Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks at the opening of the SCO National Peoples' Diplomacy Centre, Moscow, June 30, 2023
30 June 2023 15:58
1289-30-06-2023
Ladies and gentlemen,
Friends,
Good afternoon.
I am delighted to attend the opening of the National Peoples' Diplomacy Centre of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Russia, created at the initiative of the Eurasian Peoples' Assembly. I would like to use this occasion to express gratitude to the assembly members and its Secretary General, Andrey Belyaninov, for this much needed, interesting and promising initiative.
The operation of the National Centre will undoubtedly help to strengthen friendship and cooperation between the general public of the SCO countries and to promote an objective view of Russia in the SCO space and beyond it. The centre will be fully based on fundamental SCO principles, such as openness, mutual trust, equality, non-directedness against third countries, respect for cultural diversity and a striving for joint constructive development.
The SCO is a pillar of the evolving multipolar world, based on the UN Charter, the philosophy of equal and indivisible security, and the right of nations to choose their future themselves. Our organisation is an excellent example of truly multilateral diplomacy. Countries with different political systems and distinctive values and traditions are effectively collaborating within the framework of the organisation in many areas. There are no drivers or driven among our countries, which take decisions by consensus. We apply in practice a fundamental principle of the UN Charter, namely, the sovereign equality of states.
It is no accident that more countries are willing to develop ties with the SCO. At the upcoming meeting of the SCO Heads of State Council on July 4, we will formalise the full membership of Iran, sign a memorandum of obligations for Belarus and launch the procedure for its full accession to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
We welcome the new dialogue partners of the SCO. Together with the new members and dialogue partners, the SCO space covers territory from Europe and the Middle East to South and Southeast Asia. We also continue to discuss additional applications from interested countries.
Our current priority is to make use of this powerful and ever-growing potential. A process of comprehensive improvement of the SCO's activities with due regard for the new geopolitical realities has been launched at Russia's initiative. Its goal is to further improve the standards of our cooperation in politics, the economy, security and culture, and to build up the efficiency of permanent SCO bodies. We are prioritising the substance and parameters of cooperation with dialogue partners and other external parties.
The organisation's legal framework and constructive groundwork are sufficient for building up joint efforts against security threats and challenges. The existing policy documents and concepts promote effective trade, economic and investment cooperation. The SCO member states continue working to promote their transport, logistics and infrastructure connectivity, to strengthen their food and energy security, as well as to protect themselves from the effects of the Western countries' illegal unilateral measures.
We are working together to realise our achievements in practical projects in the common SCO format. Another pillar of the SCO is our humanitarian relations. I would like to mention the dynamic development of our ties in culture, healthcare, science, education, tourism and youth affairs. I have no doubt that the SCO's National Peoples' Diplomacy Centre in Russia will make a substantial contribution to the development of our cooperation in these areas.
As far as I know, the successful experience of similar organisations operating in China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan was considered during the establishment of this centre in Russia. The Foreign Ministry is willing to provide all-round support and assistance to the development of such a mechanism and centre in Russia. We are ready to work closely with all SCO countries towards strengthening its prestige and promoting the ideals of a fair and democratic multipolar world.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
