On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stressed ensuring access to a “multi-polar” world.
Lavrov said in a speech to the Russian Parliament: “We must ensure a multipolar world.”
He added, “The majority of countries in the world do not want to live under a system dominated by the West.”
On his country’s relationship with China, Lavrov said, “We are working to strengthen relations with China, bearing in mind that relations with Beijing have reached an unprecedented historical level of strategic cooperation.”
The Russian official also confirmed work to “strengthen relations with India, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and African countries.”
On February 3, Lavrov accused the European Union of adopting “colonial methods” by imposing sanctions on countries.
He indicated at the time, on the sidelines of a periodic meeting he held with one of the committees of the ruling United Russia party in the country, that his country is strengthening partnership with China and says that relations are “developing significantly,” adding that “Russian relations with Latin American countries are developing.”
Lavrov said, “The West hopes to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia so that it will not be able to recover for decades while we are in the heart of a geopolitical battle.”
extraordinary meeting
On the other hand, RIA Novosti news agency quoted a prominent lawmaker as saying that the upper house of the Russian parliament will hold an extraordinary meeting on February 22.
The head of the agency’s Federal Council committee, Vyacheslav Timchenko, said the meeting would focus on approving laws related to the integration of 4 regions into the Russian Federation.
Moscow moved last year to annex four Ukrainian regions, Hedonetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson, a move that was condemned by most United Nations member states as illegal.
President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to deliver his annual address to a joint meeting of both chambers of parliament on February 21.