Russian MFA 🇷🇺

🔴#LIVE: Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Egyptians Abroad Badr Abdelatty hold a joint news conference following talks in Moscow 🔴Russia's MFA Website

🎙Opening remarks by Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during his talks with SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev(April 3, 2026, Moscow) 💬Sergey Lavrov:In 2026,the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (#SCO) marks its 25th anniversary. It is important to organise the SCO’s work in a way that duly reflects this milestone. More importantly, however, we must implement the key agreements already approved by the Heads of State and ensure they are incorporated into the Organisation’s Charter and other documents. As always, we will reaffirm our support for the Secretariat’s efforts to implement the agreements reached by the Heads of State. *** You have raised an important point about the impact of the broader international situation on the SCO’s work. Indeed, it is not only individual states and regions that are being put to a serious test, but also international organisations as mechanisms for advancing collective foreign policy approaches. It seems to me that, amid this turbulent environment, the SCO is acquitting itself with dignity. We will do everything possible to ensure that attempts to weaken our Organisation and diminish its significance and role in Eurasian affairs do not succeed. ☝️We can see such attempts quite clearly. Extra-regional countries are becoming increasingly active in Central Asia and in other parts of our shared Eurasian continent. We also see signs of crisis within both the North Atlantic Alliance and the EU. Our Western colleagues seem to believe that, if they are in crisis, they should impose it on non-Western groupings as well, following the logic of: “If I can’t have it, no one will” – applied to multilateral diplomacy and the building of a new world order. I am confident that the SCO member states are a group of mature and responsible nations. We clearly see the great potential of the Organisation in addressing Eurasia’s challenges through positive action, dialogue, and constructive projects in the practical sphere, in logistics, in what we call the Greater Eurasian Partnership, and in strengthening the collective security of all countries in the region. The SCO holds a unique position, because security, trade, economic, social and transport projects all fall fully within the mandate of our Organisation. 🤝 We will be pleased to hear your specific assessments reflecting the Secretariat’s vision for the way forward. #RussiaSCO

🇷🇺🇱🇰On April 2, Colombo hosted 11th inter-MFA consultations between Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Andrey Rudenko and First Deputy Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka Aruni Ranaraja. The Sides discussed topical issues on the bilateral, regional and international agenda. They confirmed their mutual commitment to continuing political dialogue, expanding mutually beneficial Russia-Sri Lanka cooperation across various areas, and deepening coordination at international platforms. Andrey Rudenko was also received by Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath. Their conversation focused on current issues in Russia-Sri Lanka relations and the prospects for bilateral contacts at various levels. During a separate meeting with representatives of the expert community at the Pathfinder Foundation think tank, Andrey Rudenko also held a useful exchange of views on pressing international issues. #RussiaSriLanka

🔴#LIVE: Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Egyptians Abroad Badr Abdelatty commence talks in Moscow 🔴Russia's MFA Website

#AntiFake ❌It's regrettable that the authoritative Wellington-based newspaper "The Post" saw no shame in publishing a completely deceitful article groundlessly accusing Russia of "nuclear terrorism". The above publication is authored by Kate Turska who is notorious for its repeatedly debunked anti-Russia fakes (1, 2). Over and over again, no facts, no evidence – just unsubstantiated allegations. ✅Turning everything upside down is a favourite and quite primitive trick of the pro-Ukrainian disinformation and propaganda. In fact, it is the Kiev regime that regularly strikes Zaporozhskaya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). Starting from 2022, the plant, its infrastructure and the nearby city of Energodar, where the ZNPP employees and their families live, have been subjected to numerous Ukrainian drone raids, artillery attacks and acts of sabotage. Being adherent to its international legal obligations, Russia takes all necessary measures to protect ZNPP which has come under its jurisdiction in full accordance with the Russian legislation and international law (more details 👉“Operating ZNPP Amid Ukrainian Attacks and Provocations”). ☝️The Post's article mentions the repeated damage of external power lines as the factor of risk for ZNPP and calls the use of this risk "nuclear terrorism". That's right! Manipulation of the threat of potential incident at a nuclear facility, indeed, can be considered an act of nuclear terrorism. ❓But who has repeatedly damaged the external power lines of ZNPP? The Kiev regime used to claim that Russia shelled its own nuclear plant. Absurdity of these allegations does not withstand any scrutiny or common sense. 📑The attacks have been carried out by Ukrainian troops. For example, on 23 September 2025, as a result of a strike by the Ukrainian armed forces (AFU), a support pillar of the Dneprovskaya power transmission line – supplying external electricity to the ZNPP – was damaged. Although the plant’s reactors are currently in cold shutdown mode, external power is essential for its safe operation. Earlier that month, the AFU shelled the ZNPP's depots of fuel needed for the plant’s operation. The attack caused the fire that could potentially lead to disastrous consequences. ❗️Apparently, Ukrainian neo-Nazis do not restrain themselves from striking ZNPP. 🔹So who is to blame for nuclear terrorism? 🔹And why do New Zealand media cover up the Kiev regime's provocations?

🇷🇺🇮🇷📞On April 2, Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov and Foreign Minister of Iran Abbas Araghchi had a telephone conversation. The Ministers held a detailed discussion on developments surrounding the new conflict in the Middle East and on efforts by a number of states to de-escalate tensions. They also exchanged views on the ongoing discussions at the UN Security Council on ensuring the security of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and addressing other consequences of the unprovoked aggression by the US and Israel against Iran. #RussiaIran

🗞 Russia's Ambassador to Thailand Evgeny Tomikhin's article"Where are we in terms of SDGs?" published in Bangkok Post (April 3, 2026) 💬 As 2026 began, the United Nations Commission for Asia and the Pacific (#UNESCAP) headquarters reopened its doors for the annual Asia-Pacific Forum for Sustainable Development (APFSD). Mandated to review the regional progress towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Agenda-2030), the Forum — held in Bangkok on Feb 24-27 — gathered high-level delegations from more than 50 countries along with dozens of international organisations, academia and NGOs. The plenary debate was primarily meant to answer one pivotal question: Is sustainable development still in the limelight of the global agenda?And, if yes, why is the world lagging so far behind in its implementation? To answer these questions, one must scroll the calendar back to 2015, when the Agenda-2030 was adopted. Once there, picture the global economic and political environment that surrounded the intergovernmental negotiations, then compare it with the "new normal" of today, and see for yourself how enormously the world has changed in just a decade. Not even the most insightful sci-fi authors (not to mention diplomats, who negotiated the text of the Agenda-2030) could have predicted the metamorphosis that awaited the global economy in only few years after the adoption of the SDGs. ☝️ And these are stillevolving. Where do we stand now? Having only partially recovered from the planetary-scale pandemic that froze and reset the global economy, the world is now seeing a major shift in the system of multilateral relations — arguably the most dramatic in recent decades. Radicalism, conservatism, nationalism, protectionism, tariff wars and the polarisation of positions of global powers — these are no more than just a reaction of the "immune system" to the processes that would slowly but inevitably overtake the big "organism". <...> What is clear now, though, is that the UN is navigating through a 10-class storm with no visible silver line on the horizon (vice versa, the recent events have even further exacerbated the global environment, making it anything but conducive for the multilateral processes). The Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report that was recently published by UNESCAP only proves this point. The sad reality is that the progress in poverty reduction, health and well-being, secured in the previous years, is now being gradually overshadowed by environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, stagnation and growing vulnerability to natural disasters. According to the Report, 88% of the measurable SDG indicators (48% of all targets) are not likely to be met by the 2030 deadline. There is room for optimism, though. The report also shows that in spite of all the stress-tests and storms, the UN vessel stays afloat and heroically follows the course set forth by its member states. The external shocks did take their toll, but for the great majority of the SDGs — including those vital for Asia and the Pacific — the dynamic remains positive, which means that the UN system was resilient and adaptable enough to sustain even the enormous damage it has encountered in recent years. In this sense, the APFSD in Bangkok was a splendid opportunity for Member States to reiterate their commitment to the global development agenda. <...> ❗️The Russian Federation joins the voices of the Asia-Pacific region, expressing its strongest support to the world organisation, as well as to its principles and purposes. Outcomes of the 2026 UNESCAP SDG Progress Report may not be as satisfying as we could have expected, but bearing in mind the drastic shift the world has undergone in the last decade, we all as an international community should definitely cherish and appraise the results achieved by the UN system. To that end, the unanimous and strong commitment that the region has expressed to Agenda 2030 at the Forum is definitely a source of optimism and hope for a brighter future. Read in full

CIS Defence Ministers Council meets in Moscow The Council of Ministers of Defence of the member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States held a regular meeting chaired by Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov. 'I welcome you to the session of the CIS Defence Ministers Council held in the Russian Federation. Our work is taking place against the backdrop of a tense geopolitical situation and escalating interstate contradictions,' said Andrei Belousov. ▫️ The Russian Defence Minister stressed that, in the current situation, security can only be ensured by joint efforts and concerted actions of the defence departments of friendly countries. 'Today, we discussed in detail the military and political situation within the Commonwealth. We outlined practical steps to ensure regional and Eurasian security,' he said. ▫️ According to the Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, during the session decisions, aimed at developing military cooperation within the framework of the CIS and improving joint military systems, were taken. 'They concern the practical implementation of the Concept of Military Cooperation until 2030, the optimisation of interaction between the troops of the Combined Air Defence System and the development of the Combined NBC Protection System,' noted Andrei Belousov. ▫️In the course of the meeting, were approved military cooperation activities, approaches to organising military support, and financial documents for the activities of the combined air defence system until 2027. Earlier, heads of the CIS delegations laid flowers at the Victory Monument at the Poklonnaya Hill. The participants of the ceremony observed a minute of silence in memory of the soldiers who died during the Great Patriotic War. The ceremony ended with the marching of the honour guard company. 🔹Russian Defence Ministry

🇷🇺🇮🇳 On April 2, First Deputy Chairman of the Government of Russia, Co-Chairman of the Russia-India Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation Denis Manturov paid a working visit to New Delhi, during which he was received by India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Bilateral meetings were held with India's Minister of External Affairs, Co-Chair of the Russia-India Intergovernmental Commission Dr S.Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman. 🤝 Expanding mutually beneficial trade, investment, and industrial cooperation ties was one of the key topics on the agenda. Specific steps were discussed to create favorable conditions for increasing bilateral trade turnover in the present context. Denis Manturov noted that by the end of 2025, Russia had increased supplies of in-demand mineral fertilizers to India by 40% and is ready to continue meeting India's needs for this product. In addition, a joint project for carbamide production is under development. Particular attention was paid to cooperation in the oil and gas sector. Denis Manturov confirmed that Russian companies have the capacity to steadily increase supplies of oil and liquefied natural gas to the Indian market. Russia and India continue to strengthen their partnership in nuclear energy. In line with agreed schedules, the project to construct power units for the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant is being implemented. As emphasized by Denis Manturov, Russia sees significant prospects for deepening engagement with India in this sphere. The discussions also covered areas such as industrial cooperation, space, and education. #RussiaIndia #DruzhbaDosti

🗓 The 24th Meeting of the ASEAN-Russia Joint Cooperation Committee(#ARJCC) took place in Jakarta on 1 April 2026 and was co-chaired by H.E. Mr. Evgeny Zagaynov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to ASEAN 🇷🇺 and H.E. Ambassador Aung Myo Myint, the Permanent Representative of Myanmar to ASEAN 🇲🇲. 🔹️Permanent representatives of #ASEAN Member States to ASEAN, their respective delegations as well as representatives of Russian Foreign Ministry, Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Ministry of Finance, State Atomic Agency “Rosatom”, Russia-ASEAN Business Council, World Youth Festival Directorate, ROSCONGRESS Foundation and ASEAN Centre in MGIMO University thoroughly discussed ASEAN-Russia cooperation across all ASEAN pillars. 🔹️The meeting exchanged views on key developments in the ASEAN-Russia Strategic Partnership in light of the 35th anniversary of ASEAN-Russia relations. Participants discussed ways to further deepen multifaceted cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including energy security, biosafety and biosecurity, smart cities, the digital economy and AI, science, technology and innovation, education, tourism, people-to-people and youth exchanges, as well as business ties. The participants also addressed ways to further strengthen cooperation between ASEAN and the EAEU. 🔹️The Meeting appreciated activities of the ASEAN Center in MGIMO University. ASEAN also positively noted the MGIMO’s Master’s Programme for ASEAN students launched in 2023. @aseancentremgimo

🎉 On March 28, the Opening Ceremony of the Days of Russian Culture in Cambodia was held at the Chaktomuk Conference Hall. 🇷🇺🇰🇭 In his welcoming remarks, H.E. Mr Anatoly Borovik, Ambassador, noted the special significance of the event in the year marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Cambodia. “This is an important milestone, reflecting a long path of mutual respect and trust. We highly value the traditionally warm and constructive nature of the Russian-Cambodian dialogue, which is developing steadily in political, economic, educational and humanitarian spheres,” added the head of the diplomatic mission. H.E. Mrs. Phoeurng Sackona, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts of the Kingdom, emphasized the enduring friendship between Cambodia and Russia dating back to the Soviet era, as evidenced by holding the Days of Russian Culture. 🎶 The highlight of the event was a performance by the State Academic Omsk Russian Folk Choir, which presented their program ‘Heirs of Siberia’ to the audience. The Days of Russian Culture attracted prominent government officials of the Kingdom, representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Phnom Penh, alumni of Russian and Soviet universities, compatriots living in Cambodia, as well as Embassy staff and their families. #RussiaCambodia #DaysOfRussianCulture

🇷🇺🇸🇦📞On April 2, Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov and Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud had a telephone conversation. The Foreign Ministers expressed serious concern over the continued deterioration of the military-political situation in the Gulf region. They stressed the importance of bringing the armed confrontation to a swift halt, as it is causing civilian casualties and inflicting significant damage on civilian infrastructure, including in countries that are not direct parties to the conflict. They reaffirmed the need to intensify political and diplomatic efforts aimed at peacefully resolving the acute crisis in the Middle East on the basis of international law and with due regard for the legitimate interests of all states in the region. In this context, both Sides expressed a firm commitment to maintaining close foreign policy coordination between Moscow and Riyadh, primarily at the UN. The Ministers also discussed various bilateral agenda issues in the context of the centenary of Russia-Saudi Arabia diplomatic relations being marked this year. #RussiaSaudiArabia