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Press Briefing by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the State House

Editor’s note: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov gave a short press briefing to local and international media on 27 January 2023 after his meeting with President Isaias Afwerki. Brief excerpts of his comments follow.

On bilateral ties and cooperation

With President Isaias Afwerki, we analyzed the state of bilateral relations, they are developing very intensely on a mutually beneficial basis. Its economy, of course, mining, information communication technologies, agriculture, infrastructure, the possibilities of important airport of Massawa, the availability of the Russian proposals to develop industries in Eritrea. All this is going to be the subject for regular consultations between the ministries of economy which we agreed to launch very soon and to make this consultations regular feature of our relations. We are ready to increase the number of scholarships which Eritreans receive every year from the Russian government.

On regional issues

We discussed African issues, especially from the point of view of resolving several conflicts in the Horn of Africa.

On the international system

Our main discussion was devoted to the radical changes in the international situation. We have consolidated our position in the United Nations on all the issues related to the key problems of the world, especially to the problems created by the collective west as it were against the Russian Federation and against any country which does not accept the claim of the US and its satellites to have hegemony on international economy, on international politics and to dictate its will to everybody in line with the famous concept of the “end of history” whereby liberal democracy is imposed on everybody like the final truth.

Our common position is promoted in the United Nations within the Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter, with both Eritrea and Russia, together with 20 other countries participants of the group of which the membership is growing. We will insist on everybody to respect the key principle of the UN which is “sovereign equality of states”. This principle is being grossly violated and disregarded by the US, NATO and the EU and this principle must be respected by them and we will insist on this.

On the global shift to multipolarity

The multipolar world is a reality, new centers of economic development, new centers of financial might and political influences are growing objectively. This is an objective process and terms which are being undertaken to stop this objective cause of history are doomed to failing and, of course, we would like to launch a dialogue on the issues which will help unite countries which are law abiding, which respect the UN Charter, and should be mobilized to defend international law, to defend the value of the UN – not somebody’s invented values which the West tries to impose on everybody else.

One of the important steps in this direction will be the second summit between Russia and Africa which is scheduled to take place in St. Petersburg, at the end of July this year. We hope that President Isaias Afwerki will be personally present at this important event.

Later Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his delegation visit Pushkin monument in Asmara and laid wreath of flowers in honor of him.

Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea