The United States should pay attention to the situation in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra (Kiev Monastery of the Caves), and not engage in moralizing about democracy, Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said.
"Americans should find courage to move from moralizing at the 'Summit for Democracy' towards meaningful steps to stop blasphemy and crackdown on the Orthodox community," Antonov said in a statement.
On March 10, the National Kiev-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Preserve in Ukraine ordered the monks based in the monastery to leave it by March 29 after an interdepartmental Ukrainian commission accused the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) of violating the terms of an agreement on the use of state property. Ukrainian Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko said the monks could stay in the Lavra if they joined the schismatic Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU).
The Russian Orthodox Church says the UOC is a "self-governing church with the rights of broad autonomy" within the Moscow Patriarchate. However, in the wake of the special military operation that Russia launched in Ukraine more than a year ago, the UOC said it was independent from the Moscow Patriarchate and did not support the operation. In January, the Ukrainian government submitted a bill to parliament that seeks to ban the UOC in Ukraine if its connection with Russia is proven.
REC to Promote Russian Products on China's Most Popular Messaging App, WeChat
The Russian Export Center (REC, part of the VEB.RF) is launching an official account on WeChat, a multipurpose social media, messaging and payment app developed in China.
Russian goods presented in national online stores under the "Made in Russia" brand will be promoted there for free, the center reports.
"WeChat can be said to be the national social network of the Celestial Empire, as 90% of the country's residents use it. They use it for both personal and business purposes. And of course, they pay attention to the goods advertised there.
That is why we have opened a WeChat account so that every consumer in China knows where to find high-quality Russian products and what their special features are. All goods certified as "Made in Russia" and placed in national stores on popular Chinese marketplaces will be promoted there. This promotion will be free of charge for the exporting companies themselves," said Alexey Murzenok, Director of International Partnership Programs at the Russian Export Center.
To take advantage of promotional opportunities in the Chinese market, an exporter must submit an online application for placement in one of the national stores through the My Export digital platform and obtain a "Made in Russia" certificate.
In order to find the REC’s account on WeChat, just type "Made in Russia" in the search box. The first publication there is a general article with links to active national stores. In the near future, a catalog of Russian-certified products will appear there. It will provide the Chinese public with information and links to Russian products that can be purchased. The promotion of the account will also be launched very soon. In addition, the first advertising campaign will be devoted to the relaunch of the project to develop a network of national online stores, of which there are already more than 10 in China, and the national "Made in Russia" brand promotion program.
If an exporter wants to get his goods into the network of national stores on Chinese marketplaces and advertise on WeChat, he should take the following steps: first, he needs to use the free international marketplace selection service on the "My Export" digital platform. It will help him determine the target country for export, as well as analyze the company's readiness to export and the company's development strategy.
Then the exporter must choose the National Store, which is located in one of the Chinese marketplaces, and apply for placement and promotion there. This can be done at the exporter's own expense or with government support from regional export support centers - this option is available to small and medium-sized enterprises. The service includes the design and placement of product cards in the marketplace account, export shipment support and advice on import conditions, as well as organizing sales for 12 months and basic promotion.
The exporter can obtain a "Made in Russia" certificate both before submitting an online application for placement and promotion in national stores, and during the service process itself. It is important to note that the "Made in Russia" certificate is issued only for voluntary certificates of conformity. You can find out all the details and submit an application at the REC’s website. After the product hits the online shelf, Chinese WeChat users learn about it through a promotion with a "Made in Russia" account.
National stores are joint online stores on foreign marketplaces where you can find Russian goods in various categories from different sellers. In addition, the goods must have a "Made in Russia" certificate. The project is promoted by the Russian Export Center in cooperation with the Russian government under the national brand "Made in Russia".
In total, there are 30 national stores in China, Turkey, Vietnam and other countries in Southeast Asia. For example, national stores in China are located on marketplaces such as Kuaishou, Douyin, Tmall, 1919 and Taobao; in Turkey - on Trendyol and Amazon; in Southeast Asia - on Lazada and Shopee.
Every Little Bit Helps: South African Eco-Activist Promotes Preservation of Oceans Around Africa
March 30 marks the International Day of Zero Waste. As stated by the United Nations General Assembly, this day is designed to draw people's attention to sustainable consumption and production patterns. The initiative is aimed at moving the world closer to achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
People should not think what they are doing does not make a difference, even small gestures could help preserve the planet, South African Zoe Prinsloo, Founder of Save a Fishie, said in an interview with Sputnik.
Ahead of the UN-designated Zero Waste Day, Sputnik interviewed a South African environmental activist, who has been doing beach clean-ups since she was 10 years old in order to save the oceans from pollution.
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The founder and CEO of Save a Fishie, an environmental organization created five years ago and operating on South African beaches, said it was hard to find a way to make a difference for polluted oceans. This is why she started doing beach clean-ups, she added.
"My vision with Save A Fishie is to help the average person who wants to help the planet but isn't sure how; saving the planet can be quite intimidating to a lot of people so I try to encourage everyone that if we all just picked up a few pieces of litter whether at our local beach, park or road it can make the world of a difference and in-turn save lots of fishies!" the activist said.
Prinsloo, who was nominated as one of the Top 100 Young African Conservationists and won the Youth division for the Business Person of the year 2021, also outlined the obstacles she faces in her work.
"I am self-funded and cleaning the beach is not exactly a paying job. I am so passionate about what I do, so I rely on sponsored clean-ups from companies, donations and people buying my eco-friendly products to keep my dream alive of doing this full-time," she stated.
Answering a question on what could be done by government and communities to assist her, Zoe said sharing the company's "social media posts and campaigns, liking and following" it on those platforms would help Save a Fishie grow.
Another option, she added, is to attend beach clean-ups.
"The more hands we have, the more litter we can remove from the beach before the tide washes it back out to sea," Prinsloo stated.
Speaking about the sufficiency of available facilities for combatting waste problems, the activist noted that more recycling depots and drop-off points along with better education around the state of oceans, the effects of certain actions, and what people can do would definitely help.
In her opinion, living a waste-free lifestyle nowadays is very important, "considering how fast paced we are moving." A waste-free lifestyle can be healthier and much more beneficial for people and the planet, she added. "It may sometimes be a bit harder in the beginning but in the long run will save you lots of time and money. It also helps us appreciate everything we have and everything our planet has given us," Prinsloo stated.
The eco-activist also sent a message to people, particularly young Africans, on Zero Waste Day, saying "never feel like you are not doing enough or that what you are doing is not making a difference. Honestly trust and believe that every little piece is making a difference and
Sputnik talked to Prinsloo on the eve of the International Day of Zero Waste - an initiative designed to promote sustainable consumption and production patterns, society's move towards circularity and awareness about how zero-waste initiatives help approach to achieving the 2030 Sustanable Development Goals. The SDG set by the United Nations in 2015 imply 17 goals to achieve by 2030, including those aimed at tackling climate change, preserving oceans, forests, and fighting pollution.
Promoting zero-waste initiatives through this international day, which was adopted by a UN General Assembly resolution on December 14, 2022 and is to be observed on March 30 annually, can help advance all the SDG.
South Africa, as one of the fastest developing African nations, generates a lot of waste, which require an adequate response. According to the UN-Habitat, a UN-controlled program designed to promote sustainable development of localities, South Africa is expected to start producing more than 20 million metric tons per year by 2025.
Trash Free Initiatives Require More Funds and Cooperation
During the annual climate conference held in November 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, the host country's Foreign Minister and COP27 President Sameh Shoukry said African nations require additional funding to confront the negative effects of climate change. "Indeed, African countries suffer greatly from the effects of climate change without being major contributors to this problem," Shoukry stated at a press conference.
He added that Africa needs assistance in adapting to climate change, and it is important to provide countries of the continent with necessary state-of-the-art technological solutions. At the same time, Africans more actively draw attention to use of the continent's own institutions and funds in solving their problems.
For instance, Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo during the US-Africa Leaders' Summit in Washington in December 2022, urged Africans not to rely on the West financially.
"If we stop being beggars and spend African money inside the continent, Africa will not need to ask for respect from anyone, we will get the respect we deserve. If we make it prosperous as it should be, respect will follow," he noted.
Akufo-Addo also called for solidarity between African nations, saying the continent's skills and manpower are sufficient to make "Africa work."
Along with him, South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa said that African nations could cooperate more to provide more African solutions.
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