The world is tired of dividing lines, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a video message on behalf of the CSTO member states at the UN General Assembly.
"It is unfortunate that today military conflicts continue unabated in various regions, supplemented by a number of challenging threats the world is facing today: international terrorism, drug trafficking, cybercrime, and climate change. This year, another major challenge was added to this list: the coronavirus pandemic that sparked grave socioeconomic and other crises," the diplomat said.
According to him, with every year, responding to these and many other global issues is becoming increasingly challenging, especially as the international community is becoming increasingly fragmented. This is largely attributable to the fact that some countries are not willing to account for the legitimate interests of other states, Lavrov stressed.
He pointed out that they are seeking to impose concepts and standards like the “rules-based world order." This is accompanied by attempts to to meddle in the domestic affairs of other states, using unilateral sanctions in violation of the UN Security Council prerogatives, and exhibiting intolerance and hatred.
"However, history runs its course. New economic growth centres are affirming themselves on the international stage, the demand for settling armed conflicts by exclusively peaceful means is growing, and connectivity is on the rise. The world is tired of dividing lines, of separating states into "friends" and "foes", and demands stepping up all-encompassing and inclusive mutual assistance and cooperation. In other words, the goals articulated 75 years ago at the founding of the United Nations are becoming increasingly relevant," the Minister said.
Lavrov also called attempts to revise history and denigrate the role played by the nations that made a decisive contribution to Victory over fascism totally absurd. He urged to remember the lessons of history, honour the exploits of the liberator soldiers and ensure the preservation of monuments erected in their glory.
According to the Russian Foreign Minister, in today’s world, the UN must remain an effective structure carrying out coordinated work strictly in keeping with its Charter; it's not allowed the mandates of the main bodies within the UN system to be diluted or have their responsibilities overlap.
As Lavrov noted, settling conflicts exclusively by peaceful, political and diplomatic means within the framework of internationally recognised negotiating formats and based on international norms must remain among the main objectives for the international community. Expanding cooperation in fighting terrorism and its links with organised crime remains an absolute priority.
The Minister also called to stave off attempts to weaken arms controls, disarmament and non-proliferation frameworks for the sake of global stability.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: MFA
Based on materials RIA Novosti