🇷🇺🇭🇺 Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Foreign Minister of Hungary Peter Szijjarto hold talks on the sidelines of the OSCE Ministerial Council
📍 Skopje, November 30, 2023
📍 Skopje, November 30, 2023
🗓 On November 30 and December 1, the OSCE Ministerial Council will meet in Skopje, North Macedonia, for its 30th regular meeting, which Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov plans to attend.
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The main theme at the upcoming meeting will be the crisis situation within the OSCE. We hope to be able to discuss all the outstanding issues
<…>
👉 The current profound crisis within the OSCE is the result of destructive actions by certain Western countries, which are using the organisation in their own interests and violating its fundamental principles. The OSCE agenda has been focused on Ukraine since 2022.
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Russian delegates at OSCE governing body meetings consistently draw attention to the most pressing issues within the organisation's zone of responsibility:
• combating terrorism and drug trafficking,
• safeguarding traditional values,
• countering neo-Nazism, preventing the distortion of history, and addressing Christianophobia and Islamophobia.
The Russian delegation to the OSCE regularly updates the delegations of other member states on progress towards the objectives of the special military operation and provides objective information regarding war crimes committed by the Kiev regime, attacks on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the extensive campaign in Ukraine to "cancel" the Russian language and culture, and the persecution of Russian media.
Read in full
<…>
The main theme at the upcoming meeting will be the crisis situation within the OSCE. We hope to be able to discuss all the outstanding issues
<…>
👉 The current profound crisis within the OSCE is the result of destructive actions by certain Western countries, which are using the organisation in their own interests and violating its fundamental principles. The OSCE agenda has been focused on Ukraine since 2022.
<…>
Russian delegates at OSCE governing body meetings consistently draw attention to the most pressing issues within the organisation's zone of responsibility:
• combating terrorism and drug trafficking,
• safeguarding traditional values,
• countering neo-Nazism, preventing the distortion of history, and addressing Christianophobia and Islamophobia.
The Russian delegation to the OSCE regularly updates the delegations of other member states on progress towards the objectives of the special military operation and provides objective information regarding war crimes committed by the Kiev regime, attacks on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the extensive campaign in Ukraine to "cancel" the Russian language and culture, and the persecution of Russian media.
Read in full
🔴 #LIVE: Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks at the First Plenary Session of the OSCE Ministerial Council
📍 Skopje, November 30, 2023
🔗 https://twitter.com/mfa_russia/status/1730193036359999952
🔗 https://www.ruptly.tv/en/events/202311300900-LIVE16394
🔗 https://mid.ru/en/press_service/video
🔗 https://www.facebook.com/MIDRussia/videos/263153046769591
📍 Skopje, November 30, 2023
🔗 https://twitter.com/mfa_russia/status/1730193036359999952
🔗 https://www.ruptly.tv/en/events/202311300900-LIVE16394
🔗 https://mid.ru/en/press_service/video
🔗 https://www.facebook.com/MIDRussia/videos/263153046769591
Russian MFA Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova:
💬 This here, on these very desks, is a clear manifestation of what Sergey Lavrov mentioned in his statement at the plenary session of the OSCE Ministerial Council: under the pressure from the US the logic of the OSCE is being replaced by the aggressive ideology of NATO.
📷 © Maria Zakharova
💬 This here, on these very desks, is a clear manifestation of what Sergey Lavrov mentioned in his statement at the plenary session of the OSCE Ministerial Council: under the pressure from the US the logic of the OSCE is being replaced by the aggressive ideology of NATO.
📷 © Maria Zakharova
Russian MFA Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova:
💬 This is the first time in our history that instead of closing its airspace to a plane, a government has... prohibited a person from being on board this plane while it crosses its airspace. This is how far Russia haters have gone in their malicious stupidity. But this is what we read in an official statement from the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry: Yes, you can cross Bulgaria’s airspace, but Maria Zakharova cannot be aboard that plane.
However, it does not say whether I can fly over Bulgaria in any other way other than by boarding a plane or whether I can travel through outer space for that purpose.
On a more serious note, there is more than just stupidity here. In fact, this constitutes a dangerous and stupid move by some wire-puller within the Bulgarian government.
After all, it is the 1944 Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation that governs air travel. It defines state territory as “the land areas and territorial waters adjacent thereto.” Air space is not covered by this definition. Therefore, the already illegal European Union sanctions cannot be applied to a person who is banned from entering a country’s territory while this person is on a plane during a non-stop flight over that state’s territory.
Have Bulgarian officials considered the fact that we could retaliate by giving the same treatment to thousands of NATO officials designated on our retaliatory stop lists? Have they thought about the dangerous international precedent this could set? I don’t think so.
Who gave these illiterate officials in Sofia the authority to discredit the people of Bulgaria this way?
PS. By the way, we are in Skopje 👋
💬 This is the first time in our history that instead of closing its airspace to a plane, a government has... prohibited a person from being on board this plane while it crosses its airspace. This is how far Russia haters have gone in their malicious stupidity. But this is what we read in an official statement from the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry: Yes, you can cross Bulgaria’s airspace, but Maria Zakharova cannot be aboard that plane.
However, it does not say whether I can fly over Bulgaria in any other way other than by boarding a plane or whether I can travel through outer space for that purpose.
On a more serious note, there is more than just stupidity here. In fact, this constitutes a dangerous and stupid move by some wire-puller within the Bulgarian government.
After all, it is the 1944 Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation that governs air travel. It defines state territory as “the land areas and territorial waters adjacent thereto.” Air space is not covered by this definition. Therefore, the already illegal European Union sanctions cannot be applied to a person who is banned from entering a country’s territory while this person is on a plane during a non-stop flight over that state’s territory.
Have Bulgarian officials considered the fact that we could retaliate by giving the same treatment to thousands of NATO officials designated on our retaliatory stop lists? Have they thought about the dangerous international precedent this could set? I don’t think so.
Who gave these illiterate officials in Sofia the authority to discredit the people of Bulgaria this way?
PS. By the way, we are in Skopje 👋
🇷🇺🇦🇲 On November 30, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov had a brief conversation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan, on the sidelines of the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in Skopje.
The Foreign Ministers discussed topical issues on the bilateral agenda, as well as cooperation on international platforms and in common integration associations.
There was an exchange of views on regional issues. The Russian side reaffirmed its readiness to vigorously promote Armenian-Azerbaijani normalisation on the basis of the set of trilateral agreements signed by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia in 2020-2022, including efforts to conclude a peace treaty between Yerevan and Baku.
The Ministers confirmed the need for further contacts at various levels.
The Foreign Ministers discussed topical issues on the bilateral agenda, as well as cooperation on international platforms and in common integration associations.
There was an exchange of views on regional issues. The Russian side reaffirmed its readiness to vigorously promote Armenian-Azerbaijani normalisation on the basis of the set of trilateral agreements signed by the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia in 2020-2022, including efforts to conclude a peace treaty between Yerevan and Baku.
The Ministers confirmed the need for further contacts at various levels.
🇷🇺🇭🇺 On November 30, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov met with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto as part of the 30th Meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Skopje.
The Ministers compared positions on a wide range of practical issues of bilateral cooperation with a focus on the implementation of the agreements confirmed in Beijing on October 17, 2023 during the meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban.
They exchanged views on key issues related to OSCE activities and topical international problems, including the situation in Ukraine.
The Ministers compared positions on a wide range of practical issues of bilateral cooperation with a focus on the implementation of the agreements confirmed in Beijing on October 17, 2023 during the meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban.
They exchanged views on key issues related to OSCE activities and topical international problems, including the situation in Ukraine.
🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks during the 30th meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council (November 30, 2023)
Key points:
• In just over a year, the Helsinki Final Act will mark its 50th anniversary. Regrettably, the OSCE is approaching this milestone in a lamentable condition, and its prospects remain uncertain.
• Unfortunately, Western political elites appropriated the role of rulers of humanity’s destiny and made a shortsighted choice in favour of NATO rather than the OSCE. They embraced a philosophy of containment, geopolitical zero-sum games, and the leader-follower logic. The bloc’s reckless expansion to the East, which started after the dissolution of the Warsaw Treaty Organisation, was a key component of this approach.
• The genuine intentions of the Western politicians again revealed themselves when Washington and Brussels rejected Russia’s December 2021 proposals on legally binding security guarantees in Europe.
• In a bid to crush the Russian economy, the United States and its European satellites have introduced thousands of anti-Russia sanctions, thereby making impossible any significant East-West practical cooperation in what was once our common region.
• The Kiev regime is Washington’s investment into its egoistic interests of deterring Russia and resolving its own problems at the expense of others. This applies to the removal of economic competitors, primarily the EU.
• The current situation is a direct consequence of the persistent attempts by our Western neighbours to ensure their dominance, as they shamelessly use the OSCE to aggressively push through their self-serving interests and consciously undermine the fundamental principle of consensus and the culture of diplomacy.
• There are no particular reasons to be optimistic now. Essentially, the OSCE is being reformatted to become an appendage of NATO and the EU. This organisation (let’s face it) is on the brink of the abyss.
❓ Hence, a simple question: Does it make any sense to invest in any effort to revive it?
Read in full
Key points:
• In just over a year, the Helsinki Final Act will mark its 50th anniversary. Regrettably, the OSCE is approaching this milestone in a lamentable condition, and its prospects remain uncertain.
• Unfortunately, Western political elites appropriated the role of rulers of humanity’s destiny and made a shortsighted choice in favour of NATO rather than the OSCE. They embraced a philosophy of containment, geopolitical zero-sum games, and the leader-follower logic. The bloc’s reckless expansion to the East, which started after the dissolution of the Warsaw Treaty Organisation, was a key component of this approach.
• The genuine intentions of the Western politicians again revealed themselves when Washington and Brussels rejected Russia’s December 2021 proposals on legally binding security guarantees in Europe.
• In a bid to crush the Russian economy, the United States and its European satellites have introduced thousands of anti-Russia sanctions, thereby making impossible any significant East-West practical cooperation in what was once our common region.
• The Kiev regime is Washington’s investment into its egoistic interests of deterring Russia and resolving its own problems at the expense of others. This applies to the removal of economic competitors, primarily the EU.
• The current situation is a direct consequence of the persistent attempts by our Western neighbours to ensure their dominance, as they shamelessly use the OSCE to aggressively push through their self-serving interests and consciously undermine the fundamental principle of consensus and the culture of diplomacy.
• There are no particular reasons to be optimistic now. Essentially, the OSCE is being reformatted to become an appendage of NATO and the EU. This organisation (let’s face it) is on the brink of the abyss.
❓ Hence, a simple question: Does it make any sense to invest in any effort to revive it?
Read in full
🇷🇺🇰🇿 On 30 November, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met briefly with Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu on the sidelines of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Skopje.
They discussed topical issues on the bilateral and regional agendas in the context of the outcome of President Vladimir Putin's official visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan on November 9, as well as the development of cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan in the OSCE and other international platforms.
They discussed topical issues on the bilateral and regional agendas in the context of the outcome of President Vladimir Putin's official visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan on November 9, as well as the development of cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan in the OSCE and other international platforms.
✍️ Article for the International Affairs magazine by Director of the Foreign Policy Planning Department Alexey Drobinin
Why is choosing traditional values so important?
💬 Russia, as well as other countries, has launched and is conducting an in-depth revision of ideas that were assimilated, at first glance. These ideas largely shaped the economic, political & cultural world that emerged after the Cold War.
Without renouncing science & technological progress, the advantages of participating in the international division of labour, we are discarding the gloomy wraith of perceptions and ideological concepts adopted in the well-known historical environment of the late 1980s and the 1990s.
Russia is once again facing foreign attempts to hamper its development. One of the main directions of attack comes in the form of the Western values agenda.
👉 It would be appropriate to analyse the paradigm of neo-liberal values in greater detail and to divide it into four tentative aspects:
Economics
🔻 dominance of the US dollar;
🔻 commodities and sales markets that are open to Western capital;
🔻 eco-extremism.
Politics
🔻 power by a minority of society over the rest of it;
🔻 “free and fair” elections;
🔻 distort the concept of human rights;
🔻 total control by IT giants over public opinion.
Society
🔻 decriminalisation and legalisation of drug use;
🔻 LGBT agenda;
🔻 radical feminism;
🔻 “critical race theory”.
Technology
🔻 promoting individualism;
🔻 technological permissiveness;
🔻 biomedicine.
❗️The entire neoliberal agenda is, in one way or another, a product of big money, designed to serve the interests of transnational corporations through political, economic, and social shackles.
<...>
The goal of the intellectual and political community, which cares about the future of its own people, is to identify & consistently neutralise any threats to the original way of life and traditional values, which are crucial to Russia’s full-scale and successful development in the 21st century.
Read in full
Why is choosing traditional values so important?
💬 Russia, as well as other countries, has launched and is conducting an in-depth revision of ideas that were assimilated, at first glance. These ideas largely shaped the economic, political & cultural world that emerged after the Cold War.
Without renouncing science & technological progress, the advantages of participating in the international division of labour, we are discarding the gloomy wraith of perceptions and ideological concepts adopted in the well-known historical environment of the late 1980s and the 1990s.
Russia is once again facing foreign attempts to hamper its development. One of the main directions of attack comes in the form of the Western values agenda.
👉 It would be appropriate to analyse the paradigm of neo-liberal values in greater detail and to divide it into four tentative aspects:
Economics
🔻 dominance of the US dollar;
🔻 commodities and sales markets that are open to Western capital;
🔻 eco-extremism.
Politics
🔻 power by a minority of society over the rest of it;
🔻 “free and fair” elections;
🔻 distort the concept of human rights;
🔻 total control by IT giants over public opinion.
Society
🔻 decriminalisation and legalisation of drug use;
🔻 LGBT agenda;
🔻 radical feminism;
🔻 “critical race theory”.
Technology
🔻 promoting individualism;
🔻 technological permissiveness;
🔻 biomedicine.
❗️The entire neoliberal agenda is, in one way or another, a product of big money, designed to serve the interests of transnational corporations through political, economic, and social shackles.
<...>
The goal of the intellectual and political community, which cares about the future of its own people, is to identify & consistently neutralise any threats to the original way of life and traditional values, which are crucial to Russia’s full-scale and successful development in the 21st century.
Read in full
#Opinion by Maria Zakharova
Annalena Baerbock on the OSCE Ministerial Council: “Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov appears in the hall only when he speaks himself, not to listen to others.”
💬 For some reason, a year ago, she was not worried that Sergey Lavrov did not appear in the hall at all, because the Polish chair did not invite Russia to the meeting.
It is a pity she did not say before how much she was looking forward to gazing upon Lavrov in the hall. Surely then, out of compassion for her, the NATO countries would not have prevented the Russian delegation from attending international forums.
If you have a chance, please tell Annalena that all remarks at the ministerial meetings are broadcast online. It is possible to listen to all of them in any part of the globe. But you have to be in the hall to make a speech.
Annalena Baerbock on the OSCE Ministerial Council: “Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov appears in the hall only when he speaks himself, not to listen to others.”
💬 For some reason, a year ago, she was not worried that Sergey Lavrov did not appear in the hall at all, because the Polish chair did not invite Russia to the meeting.
It is a pity she did not say before how much she was looking forward to gazing upon Lavrov in the hall. Surely then, out of compassion for her, the NATO countries would not have prevented the Russian delegation from attending international forums.
If you have a chance, please tell Annalena that all remarks at the ministerial meetings are broadcast online. It is possible to listen to all of them in any part of the globe. But you have to be in the hall to make a speech.
🇷🇺🇲🇰🇲🇹 On November 30, on the sidelines of the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in Skopje, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia and OSCE Chairman-in-Office Bujar Osmani and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta and future OSCE Chairman-in-Office Ian Borg.
The state of affairs in the OSCE was discussed. The Russian Side emphasised that in order for the organisation to overcome its current deep crisis and return to its normal activity, it is necessary to resume a mutually respectful and equal dialogue between the Member States, observe the fundamental rule of consensus, and strictly follow the Rules of Procedure.
The state of affairs in the OSCE was discussed. The Russian Side emphasised that in order for the organisation to overcome its current deep crisis and return to its normal activity, it is necessary to resume a mutually respectful and equal dialogue between the Member States, observe the fundamental rule of consensus, and strictly follow the Rules of Procedure.
🇨🇫 On December 1, the Central African Republic (CAR), marks the Republic Day.
European colonisers started arriving to the territories of the present-day CAR back in the late XIX century. Until 1958, CAR was a French colony and part of French Equatorial Africa known as Ubangi-Shari.
The proud Africans fiercely resisted the conquest of their land by foreign invaders. The rebellions flared up even in the XX century but were cruelly suppressed by the colonialist regime.
🕯 The population of Central Africa went through many ordeals. Testimonies of the locals were recorded of the atrocities committed by members of the French concession companies. The number of victims of these crimes remains unknown to this day.
The French administration practiced forced labour which led to deaths among the indigenous people as a result of exhaustion and illness due to poor conditions.
A referendum held in 1958 dissolved French Equatorial Africa, and on December 1, 1958, the Central African Republic was established and granted autonomy as part of the French Community (gained full independence in 1960).
🤝 Diplomatic relations between the USSR and CAR were established on December 7, 1960, and since then our countries are bound by strong ties of friendship and cooperation. Today, Russia and CAR continue to show a mutual commitment to developing versatile political, trade, economic and humanitarian cooperation 🇷🇺🇨🇫
🎉 We congratulate our colleagues and friends from Central Africa on their national holiday and wish them stability, prosperity and well-being!
#RussiaCAR #RussiaAfrica
European colonisers started arriving to the territories of the present-day CAR back in the late XIX century. Until 1958, CAR was a French colony and part of French Equatorial Africa known as Ubangi-Shari.
The proud Africans fiercely resisted the conquest of their land by foreign invaders. The rebellions flared up even in the XX century but were cruelly suppressed by the colonialist regime.
🕯 The population of Central Africa went through many ordeals. Testimonies of the locals were recorded of the atrocities committed by members of the French concession companies. The number of victims of these crimes remains unknown to this day.
The French administration practiced forced labour which led to deaths among the indigenous people as a result of exhaustion and illness due to poor conditions.
A referendum held in 1958 dissolved French Equatorial Africa, and on December 1, 1958, the Central African Republic was established and granted autonomy as part of the French Community (gained full independence in 1960).
🤝 Diplomatic relations between the USSR and CAR were established on December 7, 1960, and since then our countries are bound by strong ties of friendship and cooperation. Today, Russia and CAR continue to show a mutual commitment to developing versatile political, trade, economic and humanitarian cooperation 🇷🇺🇨🇫
🎉 We congratulate our colleagues and friends from Central Africa on their national holiday and wish them stability, prosperity and well-being!
#RussiaCAR #RussiaAfrica
🔴 #LIVE: Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions following the OSCE Ministerial Council in Skopje
🔗 https://twitter.com/mfa_russia/status/1730521609599881364
🔗 https://www.ruptly.tv/event_route?link_id=319350ec-cd39-4f95-badf-dc74045d5b3a&provider_id=14
🔗 https://mid.ru/en/press_service/video
🔗 https://www.facebook.com/MIDRussia/videos/1703340953476414
🔗 https://twitter.com/mfa_russia/status/1730521609599881364
🔗 https://www.ruptly.tv/event_route?link_id=319350ec-cd39-4f95-badf-dc74045d5b3a&provider_id=14
🔗 https://mid.ru/en/press_service/video
🔗 https://www.facebook.com/MIDRussia/videos/1703340953476414
🎙 Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova (Moscow, November 29, 2023)
🔹 FM Sergey Lavrov’s schedule
🔹 Ukrainian crisis
🔹 Palestinian-Israeli conflict
🔹 Evacuation of Russian citizens from the Gaza Strip
🔹 Situation regarding the Scythian Gold collection
🔹 Situation in Moldova
🔹 Monroe Doctrine’s 200th anniversary
🔹 ParaType fonts and keyboard layouts embrace Extended Cyrillic
and much more...
📚 Read in full
📹 Watch
#Moldova
We can see that as the December meeting of the EU Council approaches, at which launching talks on Moldova’s accession to the European Union will be considered, the Moldovan leadership is scaling up its anti-Russia rhetoric.
☝️ We have said many times that Russia is not a threat either to the Moldovan state or to the friendly Moldovan people. Fortunately, the citizens of Moldova are well aware of their history <...>. We believe that any attempts to erase the cultural and ethnic code of the people of Moldova and break their centuries-old ties with Russia are futile.
#ScythianGold
The Netherlands’ decision to return the exhibit items from the Crimea: Gold and Secrets from the Black Sea, which belong to four Crimean museums, to Kiev is unlawful in terms of museum exchange practice, as we have pointed out on many occasions, and dishonest in terms of universal human morals.
👉 The Hague has delivered a painful blow at Crimea’s cultural and historical heritage and has actually become an accomplice to the seizing of the unique artefacts that were unearthed in Crimea and have been kept in Crimean museums.
#MiddleEast
On November 24, 2023, Israeli authorities and the HAMAS movement began implementing the Qatar-brokered agreement on a short truce and the release of some hostages from among women and children in the Gaza Strip in exchange for Palestinian inmates at Israeli prisons.
🤝 We praise the effective mediatory efforts of Qatar and Egypt, and we have noted this from the beginning. This important compromise was possible largely due to their work.
🔹 FM Sergey Lavrov’s schedule
🔹 Ukrainian crisis
🔹 Palestinian-Israeli conflict
🔹 Evacuation of Russian citizens from the Gaza Strip
🔹 Situation regarding the Scythian Gold collection
🔹 Situation in Moldova
🔹 Monroe Doctrine’s 200th anniversary
🔹 ParaType fonts and keyboard layouts embrace Extended Cyrillic
and much more...
📚 Read in full
📹 Watch
#Moldova
We can see that as the December meeting of the EU Council approaches, at which launching talks on Moldova’s accession to the European Union will be considered, the Moldovan leadership is scaling up its anti-Russia rhetoric.
☝️ We have said many times that Russia is not a threat either to the Moldovan state or to the friendly Moldovan people. Fortunately, the citizens of Moldova are well aware of their history <...>. We believe that any attempts to erase the cultural and ethnic code of the people of Moldova and break their centuries-old ties with Russia are futile.
#ScythianGold
The Netherlands’ decision to return the exhibit items from the Crimea: Gold and Secrets from the Black Sea, which belong to four Crimean museums, to Kiev is unlawful in terms of museum exchange practice, as we have pointed out on many occasions, and dishonest in terms of universal human morals.
👉 The Hague has delivered a painful blow at Crimea’s cultural and historical heritage and has actually become an accomplice to the seizing of the unique artefacts that were unearthed in Crimea and have been kept in Crimean museums.
#MiddleEast
On November 24, 2023, Israeli authorities and the HAMAS movement began implementing the Qatar-brokered agreement on a short truce and the release of some hostages from among women and children in the Gaza Strip in exchange for Palestinian inmates at Israeli prisons.
🤝 We praise the effective mediatory efforts of Qatar and Egypt, and we have noted this from the beginning. This important compromise was possible largely due to their work.
✍️The Antarctic Treaty, signed on this day in 1959, formalised the status quo regarding territorial claims and principles regulating the activities of all states in the Antarctic region.
🧊 The Antarctic region includes the continent of Antarctica, which was discovered in 1820 by members of a Russian expedition that circumnavigated the world led by Russian seafarers Faddey Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev, as well as the surrounding sectors of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans.
🧊 Other countries, including the United Kingdom, Norway, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, France and Argentina, made territorial claims to parts of the continent and its adjacent waters.
🧊The Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959 and with no expiration date, effectively froze all territorial claims. It prohibited any disputes over claims and the formalisation of sovereignty over specific sectors.
🧊 Additionally, the document explicitly prohibited military activities in the Antarctic and emphasised the freedom of scientific research, free information exchange and cooperation throughout the region.
🧊 To date, the treaty has been signed by 54 states, with 29 (including Russia) having the status of consultative members with decision-making powers.
🧊 Several conventions were subsequently signed, regulating relations on various aspects of regional development. Collectively, they are known as the Antarctic Treaty system.
🇷🇺 The updated Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation states that Russia aims to prioritise efforts to preserve and effectively implement the Antarctic Treaty system, as well as contribute to its progressive development.
🧊 The Antarctic region includes the continent of Antarctica, which was discovered in 1820 by members of a Russian expedition that circumnavigated the world led by Russian seafarers Faddey Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev, as well as the surrounding sectors of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans.
🧊 Other countries, including the United Kingdom, Norway, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, France and Argentina, made territorial claims to parts of the continent and its adjacent waters.
🧊The Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959 and with no expiration date, effectively froze all territorial claims. It prohibited any disputes over claims and the formalisation of sovereignty over specific sectors.
🧊 Additionally, the document explicitly prohibited military activities in the Antarctic and emphasised the freedom of scientific research, free information exchange and cooperation throughout the region.
🧊 To date, the treaty has been signed by 54 states, with 29 (including Russia) having the status of consultative members with decision-making powers.
🧊 Several conventions were subsequently signed, regulating relations on various aspects of regional development. Collectively, they are known as the Antarctic Treaty system.
🇷🇺 The updated Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation states that Russia aims to prioritise efforts to preserve and effectively implement the Antarctic Treaty system, as well as contribute to its progressive development.
👉 This famous military commander won his first major victory as early as 1939 by defeating Japan during the Battles of Khalkhin Gol and forcing the adversary to abandon the idea of launching a full-scale invasion of the USSR. With Zhukov serving as Deputy Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the Great Patriotic War showcased his talents as a military commander.
It was Zhukov’s resolve that enabled the USSR to withstand the first months of the war with their immense challenges. He headed the front at a critical moment when there were almost no troops left between the advancing Nazi forces and Moscow and the command had to urgently find reserves and create new units. It was Zhukov who led the troops in August 1941 when they liberated Yelnya, marking the USSR’s first triumph in the fight against Nazism.
☝️A strategic genius, Zhukov had the ability to turn the tide in the most challenging sections along the Soviet-German front. Not only did he prevent the Nazis from seizing Leningrad, but he also made a decisive contribution to the defence of Moscow, and coordinated four fronts during the Battle of Kursk. It is symbolic that he headed the 1st Byelorussian Front during the Berlin Offensive and accepted Germany’s surrender, as well as presided over the first ever Victory Parade.
After the war, Zhukov served as First Deputy Minister and later Minister of Defence of the USSR, carrying out major reforms within the Soviet army. After retiring from the military, he focused on writing, as well as engaging in historical and educational activities.
✍️ From Zhukov’s memoirs: Serving the Motherland and my people was what mattered most to me. <...> I did everything to fulfil this duty.
#Victory78 #WeRemember
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🎙 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statement and answers to media questions following the 30th OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting
📍 Skopje, December 1, 2023
I regret that we have approached the 30th OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in an atmosphere that is not conducive to anniversary celebrations. We are seeing the complete degradation of everything that has been created within the OSCE (previously within this Conference) in all three security dimensions.
We have become convinced that our Western colleagues have not learned any lessons from their disastrous policy line towards destroying the OSCE. They continue to finish it off with a zeal worthy of better use.
👉 Everything has been destroyed in the military-political area. They refused to ratify the Adapted CFE Treaty and many other agreements that helped maintain a security balance.
👉 Everything has been destroyed in the economic area as well. This second “basket” was demolished by the unprecedented sanctions that the EU and the US have imposed on the Russia Federation.
👉 There is nothing to say about human rights. No problems at all arose for many years despite the killing of children, women and civilians in general, and the full trade and economic blockade of Donbass and the suspension of water supplies to Russian Crimea.
The Macedonian Chairmanship set the right motto – “It’s about people.” During yesterday’s working lunch, I told my colleagues that when talking about people we were referring to all citizens of the OSCE countries and even “non-citizens” that are kept in this shameful status in Latvia and Estonia.
🤦♂️ In reality, it appears that all this excitement and concern about people is limited to the four heads of the OSCE offices. At any rate, I cannot reach any other conclusion from the nervous activity of our Western colleagues.
I do not care about the outcome of this get-together and the attempts to bargain for an extra day or week to continue the crude violation of all OSCE principles.
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📍 Skopje, December 1, 2023
I regret that we have approached the 30th OSCE Ministerial Council meeting in an atmosphere that is not conducive to anniversary celebrations. We are seeing the complete degradation of everything that has been created within the OSCE (previously within this Conference) in all three security dimensions.
We have become convinced that our Western colleagues have not learned any lessons from their disastrous policy line towards destroying the OSCE. They continue to finish it off with a zeal worthy of better use.
👉 Everything has been destroyed in the military-political area. They refused to ratify the Adapted CFE Treaty and many other agreements that helped maintain a security balance.
👉 Everything has been destroyed in the economic area as well. This second “basket” was demolished by the unprecedented sanctions that the EU and the US have imposed on the Russia Federation.
👉 There is nothing to say about human rights. No problems at all arose for many years despite the killing of children, women and civilians in general, and the full trade and economic blockade of Donbass and the suspension of water supplies to Russian Crimea.
The Macedonian Chairmanship set the right motto – “It’s about people.” During yesterday’s working lunch, I told my colleagues that when talking about people we were referring to all citizens of the OSCE countries and even “non-citizens” that are kept in this shameful status in Latvia and Estonia.
🤦♂️ In reality, it appears that all this excitement and concern about people is limited to the four heads of the OSCE offices. At any rate, I cannot reach any other conclusion from the nervous activity of our Western colleagues.
I do not care about the outcome of this get-together and the attempts to bargain for an extra day or week to continue the crude violation of all OSCE principles.
Read in full