international bodies and fora, the facts regarding the blatant and flagrant violation by the authorities in Kiev of their obligations under international law to prohibit the use of this type of WMD.
The distorted reflection of the situation surrounding the alleged “poisoning” of Navalny, when the Russian Side has still not received comprehensive information that was requested from the German authorities on what actually happened to the Russian citizen after he left the territory of the Russian Federation, is unacceptable.
Finally, we object to the confirmation in the core resolution of a ban on the aerosolised use of central nervous system-acting chemicals for law enforcement purposes, which goes beyond the scope of the CWC.
❗️ We regret to note that this document is becoming more politicised and divisive every year. It does nothing to strengthen the CWC regime or to consolidate the efforts of the international community to combat this type of WMD.
On the contrary, the provisions contained in the relevant draft resolution only make it less likely to resume non-discriminatory and effective cooperation among States Parties in order to resolve by consensus the current issues on the agenda of the OPCW, once an effective and authoritative disarmament mechanism.
Thank you.
💬 Madam Chair,
The Russian Federation remains fully committed to the goals and objectives of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and to preserving and strengthening this important mechanism. However, for several years in a row we have been forced to vote against both specific individual provisions and the UNGA draft resolution on the implementation of the CWC as a whole.
Russia has consistently and categorically opposed the reference in the resolution to the illegitimate decisions of the Executive Council and the Conference of the States Parties of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which are based on the findings of the Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) regarding the alleged involvement of the Syrian Armed Forces in the use of chemical weapons on the territory of its own State.
☝️ We have consistently reiterated that the decision to confer attributive functions on the OPCW Technical Secretariat was taken outside the competence of the principal organ of the Organisation. Consequently, the Russian Side does not recognise either the activities of the IIT as a whole or the reports prepared by it, which contain distorted facts and deliberately politicised and false conclusions.
The provisions of the new OP2, introduced this year by the authors of the draft, apparently for purely political reasons, are unacceptable and perplexing. This passage not only imposes a false interpretation of the situation in and around Ukraine, which is beyond the competence of the OPCW, but also contains groundless and politicised accusations against Russia as a bona fide State Party to the Convention.
👉 At the same time, it deliberately ignores the facts of numerous violations of obligations under Article I of the CWC by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including the use of toxic chemicals and riot control agents in the special military operation zone, as well as preparations for large-scale provocations in order to then accuse Russia of an alleged use of toxic substances.
Russia has repeatedly brought to the attention of the OPCW and its Member States, as well as other specialised international bodies and fora, the facts regarding the blatant and flagrant violation by the authorities in Kiev of their obligations under international law to prohibit the use of this type of WMD.
The distorted reflection of the situation surrounding the alleged “poisoning” of Navalny, when the Russian Side has still not received comprehensive information that was requested from the German authorities on what actually happened to the Russian citizen after he left the territory of the Russian Federation, is unacceptable.
Finally, we object to the confirmation in the core resolution of a ban on the aerosolised use of central nervous system-acting chemicals for law enforcement purposes, which goes beyond the scope of the CWC.
❗️ We regret to note that this document is becoming more politicised and divisive every year. It does nothing to strengthen the CWC regime or to consolidate the efforts of the international community to combat this type of WMD.
On the contrary, the provisions contained in the relevant draft resolution only make it less likely to resume non-discriminatory and effective cooperation among States Parties in order to resolve by consensus the current issues on the agenda of the OPCW, once an effective and authoritative disarmament mechanism.
Thank you.
👍1
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🎙 Statement by the Representative of the Delegation of the Russian Federation in explanation of vote on a draft resolution “Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons” L.37 in the First Committee of the 79th Session of the UNGA (New York, November 4, 2024)
💬 Our delegation would like to explain its position on document L.37 “Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons”.
Russia is firmly committed to achieving a world free of nuclear weapons as the ultimate goal of the common efforts of the international community, which must be undertaken within the framework of the process of the general and complete disarmament in strict compliance with the provisions of the Preamble of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (#NPT), as well as its Article VI in its entirety and without singling out its specific elements.
We respect the incentives of those who seek a shortcut to “nuclear zero”, but we are convinced that progress is possible only on the basis of a realistic, calibrated and step-by-step approach that promotes international peace and stability and is based on the principle of undiminished security for all. In addition, according to the decisions of the First Special Session of the UNGA in 1978 the reduction of nuclear weapons should be accompanied by the strengthening of the security of all States that are engaged in the nuclear disarmament process.
In our view, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) does not meet these criteria and cannot serve as a framework for the implementation of practical measures to reduce nuclear weapons. Accordingly, we do not believe that this treaty establishes universal norms or contributes to the development of customary international law.
Furthermore, we are convinced that the claims that the TPNW is closely related to and complementary to the NPT in promoting and encouraging nuclear disarmament are unfounded.
In this regard, there is no reason for us to support the TPNW and other radical initiatives in this area.
The elaboration and persistent promotion of such ideas in the current circumstances appear to be premature and counterproductive steps, since they do not lead to the actual reduction of nuclear weapons and do not promote the creation of the necessary prerequisites to this end, but at the same time they provoke further split among nuclear and non-nuclear-weapon States, threatening to cause irreversible damage to the NPT regime.
👉 Taking these considerations into account, Russia voted against draft resolution L.37.
💬 Our delegation would like to explain its position on document L.37 “Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons”.
Russia is firmly committed to achieving a world free of nuclear weapons as the ultimate goal of the common efforts of the international community, which must be undertaken within the framework of the process of the general and complete disarmament in strict compliance with the provisions of the Preamble of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (#NPT), as well as its Article VI in its entirety and without singling out its specific elements.
We respect the incentives of those who seek a shortcut to “nuclear zero”, but we are convinced that progress is possible only on the basis of a realistic, calibrated and step-by-step approach that promotes international peace and stability and is based on the principle of undiminished security for all. In addition, according to the decisions of the First Special Session of the UNGA in 1978 the reduction of nuclear weapons should be accompanied by the strengthening of the security of all States that are engaged in the nuclear disarmament process.
In our view, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) does not meet these criteria and cannot serve as a framework for the implementation of practical measures to reduce nuclear weapons. Accordingly, we do not believe that this treaty establishes universal norms or contributes to the development of customary international law.
Furthermore, we are convinced that the claims that the TPNW is closely related to and complementary to the NPT in promoting and encouraging nuclear disarmament are unfounded.
In this regard, there is no reason for us to support the TPNW and other radical initiatives in this area.
The elaboration and persistent promotion of such ideas in the current circumstances appear to be premature and counterproductive steps, since they do not lead to the actual reduction of nuclear weapons and do not promote the creation of the necessary prerequisites to this end, but at the same time they provoke further split among nuclear and non-nuclear-weapon States, threatening to cause irreversible damage to the NPT regime.
👉 Taking these considerations into account, Russia voted against draft resolution L.37.
👍1
Forwarded from Russian Delegation to UNESCO
⚡️Russia 🇷🇺takes an active part in the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
On November 6️⃣ the All-Russian scientific and practical conference "Russia in the UN Decade of Ocean Science. Resources and Knowledge", an official event of the Decade, was launched in Moscow.
📍The Conference is devoted to the most important areas of scientific research ensuring rational and efficient use of the World Ocean resources in the interests of the country's economy and social sphere, capacity development of marine activities, and the prospects for solving the priorities of the UN Decade.
On November 6️⃣ the All-Russian scientific and practical conference "Russia in the UN Decade of Ocean Science. Resources and Knowledge", an official event of the Decade, was launched in Moscow.
📍The Conference is devoted to the most important areas of scientific research ensuring rational and efficient use of the World Ocean resources in the interests of the country's economy and social sphere, capacity development of marine activities, and the prospects for solving the priorities of the UN Decade.
👍3
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
⚓️ On November 6, President of Russia Vladimir Putin participated, via video link, in a ceremony for launching Chukotka nuclear icebreaker.
💬 Today marks a major and meaningful event related to the large-scale development of the Arctic, Siberia, and the Russian Far East. <...>
The nuclear icebreaker Chukotka will be the fourth serial icebreaker built under this project. One icebreaker was built before that series had been launched. Two more ships of the same class, Yakutia and Leningrad, are under construction at the Baltic Shipyard.
Next year, as agreed, icebreaker Stalingrad of the same series should be laid down. In addition, the next-generation nuclear icebreaker Leader, the most powerful so far, is being built at Zvezda shipyard in the Far East.
🚢 The construction of these powerful modern vessels is yet another embodiment of Russia’s industrial, scientific, technological and human resources potential. It is on the basis of domestic technologies and breakthrough scientific solutions that the national economy should develop.
I would like to repeat that our plans to develop our Arctic territories and to increase cargo traffic along the Northern Sea Route rely on expanding Russia's icebreaker fleet. <...>
We will need to consider options to create a more efficient pricing model for icebreaker freight transit, so that more carriers and shippers can afford such services, especially since both Russian and foreign companies are showing more and more interest in this route with each passing year, and I am sure this interest will only grow.
👉 Overall, we will need to seriously improve the safety and reliability of shipping in that region. To this end, we will continue to improve the quality of satellite navigation and communication, ice monitoring, upgrade infrastructure of Arctic ports and build the necessary railway access routes to them. In particular, we will need to expand and increase the capacity of nearby and distant railway access routes to the Murmansk Transport Hub, and to build a Northern Latitudinal Railway with potential extensions to the ports of Yamal, Taimyr and the north of the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
***
🧊 I congratulate you again. Russia has the largest icebreaking fleet in the world. This is natural, Russia is a northern country. We have 34 diesel icebreakers, seven nuclear-powered icebreakers, and there will also be the Yakutia, Chukotka, Leningrad and Stalingrad – 11 in all. And the Leader. In December, hopefully, we will raise the flag on the Yakutia nuclear-powered icebreaker and it will join Russia’s icebreaking fleet.
The year before last we carried 34 million tonnes along the Northern Sea Route, in 2023 – 36 million tonnes, this year it will be 37.6, somewhere around 38, and in 2030, I am sure, it will be over 100 million tonnes. These are ambitious plans, and their implementation will make a significant contribution to the development of Russia's transport infrastructure and make the Northern Sea Route very attractive both for the Russian carriers and our partners abroad.
I believe that the Northern Sea Route will only gain momentum year on year and not only because of the climate change, but also thanks to greater capabilities of the Russian icebreaker fleet.
🤝 I want to congratulate once again the shipbuilders – workers, engineers, scientists and specialists in most diverse fields – on today’s event. For the shipbuilders and the country as a whole it is a good and festive event. I am sure we will hold another such event at the end of this year and hoist the flag on another icebreaker, the Yakutia.
Read in full
💬 Today marks a major and meaningful event related to the large-scale development of the Arctic, Siberia, and the Russian Far East. <...>
The nuclear icebreaker Chukotka will be the fourth serial icebreaker built under this project. One icebreaker was built before that series had been launched. Two more ships of the same class, Yakutia and Leningrad, are under construction at the Baltic Shipyard.
Next year, as agreed, icebreaker Stalingrad of the same series should be laid down. In addition, the next-generation nuclear icebreaker Leader, the most powerful so far, is being built at Zvezda shipyard in the Far East.
🚢 The construction of these powerful modern vessels is yet another embodiment of Russia’s industrial, scientific, technological and human resources potential. It is on the basis of domestic technologies and breakthrough scientific solutions that the national economy should develop.
I would like to repeat that our plans to develop our Arctic territories and to increase cargo traffic along the Northern Sea Route rely on expanding Russia's icebreaker fleet. <...>
We will need to consider options to create a more efficient pricing model for icebreaker freight transit, so that more carriers and shippers can afford such services, especially since both Russian and foreign companies are showing more and more interest in this route with each passing year, and I am sure this interest will only grow.
👉 Overall, we will need to seriously improve the safety and reliability of shipping in that region. To this end, we will continue to improve the quality of satellite navigation and communication, ice monitoring, upgrade infrastructure of Arctic ports and build the necessary railway access routes to them. In particular, we will need to expand and increase the capacity of nearby and distant railway access routes to the Murmansk Transport Hub, and to build a Northern Latitudinal Railway with potential extensions to the ports of Yamal, Taimyr and the north of the Krasnoyarsk Territory.
***
🧊 I congratulate you again. Russia has the largest icebreaking fleet in the world. This is natural, Russia is a northern country. We have 34 diesel icebreakers, seven nuclear-powered icebreakers, and there will also be the Yakutia, Chukotka, Leningrad and Stalingrad – 11 in all. And the Leader. In December, hopefully, we will raise the flag on the Yakutia nuclear-powered icebreaker and it will join Russia’s icebreaking fleet.
The year before last we carried 34 million tonnes along the Northern Sea Route, in 2023 – 36 million tonnes, this year it will be 37.6, somewhere around 38, and in 2030, I am sure, it will be over 100 million tonnes. These are ambitious plans, and their implementation will make a significant contribution to the development of Russia's transport infrastructure and make the Northern Sea Route very attractive both for the Russian carriers and our partners abroad.
I believe that the Northern Sea Route will only gain momentum year on year and not only because of the climate change, but also thanks to greater capabilities of the Russian icebreaker fleet.
🤝 I want to congratulate once again the shipbuilders – workers, engineers, scientists and specialists in most diverse fields – on today’s event. For the shipbuilders and the country as a whole it is a good and festive event. I am sure we will hold another such event at the end of this year and hoist the flag on another icebreaker, the Yakutia.
Read in full
❤1
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🎙 General statement by the representative of the delegation of the Russian Federation before the vote on the draft proposals in Cluster 3: Outer Space (Disarmament aspects) in the First Committee of the 79th Session of the UNGA (New York, November 5, 2024)
💬 Russia is a responsible participant in outer space activities and the author of a number of fundamental initiatives aimed at the prevention of an arms race in outer space (#PAROS). In doing so, our State contributes to keeping outer space free of weapons and preventing it from becoming yet another sphere of tension and armed confrontation.
There are now two interrelated goals for the international community.
👉 The first one is to preserve outer space for exploitation exclusively for peaceful purposes.
👉 The second goal is to ensure non-discriminatory access to outer space and space benefits for all UN Member States without exception, and to create the necessary conditions for them to use outer space technologies for sustainable development.
Guided by these goals, Russia again submitted three draft resolutions to the UNGA First Committee:
📄 "Further practical measures for the prevention of an arms race in outer space" (L.6),
📄 "Transparency and confidence-building measures in outer space activities" (L.58),
📄 "No first placement of weapons in outer space" (L.59).
<…>
All three documents are based on similar UNGA resolutions of previous years, which received unconditional support of the absolute majority of UN Member States. <…>
We are convinced that the adoption of these three resolutions will strengthen the efforts of the international community in the area of PAROS and confirm the previously defined focus of work aimed at the early development of new "hard" norms of international space law to ensure that outer space remains peaceful and free of all types of weapons.
It is in that constructive spirit that the amendments proposed by Russia (A/C. 1/79/78/Rev.1 and A/C.l/79/79/Rev.1) to the draft resolution submitted by the United States of America, Japan and Argentina on weapons of mass destruction in outer space (L.7/Rev.1) shall be considered.
Russia has no objection to reaffirming the obligations already contained in Article IV of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and strictly observed by all States Parties. We see a positive change in the US approach to this Treaty, which is the cornerstone of international space law and the most important regulator of space activities.
Nevertheless, it is unacceptable to give the impression that UN Member States are prepared to limit themselves to reaffirming already existing international legal norms. As it was noted earlier, the main objective of PAROS is to develop new legally binding agreements as soon as possible which, among other things, provide for a ban on the placement of any weapons, not only WMD, in outer space.
As conceived by the authors, the initiative of the United States, Japan and Argentina could be interpreted as an attempt to legitimize the placement of any other weapons other than WMD in outer space, which would provoke a conventional arms race in outer space.
☝️ Should the Russian amendments be approved, they will give this draft resolution a balanced character, bring it in line with other UNGA resolutions on PAROS, and thus the document will correspond to the interests and joint aspirations of the entire international community.
Read in full
💬 Russia is a responsible participant in outer space activities and the author of a number of fundamental initiatives aimed at the prevention of an arms race in outer space (#PAROS). In doing so, our State contributes to keeping outer space free of weapons and preventing it from becoming yet another sphere of tension and armed confrontation.
There are now two interrelated goals for the international community.
👉 The first one is to preserve outer space for exploitation exclusively for peaceful purposes.
👉 The second goal is to ensure non-discriminatory access to outer space and space benefits for all UN Member States without exception, and to create the necessary conditions for them to use outer space technologies for sustainable development.
Guided by these goals, Russia again submitted three draft resolutions to the UNGA First Committee:
📄 "Further practical measures for the prevention of an arms race in outer space" (L.6),
📄 "Transparency and confidence-building measures in outer space activities" (L.58),
📄 "No first placement of weapons in outer space" (L.59).
<…>
All three documents are based on similar UNGA resolutions of previous years, which received unconditional support of the absolute majority of UN Member States. <…>
We are convinced that the adoption of these three resolutions will strengthen the efforts of the international community in the area of PAROS and confirm the previously defined focus of work aimed at the early development of new "hard" norms of international space law to ensure that outer space remains peaceful and free of all types of weapons.
It is in that constructive spirit that the amendments proposed by Russia (A/C. 1/79/78/Rev.1 and A/C.l/79/79/Rev.1) to the draft resolution submitted by the United States of America, Japan and Argentina on weapons of mass destruction in outer space (L.7/Rev.1) shall be considered.
Russia has no objection to reaffirming the obligations already contained in Article IV of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and strictly observed by all States Parties. We see a positive change in the US approach to this Treaty, which is the cornerstone of international space law and the most important regulator of space activities.
Nevertheless, it is unacceptable to give the impression that UN Member States are prepared to limit themselves to reaffirming already existing international legal norms. As it was noted earlier, the main objective of PAROS is to develop new legally binding agreements as soon as possible which, among other things, provide for a ban on the placement of any weapons, not only WMD, in outer space.
As conceived by the authors, the initiative of the United States, Japan and Argentina could be interpreted as an attempt to legitimize the placement of any other weapons other than WMD in outer space, which would provoke a conventional arms race in outer space.
☝️ Should the Russian amendments be approved, they will give this draft resolution a balanced character, bring it in line with other UNGA resolutions on PAROS, and thus the document will correspond to the interests and joint aspirations of the entire international community.
Read in full
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
#RussiaHelps
🇷🇺🇱🇧 Russia's EMERCOM continues to render humanitarian assistance to the people of Lebanon, delivers a third batch of aid, 24 tonnes of:
📦 Child nutrition and food;
📦 Basic necessities;
📦 Medical supplies.
This is the third humanitarian delivery to Lebanon by a special flight of Russia's EMERCOM.
🇷🇺🇱🇧 Russia's EMERCOM continues to render humanitarian assistance to the people of Lebanon, delivers a third batch of aid, 24 tonnes of:
📦 Child nutrition and food;
📦 Basic necessities;
📦 Medical supplies.
This is the third humanitarian delivery to Lebanon by a special flight of Russia's EMERCOM.
👍2❤1
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🎙 Statement by the Representative of the Delegation of the Russian Federation in explanation of vote on a draft resolution "Artificial intelligence in the military domain and its implications for international peace and security" L.43 in the First Committee of the 79th session of the UNGA (New York, 6 November, 2024)
💬 Russia voted against the draft resolution ennoscriptd “Military applications of artificial intelligence and their implications for international peace and security” (L.43). We also voted against paragraphs PP2, PP8, PP9, OP5, OP6, OP8 and abstained on all other paragraphs put to the vote.
Russia has consistently opposed any international initiatives that could lead to the fragmentation of work or undermine the efforts of the international community to seek international consensus on such an important and sensitive issue as the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in military domain.
<...>
We oppose the recognition in the draft resolution of only one approach to the future possible regulation of military use of AI, which is a so-called “responsible application” of artificial intelligence in the military domain (PP2, PP9, OP5, OP6).
We consider it inexpedient to attempt to predetermine the outcome of the consideration of the issues of application of AI in the military domain, which in the future may include the elaboration of specialized international treaties and/or “soft law” instruments based on concepts other than the notorious “responsible behavior”.
<...>
We find it unacceptable to welcome some regional and non-inclusive events promoting the views of a narrow group of States on the problem of the military use of AI technologies, which are then imposed on the international community as certain “ready-made solutions”. We are referring, among other things, to the Summit on Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain (REAIM).
Read in full
💬 Russia voted against the draft resolution ennoscriptd “Military applications of artificial intelligence and their implications for international peace and security” (L.43). We also voted against paragraphs PP2, PP8, PP9, OP5, OP6, OP8 and abstained on all other paragraphs put to the vote.
Russia has consistently opposed any international initiatives that could lead to the fragmentation of work or undermine the efforts of the international community to seek international consensus on such an important and sensitive issue as the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in military domain.
<...>
We oppose the recognition in the draft resolution of only one approach to the future possible regulation of military use of AI, which is a so-called “responsible application” of artificial intelligence in the military domain (PP2, PP9, OP5, OP6).
We consider it inexpedient to attempt to predetermine the outcome of the consideration of the issues of application of AI in the military domain, which in the future may include the elaboration of specialized international treaties and/or “soft law” instruments based on concepts other than the notorious “responsible behavior”.
<...>
We find it unacceptable to welcome some regional and non-inclusive events promoting the views of a narrow group of States on the problem of the military use of AI technologies, which are then imposed on the international community as certain “ready-made solutions”. We are referring, among other things, to the Summit on Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain (REAIM).
Read in full
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🎙 Statement by the Representative of the Delegation of the Russian Federation in explanation of vote on a draft resolution "Lethal autonomous weapons systems" L.77 in the First Committee of the 79th session of the UNGA (New York, 6 November, 2024)
💬 This year, as well as last year, Russia voted against the draft resolution “Lethal autonomous weapons systems” (L.77).
In doing so, we also voted against its paragraphs PP1, PP9, PP10, PP13, OP7, OP8, OP9, OP10, OP11 and OP12, the contents of which we strongly disagree with, and abstained on all other paragraphs which were put on a separate vote.
We are convinced that the document pursues an unacceptable goal for us, which was also enshrined in UNGA resolution 78/241, to undermine the work of the Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (GGE on LAWs) established within the framework of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW).
<...>
The inconsistent use of the term “lethal autonomous weapons systems” and “autonomous weapons systems” throughout the draft is also a matter of concern. The resolution could, among other things, provoke legal uncertainty and thus negatively affect the efforts within the GGE on LAWs to agree on a common characterization of this category of weapons. <...>
We are convinced that appropriate weapon systems can demonstrate much greater effectiveness than human operators in accomplishing their tasks and reduce the likelihood of errors and miscalculations.
Consequently, any discussion on LAWs should be conducted in a balanced manner and take into account both the possible disadvantages and advantages of this category of weapons.
Read in full
💬 This year, as well as last year, Russia voted against the draft resolution “Lethal autonomous weapons systems” (L.77).
In doing so, we also voted against its paragraphs PP1, PP9, PP10, PP13, OP7, OP8, OP9, OP10, OP11 and OP12, the contents of which we strongly disagree with, and abstained on all other paragraphs which were put on a separate vote.
We are convinced that the document pursues an unacceptable goal for us, which was also enshrined in UNGA resolution 78/241, to undermine the work of the Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (GGE on LAWs) established within the framework of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW).
<...>
The inconsistent use of the term “lethal autonomous weapons systems” and “autonomous weapons systems” throughout the draft is also a matter of concern. The resolution could, among other things, provoke legal uncertainty and thus negatively affect the efforts within the GGE on LAWs to agree on a common characterization of this category of weapons. <...>
We are convinced that appropriate weapon systems can demonstrate much greater effectiveness than human operators in accomplishing their tasks and reduce the likelihood of errors and miscalculations.
Consequently, any discussion on LAWs should be conducted in a balanced manner and take into account both the possible disadvantages and advantages of this category of weapons.
Read in full
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
Media is too big
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🎙 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's interview to the TV BRICS international media network (Moscow, November 2, 2024)
📖 Read in full
📺 Watch in full
Key talking points
✅ The XVI BRICS Summit underscored the rapidly growing influence of #BRICS and the eagerness of numerous countries to engage with its initiatives.
• Several countries have applied to become full members, while others have expressed interest in joining as partner states – a new category established at the Summit in Kazan.
• The Kazan Declaration that was adopted was based of what we call the balance of interests. Unlike at some Western forums, there was no attempt to exert pressure on anyone. Instead, we sought mutually acceptable language, which we successfully identified on all matters.
👉 The highlight of this declaration is the urgent need to substantially increase the representation of countries from the Global South and Global East in global governance mechanisms, including the UN Security Council, the IMF, the World Bank, and the WTO.
• Reform of existing institutions remains on the agenda, but concurrently – and this is a shared perspective and one of the most significant conclusions of the BRICS efforts at this stage – leading up to the final phase of the Russian chairmanship, there is a collective desire to establish alternative payment mechanisms. <...> A parallel system is deemed necessary, given the dollar's increasing use as an aggressive tool in the global economy.
• Support was also given to sector-specific initiatives, including our proposal to begin preparations for establishing a BRICS grain exchange, as well as investment and geological platforms. This initiative primarily originated from the African countries within BRICS.
• Additionally, we proposed two projects – the formation of working groups on transport and nuclear medicine – which received backing both at the BRICS meeting itself and in the adopted Declaration.
🇺🇳 A more equitable representation of the Global South and East in global governance mechanisms implies reforming the UN and its Security Council.
• We have clearly reaffirmed our stance: we support only the increased representation of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The West is already disproportionately represented there. <...> Specifically, we support India, Brazil, and the collective initiative promoted by the African Union to reform the Security Council.
• Particular attention was paid to the crisis in the Middle East and the catastrophe facing the Palestinian people, which is now spilling over into neighbouring countries such as Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. The Declaration contains a robust paragraph on the urgent need to halt this bloodshed.
• We have not shied away from discussing the Ukrainian crisis. Quite the opposite, during the preparations and throughout the summit, we engaged in proactive discussions, with Russian President Vladimir Putin addressing this issue. We reached a fundamentally important agreement on the wording in the Declaration <...> emphasising that the primary objective now is to seek solutions based on the principles of the UN Charter in their entirety and in interrelation.
❗️ The Nazi regime in Kiev flagrantly violates the key principles of the Charter, while the West praises it, claiming they are defending "European values." These issues must be brought to light.
#BRICS2024
📖 Read in full
📺 Watch in full
Key talking points
✅ The XVI BRICS Summit underscored the rapidly growing influence of #BRICS and the eagerness of numerous countries to engage with its initiatives.
• Several countries have applied to become full members, while others have expressed interest in joining as partner states – a new category established at the Summit in Kazan.
• The Kazan Declaration that was adopted was based of what we call the balance of interests. Unlike at some Western forums, there was no attempt to exert pressure on anyone. Instead, we sought mutually acceptable language, which we successfully identified on all matters.
👉 The highlight of this declaration is the urgent need to substantially increase the representation of countries from the Global South and Global East in global governance mechanisms, including the UN Security Council, the IMF, the World Bank, and the WTO.
• Reform of existing institutions remains on the agenda, but concurrently – and this is a shared perspective and one of the most significant conclusions of the BRICS efforts at this stage – leading up to the final phase of the Russian chairmanship, there is a collective desire to establish alternative payment mechanisms. <...> A parallel system is deemed necessary, given the dollar's increasing use as an aggressive tool in the global economy.
• Support was also given to sector-specific initiatives, including our proposal to begin preparations for establishing a BRICS grain exchange, as well as investment and geological platforms. This initiative primarily originated from the African countries within BRICS.
• Additionally, we proposed two projects – the formation of working groups on transport and nuclear medicine – which received backing both at the BRICS meeting itself and in the adopted Declaration.
🇺🇳 A more equitable representation of the Global South and East in global governance mechanisms implies reforming the UN and its Security Council.
• We have clearly reaffirmed our stance: we support only the increased representation of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The West is already disproportionately represented there. <...> Specifically, we support India, Brazil, and the collective initiative promoted by the African Union to reform the Security Council.
• Particular attention was paid to the crisis in the Middle East and the catastrophe facing the Palestinian people, which is now spilling over into neighbouring countries such as Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen. The Declaration contains a robust paragraph on the urgent need to halt this bloodshed.
• We have not shied away from discussing the Ukrainian crisis. Quite the opposite, during the preparations and throughout the summit, we engaged in proactive discussions, with Russian President Vladimir Putin addressing this issue. We reached a fundamentally important agreement on the wording in the Declaration <...> emphasising that the primary objective now is to seek solutions based on the principles of the UN Charter in their entirety and in interrelation.
❗️ The Nazi regime in Kiev flagrantly violates the key principles of the Charter, while the West praises it, claiming they are defending "European values." These issues must be brought to light.
#BRICS2024
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🎙 Excerpts from President of Russia Vladimir Putin's speech in the plenary session of the 21st annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club (November 7, 2024)
💬 Vladimir Putin: The moment of truth is fast approaching.
The former world arrangement is irreversibly passing away, actually it has already passed away, and a serious, irreconcilable struggle is unfolding for the development of a new world order. It is irreconcilable, above all, because this is not even a fight for power or geopolitical influence.
It is a clash of the very principles that will underlie the relations of countries and peoples at the next historical stage. Its outcome will determine whether we will be able, through joint efforts, to build a world that will allow all nations to develop and resolve emerging contradictions based on mutual respect for cultures and civilisations, without coercion and use of force. And finally, whether the human society will be able to retain its ethical humanistic principles, and whether an individual will be able to remain human.
At first glance, it might appear that there is no alternative. Yet, regrettably, there is. It is the dive of humanity into the depths of aggressive anarchy, internal and external splits, the erosion of traditional values, the emergence of new forms of tyranny, and the actual renunciation of the classical principles of democracy, along with fundamental rights and freedoms.
Increasingly often, democracy is being interpreted not as the rule of majority but of minority. Traditional democracy and the rule of the people are being set against an abstract notion of freedom, for the sake of which, as some argue, democratic procedures, elections, majority opinion, freedom of speech, and an unbiased media can be disregarded or sacrificed.
The peril lies in the imposition of totalitarian ideologies and making them the norm, as exemplified by the current state of Western liberalism. This modern Western liberalism, in my view, has degenerated into extreme intolerance and aggression towards any alternative or sovereign and independent thought. Today, it even seeks to justify neo-Nazism, terrorism, racism, and even the mass genocide of civilians.
Moreover, there are international conflicts and confrontations fraught with the danger of mutual destruction. Weapons that can cause this do exist and are being constantly improved, taking new forms as the technologies advance. The number of nations possessing such weapons is growing, and no one can guarantee that these weapons will not be used, especially if threats incrementally multiply and legal and moral norms are ultimately shattered.
❗️We have come close to the dangerous point.
The West’s calls to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, a nation with the largest arsenal of nuclear weapons, reveal the reckless adventurism of certain Western politicians.
Such blind faith in their own impunity and exceptionalism could lead to a global catastrophe.
Efforts to cling to their diminishing power through force result only in widespread instability and more tensions, leading to casualties and destruction. However, these efforts fail to achieve the desired outcome of maintaining absolute, unchallenged power.
For the march of history cannot be halted.
💬 Vladimir Putin: The moment of truth is fast approaching.
The former world arrangement is irreversibly passing away, actually it has already passed away, and a serious, irreconcilable struggle is unfolding for the development of a new world order. It is irreconcilable, above all, because this is not even a fight for power or geopolitical influence.
It is a clash of the very principles that will underlie the relations of countries and peoples at the next historical stage. Its outcome will determine whether we will be able, through joint efforts, to build a world that will allow all nations to develop and resolve emerging contradictions based on mutual respect for cultures and civilisations, without coercion and use of force. And finally, whether the human society will be able to retain its ethical humanistic principles, and whether an individual will be able to remain human.
At first glance, it might appear that there is no alternative. Yet, regrettably, there is. It is the dive of humanity into the depths of aggressive anarchy, internal and external splits, the erosion of traditional values, the emergence of new forms of tyranny, and the actual renunciation of the classical principles of democracy, along with fundamental rights and freedoms.
Increasingly often, democracy is being interpreted not as the rule of majority but of minority. Traditional democracy and the rule of the people are being set against an abstract notion of freedom, for the sake of which, as some argue, democratic procedures, elections, majority opinion, freedom of speech, and an unbiased media can be disregarded or sacrificed.
The peril lies in the imposition of totalitarian ideologies and making them the norm, as exemplified by the current state of Western liberalism. This modern Western liberalism, in my view, has degenerated into extreme intolerance and aggression towards any alternative or sovereign and independent thought. Today, it even seeks to justify neo-Nazism, terrorism, racism, and even the mass genocide of civilians.
Moreover, there are international conflicts and confrontations fraught with the danger of mutual destruction. Weapons that can cause this do exist and are being constantly improved, taking new forms as the technologies advance. The number of nations possessing such weapons is growing, and no one can guarantee that these weapons will not be used, especially if threats incrementally multiply and legal and moral norms are ultimately shattered.
❗️We have come close to the dangerous point.
The West’s calls to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, a nation with the largest arsenal of nuclear weapons, reveal the reckless adventurism of certain Western politicians.
Such blind faith in their own impunity and exceptionalism could lead to a global catastrophe.
Efforts to cling to their diminishing power through force result only in widespread instability and more tensions, leading to casualties and destruction. However, these efforts fail to achieve the desired outcome of maintaining absolute, unchallenged power.
For the march of history cannot be halted.
Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🎙 Excerpts from President of Russia Vladimir Putin's speech in the plenary session of the XXI annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club (November 7, 2024)
#MultipolarWorld
💬 In the emerging multipolar world, there should be no nations or peoples left as losers or feeling aggrieved and humiliated.
Only then can we secure truly sustainable conditions for universal, equitable, and secure development.
Understanding the general trajectory – from hegemony to a complex world of multilateral cooperation – allows us to attempt to sketch at least some of the pending contours.
👉 Firstly, openness to interaction stands as the paramount value cherished by the overwhelming majority of nations and peoples. The endeavour to construct artificial barriers is not only flawed because it impedes normal and advantageous to everyone economic progression, but also because it is particularly perilous amidst natural disasters and socio-political turmoil, which, unfortunately, are all too common in international affairs. <...>
👉 Secondly, we have consistently underscored the diversity of the world as a prerequisite for its sustainability.
The international community is a living entity, with its civilisational diversity making it unique and presenting an inherent value.
👉 Thirdly, we have said more than once that the new world can develop successfully only through the broadest inclusion. The experience of the last couple of decades has clearly demonstrated what usurpation leads to, when someone arrogates to themselves the right to speak and act on behalf of others.
Those countries that are commonly referred to as great powers have come to believe that they are ennoscriptd to dictate to others what their interests are – in fact, to define others’ national interests based on their own. Not only does this violate the principles of democracy and justice, but worst of all, it hinders an actual solution to the problems at hand.
👉 Fourtly, the key principle of security for all without exception is that the security of one nation cannot be ensured at the expense of others’ security. I am not saying anything new. It has been set out in OSCE documents. It only needs to be implemented.
The bloc policy and the legacy of the Cold War colonial era run contrary to the essence of the new international system, which is open and flexible. There is only one bloc in the world that is held together by the so-called obligations and strict ideological dogmas and cliches.
NATO, which continues expansion to Eastern Europe and is now trying to spread its approaches to other parts of the world, contrary to its own statutory documents, is a blatant anachronism.
<...>
The future Eurasian security system, now beginning to take shape across our vast continent, is founded on a spirit of respect and mutual consideration of interests. This approach is not only genuinely multilateral but also multifaceted.
👉 My fifth point is about justice for all. Inequality is the true scourge of the modern world. Countries face social tension and political instability within their borders due to inequality <...>
👉 My sixth point is that we keep emphasising that sovereign equality is an imperative for any lasting international framework. <...>
The most harmful and destructive attitude that we see in the modern world is supreme arrogance, which translates into a desire to condescendingly lecture others, endlessly and obsessively.
<...>
The modern world tolerates neither arrogance nor wanton disregard for others being different. To build normal relationships, above all, one needs to listen to the other party and try to understand their logic and cultural background, rather than expecting them to think and act the way you think they should based on your beliefs about them. Otherwise, communication turns into an exchange of clichés and flinging labels, and politics devolves into a conversation of the deaf.
Read in full
#MultipolarWorld
💬 In the emerging multipolar world, there should be no nations or peoples left as losers or feeling aggrieved and humiliated.
Only then can we secure truly sustainable conditions for universal, equitable, and secure development.
Understanding the general trajectory – from hegemony to a complex world of multilateral cooperation – allows us to attempt to sketch at least some of the pending contours.
👉 Firstly, openness to interaction stands as the paramount value cherished by the overwhelming majority of nations and peoples. The endeavour to construct artificial barriers is not only flawed because it impedes normal and advantageous to everyone economic progression, but also because it is particularly perilous amidst natural disasters and socio-political turmoil, which, unfortunately, are all too common in international affairs. <...>
👉 Secondly, we have consistently underscored the diversity of the world as a prerequisite for its sustainability.
The international community is a living entity, with its civilisational diversity making it unique and presenting an inherent value.
👉 Thirdly, we have said more than once that the new world can develop successfully only through the broadest inclusion. The experience of the last couple of decades has clearly demonstrated what usurpation leads to, when someone arrogates to themselves the right to speak and act on behalf of others.
Those countries that are commonly referred to as great powers have come to believe that they are ennoscriptd to dictate to others what their interests are – in fact, to define others’ national interests based on their own. Not only does this violate the principles of democracy and justice, but worst of all, it hinders an actual solution to the problems at hand.
👉 Fourtly, the key principle of security for all without exception is that the security of one nation cannot be ensured at the expense of others’ security. I am not saying anything new. It has been set out in OSCE documents. It only needs to be implemented.
The bloc policy and the legacy of the Cold War colonial era run contrary to the essence of the new international system, which is open and flexible. There is only one bloc in the world that is held together by the so-called obligations and strict ideological dogmas and cliches.
NATO, which continues expansion to Eastern Europe and is now trying to spread its approaches to other parts of the world, contrary to its own statutory documents, is a blatant anachronism.
<...>
The future Eurasian security system, now beginning to take shape across our vast continent, is founded on a spirit of respect and mutual consideration of interests. This approach is not only genuinely multilateral but also multifaceted.
👉 My fifth point is about justice for all. Inequality is the true scourge of the modern world. Countries face social tension and political instability within their borders due to inequality <...>
👉 My sixth point is that we keep emphasising that sovereign equality is an imperative for any lasting international framework. <...>
The most harmful and destructive attitude that we see in the modern world is supreme arrogance, which translates into a desire to condescendingly lecture others, endlessly and obsessively.
<...>
The modern world tolerates neither arrogance nor wanton disregard for others being different. To build normal relationships, above all, one needs to listen to the other party and try to understand their logic and cultural background, rather than expecting them to think and act the way you think they should based on your beliefs about them. Otherwise, communication turns into an exchange of clichés and flinging labels, and politics devolves into a conversation of the deaf.
Read in full
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Forwarded from Russian MFA 🇷🇺
🌍🤗 The First Ministerial Conference of the #RussiaAfrica Partnership Forum is in full swing!
Excitement fills the air as people from different countries and continents connect, share ideas, and create lasting friendships!
📸 © Roscongress
Excitement fills the air as people from different countries and continents connect, share ideas, and create lasting friendships!
📸 © Roscongress
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