Russian foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke Friday, July 10, at the final online session of the international forum “Primakov reading – 2020”, dedicated to Russia in postpandemic the world. The Minister of foreign Affairs shared his views on the challenges the world faces in terms of pandering crisis.
“the same Assessment that the return to normalcy will take time, – began his speech the head of Russian diplomacy. – No one knows how many. And nobody knows what is this normal life. But all agree that some changes will inevitably follow.”
According to Sergei Lavrov, coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated all available before the challenges and threats. Not disappeared nor terrorism (and, according to the Minister, there is already speculation about what the terrorists are thinking, how they use strains of coronavirus, and can be, and create new strains for their nefarious purposes), neither drugs nor crime, nor the problems of the environment and climate change. And of course, have not disappeared numerous conflicts in different regions of the world.
“all this – said the Minister of foreign Affairs, – is the specificity of the administration of the tramp and the line at deliberately subverting all, without exception, legal mechanisms and arms control, and cooperation in the international arena”
as examples Sergei Lavrov mentioned UNESCO, who, the UN Council on human rights and other structures, the release of which was announced by Washington.
“Not all in a pandemic are ready to work in the United States,” – said the foreign Minister, pointing to attempts to use the current crisis to “continue to stifle unwanted modes”.
Among the points raised during the online discussion topics discussed was the growing confrontation between the United States and China. According to Sergei Lavrov, the degree of confrontation between Washington and Beijing is concerned: “I Hope that our Chinese and American colleagues still have in stock some diplomatic methods, the methods of classical diplomacy when you need to not insult each other publicly, not to accuse each other of all sins, as do the Americans at each corner, and sit down and admit that you are one of the great powers.”
About the specifics of the completed “Acceptance of the readings”, which at the beginning of his speech head of the Russian foreign Ministry called young, but one of the most authoritative platforms for the discussion of international relations, “MK” told the Director of IMEMO them. E. M. Primakov, Russian Academy of Sciences, corresponding member of RAS, Professor, Russian Academy of Sciences Fedor seminar was chaired by
– this year we held the sixth “Primakov’s reading.” Unfortunately, due to objective circumstances I had to spend them in an online format. But we tried with��to keep discussion acute. Although this year we are less attracted foreign participants, the main task was to show the scientific and expert community that this area is working and continue those discussions that we started at our previous forums. Limited opportunities did not stop us to attract leading experts and representatives of the foreign Ministry. We are very pleased that two of the Deputy Minister of foreign Affairs, and ambassadors, and the Minister Sergei Lavrov has taken an active part in our forum.
as for topics, we began with the most pressing topics – from pandemic coronavirus and its impact on the global economy, politics, trends in the field of international security. This topic requires not only ongoing monitoring and analysis, but also an understanding of its long-term strategic consequences.
We have tried to discuss in the course of “Readings” to discuss topics that, if not associated with the current position in the world economy, socio-economic and political consequences coronavirus pandemic, you are most acute from the point of view of the development of the international situation.
It is primarily the relations between the US and China. In the course of the pandemic, we saw that in the political sphere, these relations continue to worsen. They get worse and from the point of view of interaction in the sphere of security in the Asia-Pacific region and wider.
at the same time, despite the continuing deep economic ties between the United States and China, there are very significant progress in trade-economic, technology. There are elements of deep interpenetration of the two economies – and at the same time increasing competition.
We tried to look at the future of the European Union. How will relations between the U.S. and China, the European Union and China.
Drew attention to the situation in the middle East. There were many interesting discussions: the situation in Syria, the Libyan problem, development of the Iranian nuclear program and us-Iran relations.
seriously, we tried to highlight the problems of arms control. The situation here is very sharp. We understand that it is very ambiguous situation with the extension of the Treaty on the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms. While the American side is sending very mixed signals about this. We have seen the results (or rather, the lack thereof) talks in Vienna. Some dialogue going, but with great difficulties. Our diplomacy is faced here with great opposition.
of Course, if in February next year, the Treaty on the reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms will cease to exist, combined with the situation that arose with the US withdrawal from the Treaty likvidatii of intermediate-range and shorter-range, nothing good can not wait and we will see further deterioration in the military-political sphere.
a Separate and very important topic discussed at the “Primako readings”, was the situation in South Asia and the Asia-Pacific region: relations India and China relations in the “quadrangle” USA-Russia-India-China.
– in the Summer of 2019 at the “Primako readings” sounded wording, according to which past year was named “lost”. And what about the unusual in all respects by 2020?
– “Lost” is not one of them. He’s lost only from the perspective of finding compromises in the sphere of arms control. Here it is lost almost completely. If we don’t wait till the Americans decide to extend the start Treaty, it will be a very strong blow to international security and strategic stability and us-Russian relations. And, even indirectly, the blow will be inflicted on the system of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. Because if between Russia and the USA are crumbling the Foundation agreement, you should not expect that will be true of the Declaration of Washington on some of the multilateral mechanisms in the sphere of arms control involving China. And of course, those countries that are “threshold”, will want to acquire nuclear weapons, because the situation is heating up, and the arms race will grow. From this point of view, the year 2020 may become “lost”. The risks are very high.
From the point of view of economic it was, is and will be a very tough year for the global economy. Hard to say how and with what losses it will come out of the current crisis, which really began to take shape somewhat earlier, even before the pandemic. But pandemic has made him such a dynamic, hit entire economic sectors of the leading countries and the United States, and part of China (although here the losses are much smaller), and many EU countries. And, of course, created difficulties for our economy. There are different scenarios out of the crisis. There are V-shaped scenario that allows global economy relatively quickly to survive the loss of the first half. There are more pessimistic scenarios – it all depends on whether the second wave of the pandemic, and how it will manifest itself. Of course, society and the state is more ready than it was recently. It is hoped that they will be able to overcome it. But while there are very serious difficulties even in the developed countries, expect that everything will be easy, it is not necessary.
