YouSaid · the spoken record

Sergey Lavrov

lines on the record: 38
first: 2020-09-24
most recent: 2021-05-07
sittings or episodes: 4
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“The Organization must constantly adapt to ever-changing conditions, while continuing to fully respect the division of labour between the main Charter bodies and maintaining the support of all the Member States. At every stage of change, our actions must be measured by the improvements made to the real-world effectiveness of the United Nations. Russia stands ready to continue working constructively with all partners who share these approaches in order to bolster the authority and fully unlock the potential of the United Nations as the true centre of multilateralism.”
2021-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/456 (2021) · source
“I agree with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who stressed recently that no country can overcome such global threats to the lives of our citizens alone, not even the United States. The permanent members of the Security Council are called on to play a key role in fostering open and direct dialogue about the most pressing problems of our time. According to the Charter of the United Nations, they bear special responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed convening a summit with the leaders of the five permanent members. We hope to make this idea a reality once the epidemiological situation in the world stabilizes. In conclusion, I would like to emphasise that, as the main multilateral platform, the United Nations must keep pace with changes on the global stage.”
2021-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/456 (2021) · source
“I am convinced that the time has come to do away with medieval and colonial habits and to recognize the reality of today’s interconnected and interdependent world. Honest and mutually respectful cooperation based on equal partnership among all States, guided by pragmatism and devoid of any ideology or politicization, is what is needed now. It is the only way to improve the atmosphere in the world and ensure predictability in the advancement of the human race. That is especially true of such global challenges as the threat of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, climate change, new infectious diseases and protecting human rights, starting with the most important one — the right to life.”
2021-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/456 (2021) · source
“In other words, there has already been a substitution of concepts: the West is no longer concerned with the norms of international law and now requires everyone to follow its rules and observe its order. What is more, United States representatives freely admit that the United States and Great Britain have had the biggest hand in shaping these rules. I am not saying all of this to ratchet up the confrontational rhetoric or advance an accusatory agenda. I am simply stating facts. But if we all support multilateralism in word, let us honestly search for ways to ensure that there is fairness in deed, without attempts to prove one’s superiority or infringe upon another’s rights. I hope that this approach to maintaining multilateralism and the United Nations-centred system will guide the activities of the Secretary-General and his team.”
2021-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/456 (2021) · source
“We believe such efforts to impose totalitarianism in global affairs to be unacceptable. Yet we see it more and more from our Western colleagues, above all the United States, the European Union and other allies, who reject all principles of democracy and multilateralism on the global stage — as if to say, either it is our way or there will be repercussions. It is striking that, while openly undermining international law, Western leaders do not hesitate to argue that the main task of world politics should be to counter the attempts of Russia and China to “change the rules-based order.” Such statements were made the other day following the Group of Seven ministerial meeting in London.”
2021-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/456 (2021) · source
“This also reveals the West’s true attitude towards multilateralism and the United Nations, which they do not regard as a universal format for developing solutions acceptable to everyone, but in the context of their claims to superiority over everyone else, who must accept what is required of them. Another example of the dictatorial methods introduced by the West is the practice of imposing unilateral sanctions without any international legal grounds, with the sole purpose of punishing “undesirable regimes” or sidelining competitors. During the pandemic, such restrictions have limited the capacity of a whole range of developing countries to counter the spread of the infection. Despite the call by Secretary-General António Guterres to suspend such unilateral sanctions during the pandemic, we mostly see them becoming harsher.”
2021-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/456 (2021) · source
“The European Union does not think so, and it declares its own exceptionalism despite all its invocations of equality and brotherhood. By the way, as soon as we suggest discussing the current state of democracy not just within States but on the international stage with our Western colleagues, they lose interest in the conversation. New, ambitious initiatives to create narrow partnerships are emerging all the time within the alliance for multilateralism, on issues that are already being discussed at the United Nations or its specialized agencies — for example, on cyber security, with 65 member countries; respect for international humanitarian law, with 43 member countries; and on the Information and Democracy Partnership, with over 30 countries.”
2021-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/456 (2021) · source
“Of course, the list of democracies to be invited to the summit will be determined by the United States. Another initiative with the goal of global leadership that bypasses the United Nations is the French and German idea to create an alliance for multilateralism. What could be more natural than discussing at the United Nations the tasks of strengthening multilateralism? However, Berlin and Paris think differently and issue joint documents declaring that “the European Union is the cornerstone of the multilateral international system” and promote the conclusions of the Council of the European Union under the heading “The central role of the European Union and European institutions in promoting multilateralism.” Presumptuous, you might say.”
2021-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/456 (2021) · source
“It should be noted that international law is already a body of rules, but rules agreed on universal platforms and reflecting consensus or broad agreement. The West’s goal is to oppose the collective efforts of all members of the world community with other rules developed in closed, non-inclusive formats, and then imposed on everyone else. We see only harm in such actions that bypass the United Nations and seek to usurp the only decision-making process that can claim global relevance. The well-known idea to convene a Summit for Democracy proposed by the United States Administration is in the same vein. The establishment of a new club based on interests, with a clearly ideological nature, has the potential to further inflame international tensions and deepen dividing lines in a world that needs a unifying agenda more than ever.”
2021-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/456 (2021) · source
“At a time when new centres of economic growth and financial and political influence are gaining strength, it is necessary to preserve the internationally recognized legal basis for building a stable balance of interests that meets the new realities. Unfortunately, not all of our partners are driven by the imperative to work in good faith to promote comprehensive multilateral cooperation. Realizing that it is impossible to impose their unilateral or bloc priorities on other States within the framework of the United Nations, the leading Western countries have tried to reverse the process of forming a polycentric world and slow down the course of history. To that end, the concept of the rules-based order is advanced as a substitute for international law.”
2021-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/456 (2021) · source
“The United Nations must serve as the key platform for coordinating efforts, as it is the backbone of the modern global order, where all independent States are represented. Today its unique legitimacy and unique capabilities are especially needed. The core tenets of international law, enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, have withstood the test of time. Russia calls on all States to unconditionally follow the purposes and principles of the Charter as they chart their foreign policies, while respecting the sovereign equality of States, not interfering in their internal affairs, settling disputes by political and diplomatic means and renouncing the threat or use of force. This is especially important at the current stage in the difficult process of forming an multipolar international system.”
2021-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/456 (2021) · source
“In recent years, we have seen growing international tensions, as well as escalating regional conflicts and cross-border challenges and threats. The entire architecture of global governance created after the Second World War is being tested. It is clear that the prospects for the international community’s sustainable and predictable development are directly connected with our ability to find effective solutions to common problems and our readiness to exercise collective leadership in order for true multilateralism to prevail. Russia, like the majority of countries, is convinced that such work must be carried out solely on the basis of universally recognized norms of international law.”
2021-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/456 (2021) · source
“First of all, let me thank Mr. Wang Yi, State Councillor and Minister for Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, for organizing today’s debate. Maintaining multilateralism and the United Nations-centred international system is as topical as ever and demands the Security Council’s constant attention. Today the world finds itself in a critical stage of development. The coronavirus disease pandemic has posed a grave challenge to everyone, without exception. Normal life has been completely upended. It is difficult to predict the long-term or deferred consequences of the crisis, although we can see some positive trends thanks to the massive deployment of vaccines. The pandemic broke out in a world that was already far from perfect.”
2021-05-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/456 (2021) · source
“We encourage our regional and international partners to accept our invitation to start a dialogue in order to find ways of undertaking collective action in the name of establishing peace and stability in the Middle East.”
2021-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/91 (2021) · source
“To support this initiative, we propose holding a ministerial meeting in the spring or summer of 2021 with Russia, the United States, the United Nations and the European Union — as members of the Quartet — and four Arab countries, namely, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, and of course, Israel and Palestine. It is also important to invite Saudi Arabia, as it was the drafter of the Arab Peace Initiative. Such a meeting could become a working platform for a comprehensive analysis of the situation and help the parties start a dialogue. Taking advantage of the opportunity afforded by today’s meeting, I would like to again note Russia’s willingness to host a Palestinian-Israeli summit in Moscow, as the sides requested earlier. We are open to discussing these and other proposals. We will appreciate any comments.”
2021-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/91 (2021) · source
“We are convinced that, to ensure progress on this path, we need to use the mediating functions of the Quartet of international mediators, which is the only legitimate mechanism approved under Security Council resolutions. We are confident that, in close cooperation with the parties to the conflict and key Arab countries, the Quartet can play an effective part in the settlement. Russia was receptive to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ initiative to convene an international conference on a Middle East settlement. Our country has advocated holding such a forum from the beginning, a fact enshrined in resolution 1850 (2008).”
2021-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/91 (2021) · source
“In conjunction with our Egyptian and other partners, we will continue to help the Palestinian political movements restore unity among their ranks based on the platform of the Palestine Liberation Organization. Overcoming the inter-Palestinian split will create conditions for a serious dialogue with Israel, stabilize the situation in general and improve the humanitarian situation in and around the Gaza Strip. We consider it important to step up as soon as possible the international efforts supporting the restart of direct Palestinian-Israeli talks in order to resolve a number of fundamental issues concerning a final status.”
2021-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/91 (2021) · source
“This approach would focus on Israel’s illegal settlement activities, plans to annex occupied Palestinian territories, the status of Jerusalem, the refugee problem and the borders. All of those issues should be determined through direct political dialogue between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Israel’s legitimate security concerns must be addressed. The two-State solution remains the basis for a sustainable settlement benefiting both sides. We are convinced that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is the only organization that provides effective assistance to millions of Palestinian refugees in the West Bank and Gaza, as well as in neighbouring Arab countries. International financial support for UNRWA activities must continue.”
2021-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/91 (2021) · source
“Clearly, the steps to dismantle the international legal framework for a Middle East settlement approved by the Security Council and replacing collective diplomatic efforts with “art of the deal” diplomacy cannot produce the desired outcome. On the contrary, such unilateral actions delay the prospects for a just settlement of existing problems. Importantly, the process of normalizing Israel’s relations with the Arab States, which was launched in 2020 and which we welcome, should be aimed at stabilizing the Middle East region rather than at being used to put the Palestinian issue aside until, as they say, better times. The first step towards resuming the peace process should include reaffirming Security Council resolutions and other fundamental documents, including the Madrid principles.”
2021-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/91 (2021) · source
“First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to our Tunisian friends for convening today’s meeting in a timely fashion. Clearly, a candid exchange of views in the Security Council on the Middle East settlement is long overdue. It is necessary to review the previous stage, identify the reasons for the continuing deadlock and outline the key areas of joint work for the future. The goal of achieving a sustainable and comprehensive Middle East settlement should remain a focus for the international community. The Palestinian issue continues to have a major influence on the overall situation in the Middle East and North Africa. This region is experiencing the disastrous aftermath of the geopolitical experiments in the wake of the “rules-based order” concept promoted by our Western colleagues.”
2021-01-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2021/91 (2021) · source
“I am confident that by acting together, openly and impartially, pooling our political will and creative potential, we can help the Gulf States overcome this difficult historical period and create an effective regional security system, or, as a first step, to at least agree upon the basic principles.”
2020-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1037 (2020) · source
“It is important to take stock of what has been done and what remains to be done to fulfil that direct instruction. Our concept is not the ultimate truth but represents food for thought that we hope will be useful. A fundamental prerequisite for moving in the direction in which we all need to go is strict adherence to the principle of the indivisibility of security. That implies that the security problems of one country cannot be solved at the expense of or to the detriment of any other State. I propose that we consider today’s meeting as an invitation to overcome the differences that have built up by opening a respectful dialogue based on taking into account the concerns of all parties without exception and based on international law.”
2020-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1037 (2020) · source
“Non-regional players must help them to enable them to start moving towards one another, gradually and patiently eliminating the historical layers of mutual grievances and contradictions. That requires ongoing, engaged discussions and delicate approaches. We are ready to provide all possible assistance and talk with all our partners. There is no doubt that the considerable mediation potential of the United Nations, including within the framework of the good-offices missions of the Secretary-General, could also be useful here. We would recall once again that in its resolution 598 (1987), the Security Council instructed the Secretary-General to work together with parties from the region on measures to strengthen security and stability there.”
2020-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1037 (2020) · source
“The Russian concept of collective security in the Persian Gulf area, which we put forward in the 1990s and updated in 2019, is aimed at creating a reliable structure for regional security. We advocate the implementation of a constructive, unifying agenda and the creation of mechanisms for a collective response to the numerous challenges and threats, with the participation of the coastal countries of the Persian Gulf and including Iran and its Arab neighbours. We also propose involving the five permanent members of the Security Council, the League of Arab States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation as well as other influential and interested parties in practical steps to implement those ideas. The path to the final goal will definitely be long and will not be easy, and the countries of the region must travel it themselves.”
2020-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1037 (2020) · source
“Like all responsible parties to the agreement, Russia remains fully committed to this agreement and is convinced that the positive results of the difficult but rewarding collegial efforts made must be preserved and defended. In that regard, the President of the Russian Federation, V.V. Putin, proposed an initiative to hold an online meeting of Heads of State, with the participation of the permanent members of the Security Council, as well as Germany and Iran. The goal is to outline steps aimed at averting any further escalation and establishing a reliable collective security system in the Persian Gulf. We thank those who have expressed support for that initiative.”
2020-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1037 (2020) · source
“Collective confidence-building efforts based on respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of States, in strict accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations, must be the key to improving the situation in the Gulf region. The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), aimed at resolving the issue of the Iranian nuclear programme, to which the Russian Federation remains fully committed, remains an important element in preventing the escalation of the situation in the Gulf region, as mentioned by the speaker before me. The JCPOA was a major political and diplomatic milestone that made it possible to avert the threat of an armed conflict and strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime.”
2020-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1037 (2020) · source
“We managed to avoid a worst- case scenario, but we see no grounds for complacency. The situation remains unstable. Dangerous and unpredictable scenarios can unfold at any time, especially considering the existence of differences and conflicts of a religious nature. We have no doubt that everyone wants the Gulf region to be peaceful and predictable. We continue to see that attempts at unilateral actions can lead only to an impasse. Blackmail and dictatorship, and the demonization of and accusations against only one party are wrong and dangerous. We must stop recriminations and suspicions and say no to sanctions, pressure, ultimatums and provocative actions, no matter which side they come from. We firmly believe that this can be done even amid today’s continuing tensions. We need a creative philosophy.”
2020-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1037 (2020) · source
“In organizing today’s meeting, we proceeded from the assumption that ensuring stability, security and peace in the Persian Gulf region was an important and urgent task for the international community as a whole. The difficult situation in that area is having a destabilizing effect on international relations. We therefore believe that the Security Council, which is responsible for maintaining the international peace and security, should maintain its focus on this issue. Today we propose the possibility of trying together, without trying to settle accounts or resorting to accusations or pathetic rhetoric, to think “from scratch” to avoid fresh shocks in order to move the situation back from the brink. Everyone remembers the atmosphere earlier this year when many feared the potential outbreak of a large-scale war in the Gulf.”
2020-10-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/1037 (2020) · source
“We will make every effort to ensure that the work of this principal organ of the United Nations is coordinated and effective, involving constructive interaction among all its members, and based on international law and, above all, the purpose and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. Once again, I thank the Nigerien presidency for this very useful initiative.”
2020-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/953 (2020) · source
“We strongly believe that such a meeting should be held as soon as possible, the international epidemiological situation permitting. It is important to reinforce existing formats for communication on the basis of equality, cooperation and consensus, including cooperation within the Group of 20; the BRICS group, that is, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa; and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. We are convinced that the future of global governance lies with those organizations that can provide flexible responses to emerging challenges without prejudice to the United Nations-centred character of the international architecture. In October, the work of the Security Council will be presided over by Russia.”
2020-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/953 (2020) · source
“We believe that it is worth starting with an honest and open dialogue, primarily among the permanent members of the Security Council, which, under the Charter of the United Nations, bear special responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. In that vein, Russian launched an initiative to convene a summit with the participation of those five countries, as President Vladimir Putin noted in his statement before the General Assembly. An in-person discussion among leaders about the principles underlying interaction among States as well as ways to resolve the most pressing problems facing humankind would be an important step towards strengthening collective principles in international affairs and restoring global strategic stability during the post-pandemic period.”
2020-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/953 (2020) · source
“Russia, as President Putin stressed, could not remain indifferent to those appeals. He also suggested convening a video- teleconference with all countries that are developing and producing a coronavirus vaccine. That proposal remains on the table. The current pandemic has turned out to be a global shift, a kind of black swan, that has presented us with a choice: to close down and blame others for our troubles or to emerge from the crisis together and deploy common efforts to ensure a prosperous future of all countries and peoples. And although the choice is obvious, the second path requires maximum political will and strategic thinking.”
2020-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/953 (2020) · source
“The overwhelming majority of countries believe that WHO acted professionally at all stages of the crisis, taking timely and effective proactive steps in close coordination with all Member States. Of course, the capacity of the international health-care system must be strengthened and taken to a new level. Russia has made a significant contribution to those efforts, as it was the first to develop and register the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine. We reiterate our willingness to cooperate in the epidemiological field with all interested States and international organizations. The day before yesterday, President Putin, in his address to the General Assembly (A/75/PV.4, annex VIII), offered free vaccinations to United Nations personnel. That is our response to the appeals of our United Nations colleagues.”
2020-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/953 (2020) · source
“It is regrettable that those States that apply policies of illegal sanctions continue to turn a deaf ear to our arguments, and even more regrettable that they ignore the basic needs of ordinary people throughout the world. I am firmly convinced that international efforts to overcome the crisis must be coordinated and carried out with the United Nations playing a central coordinating role. The world Organization remains a universal and single platform for dialogue, and its importance in the global architecture amid the pandemic has only increased.In that regard, we consider the increased attacks on the United Nations system as a whole and its specialized agencies to be absolutely unjustified. This applies primarily to the World Health Organization (WHO).”
2020-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/953 (2020) · source
“Despite all this, the practice of imposing unilateral, illegitimate sanctions persists, which undermines the authority and prerogatives of the United Nations. We have repeatedly drawn attention to the need to lift restrictions that in the context of the pandemic hit vulnerable groups especially hard and limit their access to food and health care. Secretary-General Guterres also called for the suspension of such measures given current conditions. We strongly support his initiative. The proposal by the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, on the introduction of so-called green corridors free of sanctions and trade wars, which he advanced at the Group of 20 Summit in April, remains on the table.”
2020-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/953 (2020) · source
“The coronavirus disease has affected everyone, which means that it is also necessary to jointly overcome its consequences, setting aside our fleeting differences. Unfortunately, our common misfortune has not smoothed out the differences between States, but on the contrary has exacerbated many of them. The moments of crisis that we had observed in international relations have resurfaced. A number of countries are increasingly tempted to look abroad to assign responsibility for their internal problems. Obvious attempts are being made by individual States to use the current situation to promote self-serving, fleeting interests and to settle scores with unwanted Governments or geopolitical rivals.”
2020-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/953 (2020) · source
“The most important issue that the current crisis has highlighted is the interdependence and interconnectedness of all States without exception in all spheres of public life. Russia has long drawn attention to the transboundary nature of modern threats, including international terrorism, the threat of the uncontrolled proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, cybercrime, drug trafficking and many more. Now that those threats include pandemics such as the one we are experiencing today, our calls for the development of joint responses to global challenges are becoming ever more relevant. This year’s events have shown that no one can simply fence themselves off from such threats.”
2020-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/953 (2020) · source
“I should like at the outset to express my gratitude to the President of the Republic of the Niger, Mr. Issoufou, for having organized today’s Security Council debate on the very topical topic of global governance after the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The novel coronavirus pandemic has acted as a catalyst for the transformation of international relations. It is not only States and integration associations that are being tested for strength but also global governance mechanisms, primarily the United Nations. It is important to learn from current developments in a timely manner and to draw the right conclusions in order to ensure a peaceful, secure and stable future for all humankind.”
2020-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/2020/953 (2020) · source