🎙 Address by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Aleksandr Pankin at G20 Development Working Group Ministerial Meeting during the main session (Skukuza, 25 July 2025)

💬 Distinguished Mme President, dear colleagues,

Having successfully worked on Ministerial Declaration, allow me to make some comments on certain trends related to development.

Amid the ongoing disruptions and rising tensions, we see a major move towards the formation of a multipolar world and the need to put an end to neo-colonial practices, establish a new economic order and bring about genuine multilateralism and democratisation in international relations.

The emergence of meaningful arrangements for cooperation in the regions of the Global South, such as the #BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Eurasian Economic Union, African Union, #ASEAN, League of Arab States, CELAC and others, gave rise to noticeable positive developments.

It has become apparent that the global economic balance of power is shifting, emerging economies from the Global South are becoming key drivers of growth, industrial development and innovation.

These developments are being hampered by purposefully created barriers, including unfair competition, suppression of national sovereignty and politically motivated sanctions, which are threatening the integrity of global economy and markets. Global institutions, business mechanisms, settlement and payment channels and reserve currencies under control of a few are actively used to this end. Developing countries face excessively inflated borrowing costs, while the official donor assistance promised earlier is being reduced.

This is amplifying the risks of instability in the world economic system – we are witnessing the erosion of energy and food security, extraterritorial interference in the economic policy of sovereign states, fuelling of conflicts and speeding up of the arms race.

We need meaningful actions to reverse dramatic situation, when the poorest countries with a population of 3.4 billion people are compelled to spend more on interest payments on debt than they invest in their own citizens, and a third of African countries are on the brink of default or have already defaulted.

The decade-old agreements to reform global financial institutions, primarily the IMF and World Bank, involving the dismantling of major shareholders’ blocking powers, are still being sabotaged.

❗️ This situation deprives the Global South of an equal say and authority when it comes to decision-making.

The inequalities in the international supply chains and markets are affecting many developing countries, especially in Africa, where commodity producers get only a fraction of proceeds from the sale of resources, whereas foreign and transnational companies are making immense profits. We have not seen tangible steps to remedy such dire situation yet.

We support the priorities set forth by South Africa, as well as by other BRICS presidencies in the G20. They give an opportunity to clearly understand where we stand, what the root causes of problems and pressing issues are.

We need plausible solutions to boost economic growth and equal access to opportunities, and most importantly, to prevent the situation in which some would be doomed to be lagging behind and marginalization.

We are willing to share with our partners best Russian practices in various spheres, from energy and agriculture to healthcare, as well as to launch needed projects in the field of economic cooperation, digitalisation and preservation of cultural diversity and identity. We will continue to build the #RussiaAfrica Partnership and advance integration based on the Greater Eurasian Partnership.

To address development challenges, we can put to use the achievements of last year’s BRICS Kazan Summit and this year’s Summit in Brazil in regard to the launch of settlement, exchange and reinsurance mechanisms as well as platform infrastructure for promoting growth and attracting investment.

🗓 Today, July 28, Russia celebrates the Baptism of Rus’ Day.

On this day in 988, Prince Vladimir and his retinue were baptised in the city of Korsun (Chersonesus), a major Byzantine stronghold in Crimea.

Although 988 is officially recognised as the year Christianity was adopted as the state religion of Ancient Rus’, it had begun to take root even earlier. Instances of turning to Christianity were recorded as early as the 860s, and in 957, Princess Olga, Prince Vladimir’s grandmother, was baptised in Constantinople.

💬 President of Russia, Vladimir Putin:

The Baptism of Rus’ gave its people true moral and spiritual guidance. <...> This greatest spiritual heritage is beyond the grasp of time. It is our sacred duty to preserve and strengthen it for future generations.

(from the President’s remarks at the celebration of the 1030th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus’, July 28, 2018)

☦️ The adoption of Christianity marked a turning point not only in the religious but also in the political life of Ancient Rus’. It helped establish closer ties with the Christian world.

💬 Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova:

After accepting Christianity and baptising his retinue, Prince Vladimir began the spiritual unification of all Slavic tribes, laying the foundation for a centralised Russian state.

(from the briefing by Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, July 24, 2025)

⛪️ In the XIX century, the St. Vladimir Cathedral, one of the architectural landmarks of Sevastopol, was built on the site of Prince Vladimir’s baptism.

#BaptismOfRus

⚡️ 29 июля в МИД России был вызван временный поверенный в делах Норвегии в России Р.А.Йохансен, которому была вручена нота протеста в связи с введёнными в июле норвежской стороной неправомерными ограничительными мерами в отношении рыболовных судов российских компаний «Норебо» и «Мурман Сифуд», осуществляющих промысел в исключительной экономической зоне Норвегии в соответствии с двусторонним межправительственным соглашением о взаимных отношениях в области рыболовства 1976 года.

Норвежской стороне было заявлено, что указанные недружественные меры являются грубым нарушением двусторонних договорённостей в сфере рыболовства, подрывающим многолетнюю эффективную систему управления и регулирования промыслом совместных запасов рыбы в Баренцевом и Норвежском морях.

Безответственные действия Осло не только чреваты обрушением всего комплекса двусторонних отношений в сфере рыболовства и негативными последствиями для их участников, но и ставят под угрозу дальнейшую рациональную эксплуатацию морских биологических ресурсов в Северной Атлантике.

В связи с этим акцентирована необходимость добросовестного выполнения Норвегией своих обязательств перед Российской Федерацией в рамках соглашения по рыболовству 1976 года и отказа от шагов, ограничивающих правомерную деятельность российских рыболовных судов в исключительной экономической зоне Норвегии.

☝️ В случае неготовности Осло вернуться к выполнению предписанных соглашением 1976 года условий российской стороной будут предприняты необходимые меры по защите интересов отечественного рыболовства.

🇷🇺🇳🇴 Melding til media on innkallingen av Norges chargé d'affaires til Russlands Utenriksministerium

⚡️29. juli ble Norges chargé d'affaires ad interim i Russland, R.A.Johansen, kalt inn til Russlands utenriksministerium og levert en protestnote i forbindelse med de urettmessige restriksjonene som den norske side innførte i juli i år overfor fiskefartøyene til de russiske selskapene «Norebo» og «Murmansk Seafood», som driver fiske i Norges eksklusive økonomiske sone i samsvar med den bilaterale avtalen om gjensidig fiskerisamarbeid fra 1976.

Den norske side ble informert om at de nevnte uvennlige tiltakene er et grovt brudd på bilaterale avtaler på fiskeriområdet, som undergraver det mangeårige effektive systemet for forvaltning og regulering av felles fiskebestander i Barentshavet og Norskehavet. Oslos uansvarlige handlinger kan ikke bare føre til sammenbrudd i hele det bilaterale fiskeriforholdet og få negative konsekvenser for dets deltakerne, men også true den videre rasjonelle utnyttelsen av marine biologiske ressurser i Nord-Atlanteren.

I denne forbindelse understrekes det at Norge må oppfylle sine forpliktelser overfor Den russiske føderasjon i henhold til fiskeriavtalen av 1976 og avstå fra tiltak som begrenser russiske fiskefartøyers lovlige virksomhet i Norges eksklusive økonomiske sone.

☝️Dersom Oslo ikke er villig til å gjenoppta oppfyllelsen av vilkårene i avtalen av 1976, vil den russiske side gjennomføre nødvendige tiltak for å beskytte interessene til det russiske fiskeriet.