Latest events show true face of West trying to impose its rules — Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
©Sergey Bulkin/TASS

The latest events on the global stage have revealed the true face of the West which aspires to impose its order on the world, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting in Nizhny Novgorod.

"The recent international events have taken the masks off those who until now verbally claimed almost the exclusive right to determine so-called universal values advertised as a rules-based order," the top Russian diplomat said.

Lavrov noted that the supporters of this concept are trying to impose the norms and mechanisms of interaction that benefit only them, replacing equitable and honest dialogue with narrow coalitions which act covertly and appropriate the right to speak and act on behalf of the entire world.

That said, the US and its allies do not give up on attempting to hold on to their slipping domination and slow down the objective processes of multipolarity being shaped, the Russian foreign minister noted.

"They are wielding economic instruments as a weapon, trying, by sanctions pressure and financial blackmail, to influence the choice of development models and trade partners by sovereign states," Lavrov added.

Russian FM Lavrov Opens Meeting of BRICS’ Top Diplomats

The Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod is hosting a two-day meeting of BRICS foreign ministers. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is to chair the gathering from June 10 to 11.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov opens the two-day meeting of the foreign ministers of the BRICS countries in Nizhny Novgorod.

The Foreign Ministers’ meeting is part of a series of events organized by Russia as part of its 2024 BRICS presidency agenda.

China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Dr Naledi Pandor, Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry, Brazil’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira are among those attending. Turkiye's Foreign minister Hakan Fidan is to participate in the extended format of the gathering.

The meeting is the first after BRICS (Russia, China, India, Brazil, and South Africa) was joined by new members: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The meeting will also take place in the Outreach/BRICS plus format to boost engagement with countries of the Global South and East.

Participants plan to discuss “international relations, improvement of the global governance system with emphasis on strengthening the role of developing countries, conflict resolution, and interaction in leading multilateral platforms," said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. Further steps to develop the strategic partnership within the fold of BRICS will be considered, with attention paid to preparations for the 16th BRICS summit in Kazan.