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🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks during the 9th Ministerial Meeting of Russia and Central Asia (Moscow, April 17, 2026) 💬Sergey Lavrov: I am pleased to welcome you to Moscow. We began our joint work yesterday at the CIS Foreign Ministers Council, and today we are holding the ninth meeting of Foreign Ministers of Russia and Central Asia. This in itself underscores the relevance of this six-party dialogue mechanism. In our view, it is developing successfully and dynamically, to the benefit of all participants. In October 2025, the Second Russia – Central Asia Summit was held in the welcoming city of Dushanbe. During the summit, our leaders approved a Joint Action Plan for 2025-2027 and put forward a number of important initiatives. Our task now is to translate these decisions into concrete steps. The Action Plan serves as a framework document, outlining the key areas of our cooperation: trade, economic and investment ties, transport, energy, healthcare, environmental protection, security, cultural and humanitarian engagement, and migration. Specific projects and initiatives are currently being developed within the six-party working groups established by the relevant agencies of Russia and your countries. As we noted today during the #CIS meeting, our relations are grounded in equality, mutual respect, and careful consideration of each other’s interests. They truly deserve the highest recognition as an example of a modern and forward-looking model of international partnership. Our leaders maintain close and regular communication, both bilaterally and within integration frameworks such as the #CIS, the #EAEU, the #CSTO, and the #SCO. Active contacts are also sustained among heads of government, deputy prime ministers, and the leadership of parliaments, ministries, and agencies. Despite the current geopolitical turbulence – which we examined in detail during today’s CIS meetings – we have succeeded in maintaining a consistently high level of trade turnover. In 2025, it continued to grow, approaching the $50 billion mark. As I have already noted, cultural and humanitarian cooperation continues to develop. Through our joint efforts, and at the initiative of President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev,the International Organisation of the Russian Language was established. The Russian language remains a key means of communication not only between Russia and the Central Asian states, but also among the peoples of the broader post-Soviet space. Our approaches to international issues are closely aligned and, in most cases, coincide. We greatly appreciatethat, despite unprecedented external pressure, the Central Asian countries remain committed to their allied obligations, thereby contributing to the dynamic development of our friendly and mutually beneficial relations, both bilaterally and within multilateral frameworks, including the Russia – Central Asia mechanism. I hope that today we will be able to make a tangible contribution to the implementation of the decisions adopted at the second Russia – Central Asia Summit in Dushanbe.

🗓 On February 19, a ‘Government Hour’ with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the priorities of the foreign policy of the Russian Federationwas held as part of a plenary meeting of the State Duma. The Foreign Minister informed the parliamentarians about the key areas of the Russian diplomacy’s efforts in the context of the current geopolitical realities and the Ministry’s tasks to protect national interests and strengthen the country’s leading positions on the global arena. The list of issues raised at the meeting included settling the conflict around Ukraine, initiatives to create a Eurasian security architecture and combat neocolonialism, cooperation within the Union State, the #CSTO, the #EAEU, the #CIS, the #SCO, expanding multifaceted interaction with all sensible partners and, above all, with the states of the Global Majority, countering the hegemonic aspirations of the West, protecting the rights and interests of Russian citizens and compatriots abroad. Following the discussion, Sergey Lavrov highlighted the importance of further deepening the regular dialogue with elected representatives that contributes to the effective implementation of the unified foreign policy of the Russian Federation, which enjoys consensus support.

✨️ On October 16, Ambassador Albert P. Khorev took part in the opening ceremony of the Eurasian Chapter of the Consortium for Asia-Pacific and Eurasian Studies. During his speech, Ambassador Khorev emphasized the importance of finding ways to strengthen the Eurasian community amid ongoing global turbulence. ❗️Focusing on the collaborative effort between Russia and Belarus to establish a new framework for Eurasian security, Ambassador underscored the accomplishments of Eurasian integration within the context of prominent regional organizations, including the #EAEU, #CSTO, #CIS, and #SCO. He noted that there were no obstacles to Pakistan intensifying its cooperation with the EAEU, including signing a free trade agreement. 🤝 During the discussion, participants emphasized Russia's pivotal role in ensuring food, energy, and military security in Eurasia. 🇷🇺🇵🇰 They discussed opportunities for expanding economic cooperation between Russia, Pakistan, and other regional countries, as well as ways to intensify cultural dialogue, educational exchanges, and academic contacts between the peoples of Eurasia.

#Njoftim 🗓 Në datat 18–21 qershor 2025, do të zhvillohet Forumi Ekonomik Ndërkombëtar i Shën Petërburgut - 2025 (SPIEF-2025). Forumi do të mbahet në një kohë, kur ekonomia botërore po përballet me sfida serioze – nga nevoja për dixhitalizim të përshpejtuar e deri te lufta kundër ndryshimeve klimatike. Ai do të bëhet jo vetëm një platformë për diskutimin e këtyre çështjeve, por edhe për hartimin e zgjidhjeve konkrete praktike që mund të përshtatin ekonominë globale me kushtet e reja. Sot Forumi mbulon të gjitha fushat kryesore, duke përfshirë teknologjinë, arsimin, logjistikën, tregtinë, investimet dhe financat. Pjesëmarrja në SPIEF e bashkimeve ndërkombëtare si #BRICS, #SCO dhe #EAEU ka një rëndësi të veçantë. 🌐 Në vitin 2024, SPIEF u ndoq nga një numër rekord pjesëmarrësish: 21,800 persona nga 139 vende dhe territore, duke përfshirë 120 zyrtarë të rangut të lartë dhe 4,216 gazetarë nga 34 vende. Delegacionet më të shumta erdhën nga Kina 🇨🇳 - 192, Emiratet e Bashkuara Arabe 🇦🇪 - 105, Zimbabve 🇿🇼 - 86, Kazakistani 🇰🇿 - 84, India 🇮🇳 - 80, Omani 🇴🇲 - 75. 👉Merrni pjesë

🇷🇺🇰🇬Statement by President Vladimir Putin to the press following the Russian-Kyrgyz talkswith President Sadyr Japarov(November 26, 2025, Bishkek) Following the talks, a signing ceremony was held where a number of bilateral documents were inked, including a Joint Statement by the Presidents on deepening relations of alliance and strategic partnership. 💬Vladimir Putin: I would once again like to thank the President of Kyrgyzstan for the invitation, and all our Kyrgyz colleagues for their hospitality and warm reception. I agree with my counterpart - today’s talks were highly productive and proceeded in a constructive spirit. All of this clearly reflects the genuinely friendly and good-neighbourly nature of relations between Russia and Kyrgyzstan. We held a detailed discussion of the entire range of issues on the bilateral agenda and exchanged views on pressing regional matters. Priority attention during the talks was devoted to further developing economic cooperation. Last year, bilateral trade reached a new record, exceeding four billion dollars. This year, mutual trade flows have continued to grow at a solid pace – around 17%. This is a good result. Russia is among the leading investors in the Kyrgyz economy. Russian capital investment has now accumulated to nearly two billion dollars. About 1,700 business entities with Russian participation operate in Kyrgyzstan in key sectors such as energy, mining, agriculture, transport and logistics. All of this has become possible thanks to the confident domestic policy pursued by the President of Kyrgyzstan and the stability within the country. Our nations cooperate closely within the Eurasian Economic Union. Together with the other member states, we are creating common markets for goods, services, capital and labour. The development of Eurasian integration yields indisputable dividends for all the member states, including Kyrgyzstan. For example, in the ten years since the Republic joined the #EAEU, its GDP has increased two and a half times, and exports to other EAEU countries have quadrupled. Energy is one of the most important areas of Russian-Kyrgyz cooperation. Russia fully meets Kyrgyzstan’s needs for petrol and diesel, on preferential terms and without export duties, which provides a direct economic benefit to the Republic. Russian-Kyrgyz humanitarian cooperation traditionally has an intensive and multifaceted character. Ties between the citizens of our countries continue to grow and expand. Russia and Kyrgyzstan work closely together in the fields of culture, sports, public and youth organizations, and, of course, education. More than 10,000 Kyrgyz students study in Russia, and, as the President has just noted, half of them on a budgetary basis. It is also gratifying that in Kyrgyzstan, together with Russia, the Russian language is used freely and has official status under the Constitution. We value this highly. Its use in various spheres of life is actively supported by the country’s leadership. Naturally, we held a substantive discussion on expanding bilateral cooperation in the military and military-technical sphere, and outlined plans for joint efforts to counter terrorism and extremism, drug trafficking and organized crime. Both Sides noted that the joint Russian military base deployed in Kyrgyzstan makes a significant contribution to strengthening the Republic’s defence capability and, in general, to ensuring security and stability throughout Central Asia. When reviewing current foreign-policy issues, we noted the close, and in many areas identical, alignment of our approaches approaches. Our countries coordinate positions in multilateral formats, including the #UN, the #SCO and the #CIS. 🤝 In conclusion, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our Kyrgyz friends and to the President for the constructive and productive talks. I am confident that this visit and our negotiations will contribute to the further development of the multifaceted Russian-Kyrgyz relationship for the benefit of our peoples and our countries.

#SCO#RussiaPakistan 🗓 On October 16, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin took part in the SCO Heads of Government Council Meeting. 💬 Mikhail Mishustin: I would like to congratulate our Pakistani friends and partners on assuming the chairmanship of the SCO Heads of Government Council for the first time and thank them for their warm welcome and excellent organisation of our events in Islamabad. <...> Pressure is mounting on Russia, but those who impose sanctions on us will not attain their goals. We are focused on realising our potential and supporting the key spheres of the national economy and relevant enterprises. 📈 Thanks to the development of the real economy sectors, Russia’s GDP increased by 4.2% in the first eight months of 2024. Investment in fixed assets grew by nearly 11 percent in the first six months of this year. We are working actively to strengthen cooperation with the friendly countries that share our values. Last year, Russia’s trade with the SCO member states reached a record high volume of 30 trillion roubles (approximately $330 billion) and has grown by 5.5% in the first six months of the year. It is particularly important to promote economic cooperation between the SCO states with a focus on the implementation of President Vladimir Putin’s Greater Eurasian Partnership initiative. <...> The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation unites 10 member states and 16 observer nations. It geographically encompasses nearly the entire Eurasian continent. Our nations are home to almost half of the global population and contribute approximately 30% of the world's GDP. This remarkable potential must be harnessed for the common good and in the interests of each member state. <...> 🤝 I am confident that the SCO possesses every opportunity to emerge as one of the formidable centres of the equitable multipolar world currently taking shape. Together, we have the capability to achieve this – fostering economic prosperity for our nations and citizens. Read in full http://government.ru/en/news/53005/

🗓 On October 12, the ASEAN Centre in MGIMO University held its annual international conference “Russia and ASEAN in the Asia-Pacific Region: Dynamics of Cooperation, Regional Processes, and Global Context” in Moscow 🇷🇺. 🔹️This year the conference was devoted to the 5th Anniversary of the ASEAN-Russia Strategic Partnership. Participants discussed multiple issues relevant to the ASEAN-Russia political, economic and energy cooperation in the context of global turbulence as well as new promising areas for ASEAN-Russia Strategic Partnership. Cross-platform cooperation between #ASEAN, #EAEU and #SCO was also on the agenda. 🔹️ Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation H.E. Mr. Andrey Rudenko, the #EEC Minister for Integration and Macroeconomics H.E. Mr. Sergey Glazyev and Ambassador of the Russian Federation to ASEAN H.E. Mr. Evgeny Zagaynov among others addressed the meeting. 🔹️The conference has been held within the RISA Convention framework since 2016 and annually brings together, leading world and Russian experts on the Southeast Asia and ASEAN, diplomats, representatives of business and civil society, students and young researchers. @aseancentremgimo

Question: It's no secret that from the very beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, the United States and its Western allies actively pushed the political leadership in different regions of the world to condemn Russia and join anti-Russian sanctions. But many states chose to remain neutral. Do you think that they will continue their attempts to bring Asian countries to the anti-Russian camp this year? And what can Moscow oppose to this? Answer: The main political and economic nightmare for the West as part of its strategic anti-Russian line - regardless of whether it is implemented against the background of the special military operation or comes from other deep motives - is our dynamically developing relationship with Asia. Russia's opponents didn't succeed in hampering our cooperation with Asian partners in the region in the past and likewise the year 2022, which sorted things out in terms of world politics and economics, including in the context of determining the contours of the future world order, clearly showed that the world is different now and unwilling to follow the "rules of the game" imposed by the West. Positively-minded countries are in no hurry to sign up for new closed "coalitions of like-minded", to throw resources into block schemes, to fuel the geopolitical and geo-economic ambitions of Washington and its allies. These processes are brewed in an intra-Western "cauldron". Let them stay there. The priorities of the Asian countries, and we clearly see this, are others - co-development, the collective struggle against new challenges and threats, the well-being and prosperity of peoples, rather than geopolitical rivalry, the redistribution of markets and relocation of production and logistics chains for their own needs. Western politicians and diplomats travel around the region, persuading our partners to wrap up cooperation programs with Russia, while the countries of the Middle East and South Asia, figuratively speaking, line up to join the #SCO. Clearly and unambiguously make it clear that they are interested in working in a non-toxic space of international cooperation. We see the prospects for expansion of the #BRICS external relations. Not a single area of ​​our cooperation with #ASEAN has slowed down. Moreover, 2022 has been designated the ASEAN-Russia Year of Scientific and Technical Cooperation. We develop contacts in the spheres of economy, energy, security, education, tourism, healthcare, and volunteering. These topics are relevant and clear for everyone. Therefore, we do not need to oppose anything to anyone. #ASEANRussia#RussiaASEAN#ASEAN#SCO#BRICS

📰Article by Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for Lao media 🇷🇺🇱🇦 “Russia and Laos: 65 Years of Time-Tested Friendship”(November 20, 2025) Full article (Telegraph) ✍️ On October 7, 2025, Russia and Laos marked the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Over the past decades, much has changed in our countries and in the world at large. What has remained immutable are the unifying traditions of friendship, mutual assistance, and camaraderie, rooted in the years of the national liberation struggle of the Lao people against French colonialists and American aggressors. *** Key points: • The USSR took active part in the 1954 Geneva Conference, which put an end to French colonial rule in Indochina, and acted as a guarantor of Laos’s neutrality. During the “undeclared war”, extensive material support from the Soviet Union was an important factor in the victory of the Lao patriotic forces. • #RussiaLaos: Today, Russian-Lao cooperation is dynamically advancing in accordance with the spirit and letter of the Treaty on the Principles of Friendly Relations between Russia and the Lao PDR of March 9, 1994, and the Declaration on bilateral Strategic Partnership in the Asia-Pacific Region of October 13, 2011. • We attach great importance to the development of Russian-Lao practical cooperation, the volume of which continues to grow. The primary tasks in this area are the creation of new effective transport and logistics routes, the implementation of large joint investment projects, primarily in the fields of energy, exploration and mining, as well as support for the activities of small and medium-sized businesses. <…> We see good prospects in the project to construct a small modular reactor nuclear power plant in the Lao PDR with the participation of the Rosatom State Corporation. ❗️The strengthening strategic partnership between Russia and Laos allows us to look to the future with hope and optimism. • The priorities for joint work are determined by the leaders of our countries during their intensive and trust-based dialogue. On July 31, 2025, talks were held between President of Russia Vladimir Putin and President of the Lao PDR Thongloun Sisoulith during his official visit to Russia. In 2024, two meetings of the Heads of State took place – on May 9 in Moscow and on October 24 on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan. • Our countries’ approaches to a wide range of international issues coincide or are very close. We advocate for the unconditional observance of the principles of the UN Charter in their entirety, fullness, and interconnectedness. We are firmly committed to the formation of a just multipolar world order. • We appreciate the desire of our Lao partners to establish contacts with the leading associations of the World Majority, including #BRICS and the #SCO, to “build bridges” with the #EAEU, and to participate in the processes of creating the Greater Eurasian Partnership and the Eurasian security architecture. • We welcome Laos’s independent foreign policy, including its balanced position in the context of the Ukrainian crisis. Obviously, a lasting settlement of the conflict is only possible through eliminating its root causes • The strengthening strategic partnership between our countries allows us to look to the future with hope and optimism. The 65 years of cooperation is evidence that we can solve the most complex issues for the benefit of our countries and peoples, in the interests of ensuring universal peace and prosperity.

🇺🇳 The Russian Federation completed its Presidency in the United Nations Security Council on July 31. Its packed agenda revolved around three central events, with the first two of them attended by FM Sergey Lavrov. On July 16, we held a high-level open debate titled “Multilateral cooperation in the interest of a more just, democratic and sustainable world order,” which reaffirmed the need to hold detailed discussions dealing with the underpinnings of the emerging multipolar world order, the objective to reinforce a UN-centred system of international relations, as well as the need to carry out a comprehensive review of the root causes of present-day conflicts and to consolidate our efforts in order to overcome them. The fact that the Global Majority tends to distrust the infamous Western concept of a rules-based world order was also mentioned during the debate. On July 17, the Security Council held a quarterly ministerial-level debate on the agenda item titled “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.” During this meeting, participants discussed the situation in the region with all its tension, while placing a special emphasis on the escalating violence in the Arab-Israeli conflict zone for finding ways out of this unprecedented crisis. In addition to this, the UNSC held separate meetings on July 26 and 31 on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the assassination of the Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. On July 19, the UNSC held a debate (https://russiaun.ru/en/news/190724_vershininunsc) titled “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (#CSTO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (#CIS), and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (#SCO).” In his remarks, Deputy FM Sergey Vershinin stressed the importance for the UN to work closer with constructive regional organisations. <...> In addition to this, Russia’s UNSC Presidency included all the events as part of the mandate-reporting cycle. 👉 The Middle East bloc included meetings on Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. 👉 The African agenda covered discussions of the situation in West Africa, the Sahara and Sahel region, and the DR Congo. 👉 The council also touched upon peacebuilding efforts in Columbia and the start of deploying the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti. 👉 We exchanged views on the activities of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia and the Cyprus settlement. ❗️The Ukraine crisis remained high on the agenda. On July 9, Western countries convened a Security Council meeting in connection with the tragic incident involving a children’s hospital in Kiev. During the debate, the Russian delegation refuted accusations by its opponents and shared evidence demonstrating that the Ukrainian air defence systems were to blame for the incident. On July 25, Russia initiated a UNSC meeting to discuss the unrelenting flow of Western weapons into Ukraine, which delays a settlement in this conflict and leads to more victims. The Security Council adopted four resolutions in July: ✅ on focusing the CAR arms embargo on illegal armed groups; ✅ extending the mandates for the UN Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement and the UN Integrated Office in Haiti; ✅ regarding the UN Focal Point on delisting-related matters and re-establishing the Informal Working Group of the Security Council on General UNSC Sanctions Issues. 🇺🇳 Russia went to great lengths to enable the Security Council to be effective and responsive in its work. We encouraged our colleagues within the Council to come up with collective responses when dealing with challenges to peace and security, while seeking guidance from a holistic view of the purposes and principles set forth in the UN Charter and their inter-connected nature.

🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions following the meeting of the CSTO Foreign Ministers Council (Almaty, June 21, 2024) 💬 At the meeting of the Foreign Ministers Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu, we focused on preparations for the CSTO Summit scheduled for November of this year in Astana. <...> During the discussions on the state of affairs in the world, we paid special attention to the agenda related to shaping a Eurasian security architecture that will replace the discredited Euro-Atlantic security arrangements. President of Russia Vladimir Putin focused on this in his remarks at the Foreign Ministry on June 14. <...> In the same Eurasian interaction context, we have agreed to build up cooperation and joint practical projects with the CIS and the SCO. Among other things, there is a shared interest in using these organisations’ potential for more effective anti-terrorist actions. ✔️ In the context of the fight against terrorism and new challenges and threats, we have approved a draft programme to strengthen the Tajik-Afghan border. <...> It will be submitted for approval to the heads of state. ✍️ A document has been signed, which provides an additional impetus to the CSTO’s peacekeeping activities, including in cooperation with the UN peacekeeping operations. This is a very promising line. We see much potential there. We have agreed to step up biosecurity efforts at the Committee of Secretaries of Security Councils and have created a coordination committee on the biological aspects of security. It is currently chaired by the Republic of Kazakhstan. <...> 🇺🇳 On July 19, Russia will chair a UN Security Council meeting in New York on the council’s cooperation with the #CSTO, #CIS and the #SCO. <...> We have invited CSTO Secretary General Imangali Tasmagambetov to speak at that meeting. Read in full

🇮🇷🇰🇿De nouvelles opportunités pour élargir les relations entre l'Iran et le Kazakhstan Les récentes visites de haut niveau ont consolidé un changement stratégique, transformant des liens diplomatiques de longue date en un partenariat multidimensionnel pratique centré sur les couloirs de transit, la diversification du commerce et la connectivité régionale ✍️Auteur : Samyar Rostami Un observateur politique et chercheur senior en relations internationales ➡️La visite officielle du président iranien Masoud Pezeshkian au Kazakhstan en décembre 2025, aboutissant à 14 nouveaux accords, marque une étape décisive. Les deux nations, liées par des liens historiques et l'absence de différends majeurs, exploitent leurs positions géopolitiques. Pour le Kazakhstan enclavé, l'Iran est une porte d'accès vitale vers l'Asie du Sud et les marchés mondiaux. Pour l'Iran, le Kazakhstan représente un partenaire stable en Asie centrale et un nœud clé des couloirs de transit nord-sud, s'alignant sur les politiques régionalistes des deux pays. Compte tenu des capacités existantes, de la volonté politique et d'une feuille de route commerciale claire, un volume d'échanges bilatéraux de 2 à 3 milliards d'euros est réalisable à court terme ➡️La logistique et le transit constituent la pierre angulaire de ce partenariat. Les deux pays font partie intégrante du Corridor de transport international Nord-Sud (INSTC), avec une feuille de route commune visant à augmenter la capacité à 20 millions de tonnes d'ici 2030. Les projets clés comprennent le développement d'un terminal de transport au port iranien de Shahid Rajaee, la création de parcs industriels communs dans des zones franches et l'établissement de nouvelles liaisons ferroviaires reliant Almaty à Istanbul via Téhéran. Cela transforme l'Iran d'un voisin en une artère essentielle du Kazakhstan vers les ports maritimes. ➡️Au-delà du transit, la coopération s'étend à l'agriculture et à la sécurité alimentaire. Le Kazakhstan, un important producteur de blé, peut fournir des matières premières, tandis que l'Iran offre des aliments transformés et des technologies agricoles. Des projets conjoints de transformation, de stockage et de culture extraterritoriale sont prévus. Les liens économiques s'approfondissent également, avec plus de 600 entreprises iraniennes enregistrées au Kazakhstan et un commerce bilatéral en hausse de 44% au cours des trois premiers trimestres de 2025 pour dépasser les 310 millions d'euros. 🟦Le potentiel est important, mais des obstacles subsistent : une infrastructure logistique sous-développée, l'absence d'un mécanisme bancaire commun et des transferts financiers complexes. Cependant, avec la volonté politique démontrée, la mise en œuvre d'un accord de libre-échange et la modernisation des infrastructures, un volume d'échanges bilatéraux de 2 à 3 milliards d'euros est réalisable à court terme. Ce partenariat est sur le point de devenir un axe central de la connectivité eurasiatique. #BRICS#Coopération économique #Politique internationale #Iran#Kazakhstan#SCO EN SAVOIR PLUS ✅@NewEasternOutlookFR