Russian Embassy in Asmara

🇷🇺🇪🇬 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statement and answers to media questions at a joint news conference following talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates Badr Abdelatty (Moscow, September 16, 2024) Read in full 💬Sergey Lavrov: We expressed satisfaction with the level of traditionally friendly Russian-Egyptian relations which are advancing in accordance with the Treaty on Comprehensive Partnership and Strategic Cooperation. <...> The positive dynamics of trade and economic cooperation is encouraging. In 2023, bilateral trade exceeded the $7 billion mark, which is significantly more than the year before. We are committed to doing everything possible to maintain and reinforce this uptrend. <...> We reviewed the progress of implementation of major joint investment projects, primarily the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant and a Russian industrial zone near the Suez Canal. We had an extensive discussion about Russia’s grain supplies to the Egyptian market, and noted their stability. We both agreed that Egypt’s accession to BRICS in January had given a strong boost to our partnership. <...> We had an in-depth discussion of current international and regional issues. We share common commitment to continuing close coordination at the UN and other multilateral platforms. We focused on the crisis situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone in light of the unprecedented escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip. We stand united with our Egyptian friends in calling for immediate ceasefire and providing urgent humanitarian assistance to the people of the enclave. <...> We discussed in detail the situation in and around Libya. Like our Egyptian friends, we are committed to the concept of a comprehensive crisis settlement based on the principles of Libya’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity. <...> We welcomed our Egyptian partners’ commitment to expanding political dialogue with Syria. Cairo’s constructive position was instrumental in deciding to restore Damascus’ full membership in the League of Arab States. <...> There are many other issues which directly affect Egypt’s interests in the regions that lie next to the Arab Republic of Egypt, such as Sudan, Somalia, and the Red Sea. We believe all these issues should be addressed through direct dialogue between the parties involved with the support of neighbouring countries. <...> 🤝 I expressed my gratitude to our Egyptian friends for their balanced and constructive stance on the situation in and around Ukraine. We exchanged views on how this issue is being discussed at various venues. I outlined our perspective on the emerging issues, including within the international community, and our vision of ways to overcome them based on the legitimate interests of the Russian Federation. #RussiaEgypt

Cooperation within BRICS allows finding solutions to some of the biggest challenges in world politics and can serve as a model for equitable communication between nations, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said at the opening of a BRICS Media Summit. “The BRICS culture invariably makes it possible to find solutions, sometimes even to the most difficult issues,” he said. “This form of cooperation should become a model of equitable interstate communication. Otherwise, it will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to find answers to the challenges facing the world.”

🎙President of Russia Vladimir Putin's answer to a media question ❓Question: Over the past few days, we have been hearing statements at a very high level in the UK and the United States that the Kiev regime will be allowed to strike targets deep inside Russia using Western long-range weapons. Apparently, this decision is either about to be made, or has already been made, as far as we can see. This is actually quite extraordinary. Could you comment on what is going on? 💬President Putin: What we are seeing is an attempt to substitute notions. Because this is not a question of whether the Kiev regime is allowed or not allowed to strike targets on Russian territory. It is already carrying out strikes using unmanned aerial vehicles and other means. But using Western-made long-range precision weapons is a completely different story. The fact is that – I have mentioned this, and any expert, both in our country and in the West, will confirm this – the Ukrainian army is not capable of using cutting-edge high-precision long-range systems supplied by the West. They cannot do that. These weapons are impossible to employ without intelligence data from satellites which Ukraine does not have. This can only be done using the European Union’s satellites, or US satellites – in general, NATO satellites. This is the first point. The second point – perhaps the most important, the key point even – is that only NATO military personnel can assign flight missions to these missile systems. Ukrainian servicemen cannot do this. ❗️Therefore, it is not a question of allowing the Ukrainian regime to strike Russia with these weapons or not. It is about deciding whether NATO countries become directly involved in the military conflict or not. If this decision is made, it will mean nothing short of direct involvement – it will mean that NATO countries, the United States, and European countries are parties to the war in Ukraine. This will mean their direct involvement in the conflict, and it will clearly change the very essence, the very nature of the conflict dramatically. ⚠️This will mean that NATO countries – the United States and European countries – are at war with Russia. And if this is the case, then, bearing in mind the change in the essence of the conflict, we will make appropriate decisions in response to the threats that will be posed to us.

📄 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation prepared the Report on terrorist crimes committed by the Kiev regime in the period from 2022 throughout the first half of 2024. The document, which summarizes materials made public by the Russian competent authorities, public organizations, journalists and independent experts, seeks to systemize facts on terrorist manifestations on the part of the Kiev regime, which makes no secret that it has made it a daily routine to carry out illegal attacks on Russian civilian facilities and civilians. The report is a logical follow-up to many years of efforts of the Russian MFA to make the broader international community aware of the atrocities committed by the Ukrainian armed formations, special services, nationalist structures and terrorist organizations participating in the conflict on the side of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This document contains data on the Kiev regime's involvement in organizing hundreds of attacks committed with a view to provoking maximal public outcry and split our country, discredit the authorities, instill an atmosphere of mass fear and panic, incite ethnic discord, xenophobia and nationalism in the Russian society. The report focuses on and gives a detailed rundown of the following problems: • the most high-profile terrorist acts against Russian political and public figures and media staff organized and carried out by the Kiev regime in the reported period, • certain aspects of the financing of these activities, • the use of terrorist and other prohibited means and methods of warfare by Ukraine, • the link between Ukraine's military and political leadership and international terrorist organizations. 👉Read in full

🏰 On September 11, 1812, a Russian community was founded 80 kilometres to the north of San Fransisco. The Americans called this community Fort Ross, which became the farthest settlement of Russian colonists and the southern vanguard of the Russian Empire in North America. The beginning of the so-called Russian America on the northwestern coast of the American continent was marked by the discoveries made by the 2nd Kamchatka Expedition of Vitus Bering and Alexey Chirikov. They were followed by entrepreneurs who traveled there in search of furs. Thus, at the beginning of the 19th century, merchant and Chief Manager of Russian America Alexander Baranov decided to build a fortress, where he founded a Russian community in California. During one of the expeditions to search for suitable land led by Ivan Kuskov, a plateau was discovered 30 kilometres north of Rumyantsev Bay, now known as Bodega Bay. Ivan Kuskov bought it from the Indians, paying three blankets, three pairs of trousers, two axes, three hoes and a few strings of beads. The nearby flowing river was named by him Slavyanka (Russian River). 🇷🇺 From May to September 1812, construction continued on the purchased land; a fortress and a village were built. On August 30 (September 11 OS) the Russian-American Company flag was hoisted over the fortress, a Russian tricolor with the imperial double-headed eagle. Fort Ross is located on the coast in Northern California a 2.5-hour drive to the north of San Francisco. Most of the fort’s area has been restored with the initial layout preserved. ☝️ The population of the fortress was mixed and comprised Russians, Native Americans and Aleuts. Interestingly, the settlers lived peacefully side by side with the local people, and additionally gave them primary education and professional skills, with many Native Americans becoming carpenters, blacksmiths and shipbuilders at Fort Ross. ⛪️ Life at the fort was built mostly around a Russian Orthodox Church, a shipyard and fruit orchards. Our ancestors hunted the sea otters and sea lions that inhabited the coastline. Their fur was exported to Russia, among other countries. Today, Fort Ross, located on the picturesque coastline and at the expanse of the Pacific Ocean, attracts visitors from all over the world so they can see the Russian fortress that was restored to its original look. #RussianHistory

☀️ Moscow breaks the 75-year temperature record for September 10, hitting 26.3 degrees Celsius (78.8 Fahrenheit), leading specialist of the Phobos weather center Mikhail Leus reported.

🏅 On September 10, 1943, the Novorossiysk Landing Operation, one of the largest and most successful Soviet operations of the Great Patriotic War, commenced. The Nazi invaders had a firm grip on Novorossiysk, leading to the Soviet command making a decision to storm the city simultaneously from land and sea. After a massive artillery and mortar shelling of enemy positions, the marines broke into the Novorossiysk port. Heavy fighting continued in the city streets, often escalating into hand-to-hand combat. Ultimately, the Soviet soldiers broke the German defence, and on September 16, the enemy was finally driven out of Novorossiysk. The Soviet forces crushed the 73rd German infantry division, the 4th and 101st German mountain rifle divisions, the 4th Romanian mountain rifle division, and the German marine port teams. The liberation of Novorossiysk by the Red Army left the Nazis without the largest Black Sea base and sealed the fate of the German group of troops on the Taman Peninsula: the threat of the Germans using this bridgehead as a base for active military operations in the south was effectively eliminated. 🎖 Following the Novorossiysk Landing Operation, eight army and navy soldiers and officers who distinguished themselves most during the liberation of the city were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. #Victory79

🇷🇺🇺🇳Russia's Position at the Seventy-Ninth Session of the UN General Assembly Read in full ☝️ Russia will continue the special military operation carried out in line with Article 51 of the UN Charter until all its objectives are achieved. ⚠️ Financial, technical and military assistance provided to Kiev by Western countries, including expanded arms supplies, is only protracting the Ukraine crisis and leading to its escalation. This policy makes the 'collective West' an accomplice to the crimes of the neo‑Nazi regime. The Armed Forces of Ukraine, failing to reverse the dire situation on the battlefield, are retaliating by hitting civilians and civilian infrastructure in Russian border areas. All war crimes as well as terrorist attacks committed by the Kiev regime are carefully registered, and the perpetrators will be brought to judgement. ❗️Moscow is open to dialogue on the political and diplomatic settlement of the crisis. On 14 June 2024, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin outlined the conditions for the start the negotiations process: • withdrawal of Ukrainian armed formations from the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, Zaporozhye Region and Kherson Region; • neutral nuclear-free status for Ukraine, its demilitarization and denazification; • ensuring the rights, freedoms and interests of the Russian-speaking population; • legal recognition of new territorial realities (status of Crimea, Sevastopol, DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions as entities of the Russian Federation); • Kiev's renunciation of its claims to NATO membership and the removal of all sanctions against Russia. However, at present, the Ukrainian authorities and their Western mentors seem unwilling to negotiate. Instead, they are trying to enforce Zelensky's "peace formula," which makes a comprehensive, sustainable and just settlement even more difficult to achieve. The Westerners are trying to lure the countries of the world majority into supporting this initiative, inviting them to participate in all sorts of so‑called peace conventions. ❗️ We urge all sensible members of the international community not to fall for these provocations. We take note of the engagement of the UN Secretariat's leadership in these counterproductive endeavours in violation of Article 100 of the UN Charter, which requires UN officials to maintain an equidistant position. By doing so, the Secretariat denies itself the opportunity to act as an honest mediator.

🎙 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with RBC media holding on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (September 6, 2024) Read in full ❓ My first question has to do with the forum’s main theme, Combining Strengths to Create New Potential. What new global potential is referred to here? Which countries is Russia ready to join forces with to create it? 💬Sergey Lavrov: The idea is to create potential that will help countries become independent of the unipolar world, which Washington and the allies it has subjected to its will are trying to impose on the world to preserve their hegemony. The West, which has been living at the expense of former colonies for centuries, is trying to sponge off others now in a seemingly more acceptable manner. We have the potential to overcome the obstacles created by the West with the use of the globalisation instruments it has created and is imposing on others. More and more countries, almost all normal and independent states, are coming to see that nobody can be safe from the actions the West is taking to preserve its domination over Russia (it is the most striking example) and such countries as Iran, Venezuela, the DPRK and increasingly China. [The West] wants to hinder its technological advancement and prevent it from gaining competitive advantages by imposing artificially inflated tariffs on the import of Chinese electric vehicles. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has said that they are doing this because China’s exports to Europe are too cheap. Is this fair competition? The Americans have been essentially blocking the operation of the WTO,one of the main dispute settlement agencies, for years. They did it when Washington saw that China was beating them by playing by the rules created by the Word Trade Organisation. They prevent a quorum from being assembled to block additional appointments to vacancies in that agency. In their documents, #BRICS and other associations of the emerging economies such as the African Union, CELAC and ASEAN, are increasingly calling for a fair reform of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank group, so that the number of votes the developing countries have in them reflects their real weight in the global economy and finance. <...> Key talking points • We do not want Nazi values, theories and practices, a ban on the freedom of speech, national languages, cultures and traditions, a ban on canonical churches and the like. The essence of our values is set out in the UN Charter. • A major element of the UN Charter which BRICS fully accepts is a genuine concern for human rights. They must be respected regardless of race, sex, language or religion. • As for NATO membership and the EU candidate status, which Türkiye was awarded nearly 70 years ago, a Turkish official has recently said that there are no rules in BRICS to preclude members of some organisations from associating with the group. The main requirement for full members of the group and countries that are developing various forms of cooperation with it is to share common values. It is not the values the EU is defending in Ukraine. • We recognise the need to formalise relationships between BRICS members and the growing number of countries expressing interest in cooperating with the association, which now exceeds 30. This truly reflects the multipolar nature of the global landscape. • Zelensky is not ready for honest talks. The West will not let him near them. They have set the goal — to radically weaken Russia and to inflict a "strategic defeat" on us. Zelensky is no longer able to understand what meets the interests of Ukrainians. • The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has stopped lending funds for projects in Russia. The IMF and the World Bank have suspended all their projects in our country. They are not democratic structures. • Our position on Taiwan has long been known: China is a single and united state, and the government of China is the only government of the People’s Republic of China.

#JournalistsSolidarityDay 🗓 September 8 marks the International Day of Solidarity of Journalists, established in 1958 by the decision of the IV Congress of the International Organization of Journalists in memory of the Czech correspondent Julius Fučík, executed by the Nazis in 1943. 💬Maria Zakharova (from the briefing of the official representative of the Russia's Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova dated September 4, 2024): This date serves as a reminder to the global community that a true journalist’s duty is to impartially and honestly present the real state of affairs to the public. Journalists are often at the forefront of crises and conflicts, sometimes risking their own lives to report on unfolding events and provide objective coverage rather than engaging in propaganda. This challenging and noble profession has long been defined by a strong international camaraderie with its own ethical standards and code of honour. ❗️We now witness a significant void where there should be statements, petitions, and declarations condemning the murders and terrorist attacks against Russian journalists, including those killed by the Kiev regime. 👉 Look at the far from complete list of politically motivated repressions against Russian media on the web portal of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In the past 30 years, Westerners, being on the verge of interfering in our internal affairs, have been following the fates of Russian journalists and demanding that the Russian authorities take steps to investigate and protect them. Instantly, Russian journalists were transformed in the West from those who needed protection into those who should be persecuted, expelled, segregated and “marked.” Speaking about Western unions of journalists, individual Western journalists and elites engaged in the harassment of their Russian colleagues, this is based on the fear of competition and the inability to withstand it (to say nothing about winning). When Russia Today TV channel began broadcasting in German, the audience in Germany, Austria and other German-speaking countries felt it like a breath of fresh air, an alternative point of view, an opportunity to compare and make a choice in favour of their traditional media or subscribe to one more information resource. ❌ However, the interest in the Russian media broadcasting in German rose so much that became a challenge for German journalists who asked the FRG authorities to take measures against Russian journalists. The conditions for media pluralism and free access to information keep on degrading in many “advanced democracies” and a worthy rebuff from Western media professionals is nowhere to be seen. The Baltic states actively continue to persecute unwanted journalists who dare to doubt whether the authorities’ policies are correct and express their point of view. The Maia Sandu regime is following the well-trodden Russophobic path of the Baltic states, where they have deliberately deprived Russian-speaking residents of the country’s last sources of information by shutting down the broadcasting and rebroadcasting of Russian television channels and media outlets. ☝️ The permissiveness of the neoliberal pseudo-democracies is only gaining momentum against the background of solidarity inaction of not only relevant human rights organisations but also the journalistic community of the West itself. Hopefully, there will be someone who will not only recall all the above problems on International Day of Solidarity, but also write and stage rallies in support of their colleagues and journalism. *** Despite everything, on this day we congratulate all correspondents, editors, photo operators and other media industry workers who remain faithful to the ideals of journalistic solidarity, who are always ready to help the colleagues, even if their opinions differ. 🤝 For our part, we will continue to defend the rights of our journalists and call to account those who have illegally given themselves the authority to set rules and punish dissenters.

🗓 On September 7, 1945, a military parade of the allied forces of the #USSR, US, UK and France took place in Berlin near the walls of the defeated Reichstag on Alexanderplatz Square, marking the end of #WWII. The location of the parade – at the Brandenburg Gate, at the very heart of the German capital – was not chosen by chance. It was right here where the Battle of Berlin ended and the remnants of the Berlin group of German troops surrendered to the Red Army. Scheduled for September 7, the parade was timed to coincide with the victory over militaristic Japan. Representatives of the allied powers responded positively to Moscow's proposal to hold a joint parade in Berlin. However, on the eve of the event, after the date and all the details had been agreed upon, the US, UK and France announced that instead of the commanders-in-chief – Eisenhower, Montgomery and Tassigny – they would send lower-ranking generals, who were already stationed in Germany, to the parade. By doing so, the allies tried to downplay the significance of the parde, which emphasized the decisive role of the Soviet Union in taking Berlin. At that time, no one doubted who bore the brunt of the storming of the capital of the Third Reich. 🇷🇺 The USSR carried out thorough preparations for the parade. The Soviet command attracted the most distinguished soldiers, sergeants, officers and generals who had shown unrivalled courage in taking Berlin and the main centers of the reich – the Reichstag and the Imperial Chancellery. 🎖On September 7 at 11 am, the Berlin allied parade commenced. It was received by the Commander of the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany Georgy Zhukov. The parade was opened by the combined regiment of the 248th Rifle Division of the Red Army, led by Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant Colonel Georgy Lenev. The parade was closed by a column of the Soviet armor, with the latest heavy tanks IS-3 ("Joseph Stalin") marching. 💬 In his welcoming speech to the parade participants, Marshal Zhukov paid tribute to the exploits of the Soviet and Allied forces in the struggle for victory over Nazi Germany: "Fighting friends, comrades in arms, soldiers, officers and generals... <...> The Second World War ended with a decisive and powerful strike from the great allied powers. Our victory is a triumph of an unprecedented military partnership of democratic states. From now on, people <...> will be eternally grateful to the great nations of America, England, the Soviet Union, the French Republic and China, to their valiant soldiers who, in the difficult time of military trials, gave each other helping hands, united to win a victory over a common enemy, to win the long-awaited peace on Earth." #Victory79#WeRemember#WeWereAllies

🎙Read excerpts from the statement of Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the OSCE A.Volgarev «On religious "war" unleashed by Kiev regime against the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church» (meeting of the OSCE PC, 05.09.2024) 🇷🇺 Russia has consistently drawn the attention of the OSCE to the worsening situation in the religious sphere in Ukraine, where representatives of the Kiev regime have for many years sought the total eradication of canonical Orthodoxy ☦️ Persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) is being carried out there through a smear campaign launched by the Ukrainian media. The mass seizures of churches by radical nationalists with the complicity of local authorities, special services and law enforcement agencies are shamelessly justified ⚠️ As a rule, they are accompanied by violence, mass beatings of clergy and believers. Numerous attempts to seize the largest monasteries of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church are constantly being made, and their inhabitants are being forcibly evicted ▪️Ukrainian security services are exerting direct pressure on the UOC, its episcopate and clergy, including threats, blackmail and the opening of dozens of trumped-up criminal cases on political grounds. Many of its priests are under arrest, imprisoned or have received unjust sentences ❌ Local authorities in a number of regions and localities of Ukraine have simply banned the activities of the UOC, forcibly closing its churches, preventing worship services, illegally seizing land plots under its monasteries, churches and shrines ▪️At the end of August, V.Zelensky signed the law "On the protection of the constitutional order in the sphere of activity of religious organizations". Representatives of the Kiev regime took a step that may surpass all previous historical repressions against the UOC in its scale ▪️The proponents of this treacherous act don't hide that the law is aimed directly against the canonical UOC. Hundreds of monasteries, thousands of communities, millions of Orthodox Christians will find themselves outside the legal framework, losing their property and a place to pray ▪️The supporters of the bill ignored the opinion of millions of believers, the position of the UOC itself, the legal community and even the timid criticism of the foreign patrons of Zelensky's regime. Its representatives once again demonstrated their disregard for their own citizens, aggravating the already serious split in society ☝️For the first time we have witnessed the banning of an entire religious denomination in the pan-European area, the open violation of the rights of millions of believers, and the brazen and shameless violation of well-known international commitments in the area of freedom of religion, including within the OSCE ❗️The blatant silence and complete inaction of R. Polak, Personal Representative of the Maltese OSCE CiO for Combating Intolerance and Discrimination, including against Christians, throughout the entire repressive campaign against the UOC raises questions about her professional competence and suitability for her position 📣 We call on representatives of the relevant OSCE executive structures first and foremost the ODIHR, to finally respond publicly to the intensification of repression against the believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. It is necessary to give a principled assessment of the religious "war" unleashed by the Kiev regime against the canonical Orthodox Church of Ukraine and its followers