Russian MFA 🇷🇺

Islamabad Seminar Explores Legacy of Soviet Diplomat Sarvar Azimov ✨️ On March 30, 2026, the Embassy of Russia in Pakistan, in cooperation with the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), organized a seminar dedicated to the role of Sarvar Azimov in advancing Soviet-Pakistani relations from 1974 to 1980. The event was attended by Ambassador Albert P. Khorev; Ambassadors of CIS Member States accredited in Islamabad; Chairman of the Council of the Association of Russian Diplomats, IgorKhalevinsky; Chairman of the Board of Governors of ISSI, Ambassador Khalid Mahmood; Ambassador for Russian Science and Education, Dr. Shahid Hasan; Chairman of the Association of Pakistani Graduates from Russia and the CIS, Dr. Ashraf Nizami; as well as representatives of Russian and Pakistani academic communities. ❗️The keynote speaker, Anvar S. Azimov - retired Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Senior Research Fellow at MGIMO University - shared insights into the legacy of his father, the prominent Soviet statesman, writer, and diplomat Sarvar Azimov. 💬 In his remarks, Ambassador Khorev highlighted Sarvar Azimov’s distinguished service record and his substantial contribution to strengthening bilateral cooperation, particularly in the energy and industrial sectors. These efforts laid a solid foundation for further development of Soviet-Pakistani relations. 🤝 In his address, Anvar Azimov underscored that Sarvar Azimov’s dedication to his country, combined with his respect for Pakistan, enabled him to build constructive relations with the Pakistani leadership, including Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and later President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. 🎓 The seminar generated strong interest among participants, who emphasized the importance of such events in preserving historical memory and promoting in-depth analysis of bilateral relations. #RussiaPakistan

🇷🇺🇪🇹On April 1, 2026, Mr. Nikolay Spassky, Deputy Director General of Russia’s Rosatom State Corporation, was received by H.E. Mr. Gedion Timotheos, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the FDRE. Mr. Nikolay Spassky briefed the Minister on the recent signing of the Strategic Roadmap for Nuclear Energy Development between Ethiopia and the Russian Federation. Mr. Sandokan Debebe, Commissioner of the Ethiopian Nuclear Energy Commission, also noted that discussions with the Russian delegation primarily focused on concrete ways to implement the agreement signed in September on the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Foreign Minister H.E. Mr. Gedion Timotheos underscored that the longstanding historical friendship between Russia and Ethiopia provides a solid foundation for working in partnership on long-term strategic projects. He appreciated the progress made following the nuclear cooperation agreement signed between the two countries last September. #RussiaEthiopia#NuclearCooperation

✍️ Full comment of Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov to RTVI on the prospects of Iran’s withdrawal from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) (Vienna, 31 March 2026) • Indeed, the idea of withdrawing from the NPT is gaining popularity in political, public and parliamentary circles in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The «credit» for this undoubtedly belongs to the United States and Israel. Through their large-scale and unprovoked aggression against Iran, these two countries have dealt a most serious blow to the nuclear non-proliferation regime. • Let me recall that the NPT is based on a balance of interests. The non-nuclear-weapon States parties to the Treaty undertook not to acquire nuclear weapons and, in return, were granted the inalienable right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The United States is seeking to deprive Iran of this right by military means, insisting on the complete dismantling of its nuclear programme. It is therefore hardly surprising that voices in favour of withdrawal from the Treaty are becoming increasingly louder in Iran. • If the United States and Israel do not want such a scenario to materialize, they should immediately cease military operations and finally engage in serious negotiations, recognizing Tehran’s legitimate right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy under IAEA safeguards. • As for Russia’s position, we stand for the fullest possible strengthening of the nuclear non-proliferation regime based on the NPT. We hope that the leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran will not take such an important decision under the influence of emotions. If necessary, we will strongly urge our Iranian partners to refrain from radical steps with regard to the NPT.

🎙 Russia's Ambassador to Thailand Evgeny Tomikhin's interview with Matichon (March 31, 2026) Key points: 🇷🇺🇹🇭#RussiaThailand relations have a long and unique history, established in 1897 during a very complex period of global politics. What makes our relationship particularly remarkable is that it was built on mutual respect and equality. That historic foundation continues to shape our dialogue today. • Russia intends to continue strengthening partnership with Thailand across political, economic, humanitarian and cultural dimensions. <...> Special importance is attached to the implementation of the large-scale cultural initiative “Russian Seasons” in Thailand, which presents Russian culture in its full diversity, including performing arts, music, cinema, exhibitions, and educational programmes, and contributes to strengthening people-to-people contacts and mutual understanding between our nations. • We highly value Thailand as one of the most popular destinations for Russian citizens. In 2025, nearly 1,9 million Russian tourists visited the Kingdom, and more than 1 million of them chose Phuket as their destination. • The root causes of the conflict in Ukraine must be addressed in order to resolve the situation. <...> We once again note the Europeans’ reluctance to promote peace in Ukraine. • The deliberate pumping of Western weapons into Ukraine, which is wittingly being used every day to shell and kill civilians in Russia, continues with multibillion-dollar tranches allocated for this purpose. The Europeans continue to escalate the situation, continue their provocative anti-Russian rhetoric. They operate with the myth of an “imminent Russian attack on NATO/EU”. Read in full

🗓On March 31, under Russia’s chairmanship, the CSTO Secretariat in Moscow hosted consultations on current issues of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation. The event brought together delegations of #CSTO member states, Acting Deputy Secretary General of the CSTO Sergey Ordabayev, and other representatives of the Organisation’s Secretariat. • The participants held a substantive exchange of views on the current state of affairs and prospects in the field of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation. • They underscored the importance of joint efforts aimed at preserving and strengthening the relevant international legal framework. • Further steps were discussed in specific areas of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation, with a view to contributing to international peace and security. • The participants reaffirmed the value of regular coordination on these issues in order to enhance cooperation within the Organisation.

🇷🇺🇱🇰Russian Embassy in Sri Lanka: On April 1, a Russian delegation headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko took part in a roundtable organised by the Pathfinder Foundation think tank. The participants discussed a broad range of international and regional issues, while also touching upon certain aspects of bilateral relations. 🎙Key takeaways from DFM Andrey Rudenko’s remarks: • Russia is promoting the Eurasian security initiative put forward by President Vladimir Putin. • Russia fully supports the need to reform the UN Security Council, but this must be done with caution. Today, the mechanisms for regulating international relations are being steadily eroded. • Iran is the victim of an unprovoked and illegitimate attack. Tehran is exercising its right to self-defence. • The temporary lifting of sanctions on Russian energy resources presents an opportunity for the Global South. At the same time, Russia is interested in long-term partnership rather than spot deals. Such an approach would help strengthen global energy security. • Russia is the only country that both possesses and applies unique peaceful nuclear technologies. One example is the floating nuclear power plant that supplies energy to Siberian regions of our country. #RussiaSriLanka

🔴#LIVE: Briefing by Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on topical foreign policy issues 🔴Russia’s MFA website

🇷🇺🇮🇷Russian Embassy in Iran: ⚡️ Embassy's statement on the strikes in the vicinity of an Orthodox church in Tehran After two missile strikes were carried out on the morning of April 1 in the immediate vicinity ofSt Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral in Tehran, the main church building and adjoining utility premises sustained damage, with windows and doors blown out. In addition, the Russian elderly care facility located on the adjacent grounds was severely damaged, including a partial roof collapse. Elderly people remain in residence there under care. Fortunately, there were no casualties or injuries. We note that St Nicholas Cathedral was struck during Great Lent and on the eve of Easter, one of the main religious holidays. Because of the military adventurism of the US and Israel, the Orthodox community in Iran has been deprived of the opportunity to attend church services. The damaged building was designed by our renowned compatriot, architect Nikolai Markov. It is included in Iran’s national cultural heritage register. ❗️We strongly condemn the ongoing US-Israeli aggression against Iran, which is affecting an ever-growing number of civilian infrastructure sites and religious and cultural heritage sites.

⚡Comment by the Permanent Mission of Russia to the EU regarding the statement by the foreign ministers of a number of EU Member States in Kiev, 31 March 2026 In connection with the statement by the foreign ministers of a number of EU Member States and Ukraine regarding the “events” in Bucha in 2022, which once again reproduces unfounded accusations against Russia, we would like to state the following. The Russian side has repeatedly drawn attention to the unsubstantiated and false nature of such EU allegations, calling on, among others, the UN Secretary-General to assist in obtaining a list of victims of this staged incident. The Russian representatives have made similar requests to the UN Human Rights Council and have repeatedly urged the journalistic community to conduct an impartial international investigation into these “events.” However, all in vain. ❗Whereas in 2022 the “events” in Bucha were used by the regime of Vladimir Zelensky, together with its sponsors from the EU, to derail the peace negotiations in Istanbul and to provide a political justification for the Western military aid to Kiev, they are now presented as an “argument” for launching pseudo-legal mechanisms to hold Russia “accountable” for the actions that our country did not commit. We consider this to be yet another manifestation of legal arbitrariness and hypocrisy of the European bureaucracy, which exploits this issue to advance its own geopolitical and ideological interests in the context of the Ukrainian crisis.

✉️On April 1,President of Russia Vladimir Putin extended greetings to Russia’s Jewish community on the occasion of Passover. ✍️ This holiday, deeply revered in Judaism, recalls the most important events in the ancient history of the Jewish people and their aspiration to freedom while symbolizing the triumph of love, goodness and justice. It is gratifying that Russia’s Jewish community leads a rich and vibrant life, devoting constant attention to preserving traditional spiritual and moral and family values, and to educating the younger generation. It also takes an active part in charitable and philanthropic initiatives and, together with representatives of other religions, carries out substantial and much-needed work aimed at implementing socially significant patriotic, educational and outreach projects and initiatives. And, of course, I would like to note that Russian Jews, guided by the rich historical and spiritual heritage of their forebears, offer a worthy example of fruitful interfaith and interethnic understanding and cooperation. I wish you health, peace and all the very best. VLADIMIR PUTIN

🇷🇺🇦🇪📞 On March 31, President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of the United Arab Emirates Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had a telephone conversation. The Presidents expressed profound concern over the ongoing deterioration of the military and political situation in the Middle East, the loss of civilian lives, and the destruction of energy, industrial, and other civilian infrastructure. They emphasised the importance of ceasing the hostilities as soon as possible and intensifying political and diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the conflict while respecting the legitimate interests of all states in the region, which Russia traditionally maintains friendly and mutually beneficial relations with. The Leaders acknowledged with satisfaction the high level of Russian-UAE cooperation and engagements, which are successfully developing in many domains. #RussiaUAE

🇷🇺🇨🇺Russian Embassy in Cuba: On March 31, Russian tanker Anatoly Kolodkin arrived at the Cuban port of Matanzas carrying a humanitarian cargo of 100,000 tonnes of oil. 💬Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov: “Under the harshest blockade, our Cuban friends are in need of oil products and crude oil. This is essential for keeping the country’s life-support systems running, for generating electricity, and for providing medical and other services to the population. Naturally, Russia considers it its duty to provide the necessary assistance to our Cuban friends. We are glad that this shipment of oil products has already arrived on the island”. 💬Russian Ambassador to Cuba Viktor Koronelli: “Confirming the repeated statements made in Moscow about Russia’s readiness to provide Cuba with comprehensive support, including material assistance, amid the unprecedented pressure and threats directed against Havana by the US, the Russian tanker Anatoly Kolodkin has arrived on the island with humanitarian aid, delivering 100,000 tonnes of oil to our friends”. 📸Sergey Brilyov #RussiaHelps