Vladimir Putin made a video message to the participants in Russian conference "Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Immunology in the 21st Century: From Science to Practice", which is taking place at the Dima Rogachev Center.
This is one of the world’s largest paediatric oncology and haematology clinics.
For Putin, this is a personal story, because his meeting with Dima Rogachev and a team of amazingly caring doctors in August 2005 determined the immediate decision to create a clinic for children with cancer.
The President stressed that in recent years the entire system of care for children with cancer and hematological diseases has been dramatically improved, greatly expanded the use of advanced technologies in the center.
Russian specialists restore the health of nearly 80 percent of their small oncology and haematology patients, and the figure is as high as 90 percent for certain other diseases. This is a great and very important achievement, which the UN and the World Health Organisation have taken note of.
Putin thanked pediatricians for their dedicated work and sensitive attitude towards children and wished them fruitful work.
Vladimir Putin discussed with the leadership of the Defense Ministry and defense industry enterprises issues related to the implementation of the state defense order at a regular military meeting in Sochi on Wednesday.
Despite the difficulties associated with the pandemic, the Russian defense industry fulfilled the state defense order last year by 99.8%.
The President stressed the importance of supplying the troops with advanced weapons and equipment according to the planned schedule.
Separately, he dwelled on issues related to increasing the capabilities of the orbital grouping of military and dual-use spacecraft.
In addition, the participants discussed how the creation of priority types of weapons is proceeding, which are based on high-tech technologies with AI elements.
Inoculation against the coronavirus infection should not be compulsory, yet people themselves should realize the necessity of these jabs, Vladimir Putin noted at a video meeting on economic issues on Wednesday in Sochi.
The fact is that despite the creation of several of its own coronavirus vaccines, the Russian vaccination rate leaves much to be desired. Only about 10% of the country's population has been vaccinated with the first component at the moment. Russia is only in 11th place in this indicator.
It is in this regard that different opinions are expressed about the introduction of compulsory vaccination against coronavirus. Someone speaks about this in relation to the entire population of the country, someone means workers of certain specialties, spheres - those who, by the nature of their work, are in contact with a large number of people.
Putin is confident in the reliability and safety of the Russian coronavirus vaccines and believes that the country has created all the conditions for vaccination.
On Tuesday in Sochi, Vladimir Putin began the already traditional series of defense-related meetings with representatives of the command of the Armed Forces and the Military-Industrial Complex with a discussion of strategic stability and the tools necessary to ensure it.
Thanks to state support, the Defense Industry Complex has successfully passed the period of the pandemic, but there is still a lot of work.
This discussion in Sochi is the first of a series of meetings that the president, holds with the military. Twice a year, he gathers the leadership of the Ministry of Defense and the heads of the largest defense plants to discuss with them the results of the development and the future of the Armed Forces.
Hypersonic missiles and precision weapons are one of the priorities of the current state armaments program, but all of the above is the result of many years of work on the supply of equipment for the Russian military.
Due to the pandemic, last year could be an exception, but both the defense industry and the military themselves, including combat training, managed to fulfill all their plans.
And almost 90% of the commanders of the Russian army have already gained experience in Syria.
What exactly will the Russian army be like in the future ? This question must be answered by the military themselves, with an eye to a possible enemy. The military machine must take into account the development of the advanced armies of the world. But it is clear that one of the main priorities will remain the nuclear deterrent forces, which have been the country's most reliable shield for more than half a century.
Next in line, for example, is the Sarmat ballistic missile with an unrivaled range. And this is just one of the new products that the Russian army is waiting for.
All promising models, according to the president, need to be carefully studied in order to understand which of them will be included in the new state armament program. It will be adopted in 2023 for the next 10 years.
The meeting was attended by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Chief of the General Staff – First Deputy Defence Minister Valery Gerasimov, Deputy Defence Minister Alexei Krivoruchko, Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces Oleg Salyukov, Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces Sergei Surovikin, Commander-in-Chief of the Navy Nikolai Yevmenov, Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff – Deputy Chief of the General Staff Igor Kostyukov, First Deputy Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff Viktor Poznikhir, Head of the 3rd Department of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff Andrei Sterlin. Other officials invited to the meeting included Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov, the heads of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Military-Industrial Commission, the Federal Service for Technical and Export Control, and the Rostec Corporation.
On Tuesday, the Kremlin press center announced the upcoming meeting of the presidents of Russia and the United States.
In accordance with the agreement reached, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin will hold talks with President of the United States of America Joseph Biden in Geneva on June 16.
The state and prospects for the further development of Russian-American relations, strategic stability issues, as well as topical issues on the international agenda, including interaction in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and the settlement of regional conflicts, will be discussed.
The servicemen of the Russian peacekeeping contingent ensured the safety of the visit to the Amaras Christian monastery in Nagorno-Karabakh the group of 80 pilgrims.
Economy, trade and security are the topics of the summit talks in Sochi.
Today Vladimir Putin met with the President of Kyrgyzstan. Sadyr Japarov on a working visit to Russia. And our country, according to him, is the main partner and ally for Bishkek.
Among other things, the leaders discussed the situation on the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, which had been heating up for a long time, until a month ago it escalated into armed clashes. But diplomacy has prevailed - now everything is calm there.
They also talked about mutual trade. Due to the pandemic last year, it decreased, but this years, according to Putin, there has already been an increase.
Cooperation in the fight against covid can also be expanded.
Sergey Lavrov spoke about the reasons that led to the current difficult relations between Russia and Western countries on Friday at a New Knowledge educational marathon.
Russian Armed Forces have recently made a huge leap forward in development, in a number of directions overtaking the most powerful armies in the world, Sergei Shoigu noted on Friday at a Novoye Znaniye (New Knowledge) educational marathon.
We have all seen and heard about the Peresvet laser complex, the Avangard hypersonic and the Zircon ... but the Defense Minister announced that Russia is launching mass production of autonomous combat robots. In addition, Shoigu confirmed active work in the development of the so-called Tomorrow’s Weapons, whatever that means.
Vladimir Putin spoke about ambitious tasks, effective tools and motivation in his welcoming address to the participants of the Novoye Znanie (New Knowledge) online marathon on Saturday.
The head of state stressed that the Russian society Knowledge, which holds this event, sets the right guidelines for choosing a life path and helps young people to realize themselves and not only.
Russia considers statements by Turkish officials about alleged historical and contemporary persecution of Crimean Tatars to be politicized and confrontational, Maria Zakharova said at a press briefing on Friday.
On Friday, Sergei Shoigu turned 66, and also, the Russian Pacific Fleet is also celebrating its 290th anniversary. Vladimir Putin congratulated the Minister of Defense on a double holiday during Security Council meeting.
Vladimir Putin delivers remarks on the formation of the Greater Eurasian Partnership at the EAEU Summit, via videoconference, on Friday.
The meeting was also attended by Acting Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov and Honorary Chairman of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council Nursultan Nazarbayev.
In addition to the heads of the EAEU member-states, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of Cuba Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez have also been invited as heads of EAEU observer states.
Vladimir Putin warned the West against attempts to economically contain Russia through various kinds of sanctions and restrictions, as well as attempts to distort the history of WWII, on Thursday, completing a meeting of the Russian Victory Organizing Committee.
Sergey Lavrov and Anthony Blinken met on the sidelines of the Arctic Council in Reykavik.
We can safely say that the meeting of the heads of the foreign affairs agencies of Russia and the United States even overshadowed the main event.
A small hall could not accommodate all interested journalists, so only some Russian media, American and Icelandic, were allowed to enter. The protocol filming lasted only a few minutes. However, the negotiations themselves lasted about two hours.
Instead of shaking hands, Sergey Lavrov and Anthony Blinken greet each other, touching their elbows, as has become customary due to coronavirus restrictions.
The American side is considered to be the host, so the Secretary of State invites the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry to the table.
This is their first face-to-face meeting since the start of the new presidential administration in the United States. Prior to that, we communicated only by phone. But not so much COVID is to blame, as the consistent course of the United States towards confrontation with Russia.
The Secretary of State expressed his readiness for cooperation, but with threatening notes inherent in modern US diplomacy.
The Russian diplomat noted a serious discrepancy in the assessment of the international situation and yet, he called the negotiations with Blinken constructive.
The diplomats discussed the situation in Syria and Afghanistan, the nuclear programs of Iran and North Korea, the crisis between Armenia and Azerbaijan, touched upon the functioning of the Russian diplomatic mission in the United States and the American one in Russia.
Whether they discussed Nord Stream 2 is unknown, but immediately after the talks, the State Department issued a written statement by Blinken, in which the Secretary of State calls the sanctions against the Swiss operator company not in line with US interests.
As a result of the talks, as Lavrov said, the presidents of Russia and the United States will be presented with proposals to strengthen the dialogue on strategic stability. All factors will be taken into account: nuclear and non-nuclear, offensive and defensive. This is exactly what goes beyond bilateral relations and worries the whole world.
Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping participates on Wednesday,
via videoconference, in a ceremony to launch the construction of the seventh and eighth power units at the Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant and the third and fourth power units at the Xudapu Nuclear Power Plant in China.
Russia is open for cooperation, Vladimir Putin said at a large ceremony in the Kremlin's Alexander Hall on Tuesday, where the newly arrived heads of 23 diplomatic missions gathered.
Russia is open for cooperation, Vladimir Putin said at a large ceremony in the Kremlin's Alexander Hall on Tuesday, where the newly arrived heads of 23 diplomatic missions gathered.
The President expressed concern about the unstable situation in the world, referring to the coronavirus pandemic, the degradation of the system of strategic stability and arms control, terrorism, international information security, as well as endless military conflicts in the Middle East between Israel and Palestine, in Syria, in the Nagorno Karabakh, in Afghanistan and Libya.
In conclusion, Putin congratulated the ambassadors on the start of their diplomatic mission and wished them success.
Letters of credence were presented to the President of Russia by Zeljko Samardzija (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Khaled Shawabkeh (Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan), Jose Mateus Muaria Katupha (Republic of Mozambique), Jose Antonio Morato Tavares (Republic of Indonesia), Dr Khesvar Jankee (Republic of Mauritius), Hans Dannenberg Castellanos (Dominican Republic), Mahamoud Adam Bechir (Republic of Chad), Vladimir Golovatiuc (Republic of Moldova), Krystyna Marty Lang (Swiss Confederation), Said Tayeb Jawad (Islamic Republic of Afghanistan), Alfredo Cristovao Gomes Lopes (Republic of Guinea-Bissau),Sheikh Ahmed bin Nasser bin Jassim Al Thani (State of Qatar), Benson H.O. Ogutu (Republic of Kenya), Gulnara-Klara Samat (Kyrgyz Republic), Krzysztof Adam Krajewski (Republic of Poland), Gilles Arnout Beschoor Plug (Kingdom of the Netherlands), Mzuvukile Jeff Maqetuka (Republic of South Africa), Sasiwat Wongsinsawat (Kingdom of Thailand), Eduardo Antonio Zuain (Argentine Republic), Vilavan Yiaporher (Lao People's Democratic Republic), Cristian Istrate (Romania), MarÃa Luisa Ramos Urzagaste (Plurinational State of Bolivia), and Eduardo Escobar Marin (Republic of Chile).
Russia to judge US calls to normalization by actions, not words, emphasized Sergey Lavrov, in the context of the upcoming talks with Antony Blinken in Reykjavik.
Sergey Lavrov said on Monday during a press conference that the Czech Republic and the United States have been put on Russia’s blacklist of unfriendly states because of their hostile steps against Moscow.
Last Friday, Russia made public a government-endorsed list of unfriendly states featuring only the United States and the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic will be allowed to hire no more than 19 Russian nationals to work for its embassy, and the United States, not a single one.
The political situation in Ukraine (or a "witch hunt") with the arrests of oppositionists and the closure of TV channels, became the main subject of discussion between Vladimir Putin and the Russia's Security Council on Friday.
The school shooting incident in the Kazan city was a terrible catastrophe and a barbaric crime, Vladimir Putin said at Сabinet Meeting on Thursday.
The meeting began with a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the barbaric crime. Now the most important thing is the struggle for the lives of the wounded and the support of those in whose home trouble has come. The authorities - federal and regional - must and will help in everything.
Helping the affected families is a top priority, the president made clear. All departments and ministries are in touch, to which the head of state, after the very first reports of the tragedy, gave instructions to start work on the spot and develop a set of support measures.
Those who suffered the most from the shooting in the Kazan gymnasium, five schoolchildren and four adults, were brought to Moscow on the eve of a special flight of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, accompanied by doctors from the CentroSpas detachment and the Center for Disaster Medicine.
The victims were assigned to six leading federal clinics, and the best specialists were involved. As Putin stressed, all the possibilities of Russian health care will be used for rescue and rehabilitation.
Another 14 children are being treated at the republican hospital in Kazan, their lives are not in danger. One student was discharged in satisfactory condition.
People continue to bring flowers and soft toys to the school, where nine people have become victims of an armed criminal. For the third day already, the head of the republic, Rustam Minnikhanov, has directly reported the situation in Tatarstan to the President.
In order to provide assistance to the victims, it was decided to make payments from the republican budget: one million rubles to family members of the victims, 400 thousand rubles to those who received serious or moderate damage to their health, 200 thousand rubles to those who received minor damage to their health. Of course, it is planned to organize recreation for both children and teachers in the summer, head of Tatarstan reported.
The tragedy in Kazan showed that there are still problems with the security of educational institutions. There are also questions about the availability of weapons, control over their circulation.
Vladimir Putin demanded to tighten control over the circulation of weapons and raise requirements for its owners. The responsibility for everyone who issues a weapon permit and the necessary documents must also be tough. It is necessary to exclude the possibility of buying certificates for money; for this, the head of the Russian Guard, Viktor Zolotov, suggested issuing them only in state institutions. Where it is necessary to establish electronic interaction between departments, so that information about any medical deviations is available in the general system, and clinics are not covered with a screen about medical secrecy.
A separate task is to support the school staff and provide psychological assistance to teachers who did everything to save the students.
The head of state gave another instruction to the government: if necessary, provide additional assistance to the victims. Many of them will have a long rehabilitation. The authorities of Tatarstan have already decided to carry out major repairs at the school in order to erase the traces of the monstrous crime and leave the memory of everyone who became its victims.
The Russian Black Sea Fleet was founded on May 13, 1783 by order of Empress Catherine II. Then the first 11 ships entered the bay in the south-west of Crimea, and the personnel were less than 14 thousand people.
How are security in the south of the country ensured today?
The main weapon of the battleship is the high-precision cruise missiles Caliber. They are capable of hitting targets at a distance of more than 3000 kilometers with an accuracy of 1m. Today, they are in service with the frigates Admiral Makarov, Admiral Essen and Admiral Grigorovich. The fleet today is dozens of warships that carry out their missions around the world.
From land, Russia's southern borders are guarded by the formidable Bal, Bastion and S-400 missile systems.
The fleet celebrates its 238th birthday with a historic event. After a long renovation, the flagship of the fleet, the Moscow cruiser, is firing Vulcan rockets for the first time.
The sky over the Crimea is reliably protected by naval aviation.
The history of the fleet remembers the heroes, during the Great Patriotic War alone, 200 sailors received the highest military award.
The Black Sea Fleet is developing together with its sailors. Every year it is replenished with new ships. And 2021 will be no exception.
The current exacerbation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is one of the most serious in recent years. Mutual rocket attacks between Israel and the Gaza Strip, dozens of deaths. Hundreds of wounded. Clashes between settlers that escalate into riots.
The meeting of the Quartet of international mediators on the Middle Eastern settlement (Russia, the US, the UN and the EU) at the level of foreign ministers must be organized as soon as possible, Sergey Lavrov said during joint press conference with UN SG Antonio Guterres on Wednesday.
Lavrov reminded that Russia also promotes the idea of a dialogue between the Quartet and Israel, Palestine and Arab states that have diplomatic relations with Israel, as well as Saudi Arabia as the author of the Arab peace initiative. But at this stage, probably, the convocation of the ‘quartet’ is the most pressing issue. it would be easier to do than to gather wider configurations.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Palestinian militias in the Gaza strip have been exchanging missile strikes since Monday, which followed the riots at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Eastern Jerusalem, where over 700 Palestinians were injured.
Earlier, the Hamas movement’s armed wing claimed the launch of over 200 rockets towards Tel Aviv and Beersheba. Before that, cities of Ashkelon and Ashdod were also targeted by massive strikes. Five killed Israelis were reported.
According to the latest Gaza Health Ministry reports, 56 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes, including 14 minors and three women. Over 300 people were injured, including 90 children.
Military personnel of the Russian peacekeeping continent continue to perform tasks to monitor compliance with the ceasefire and ensure the safety of motor transport, transportation of food and various goods along the Lachin corridor.
Since November 12 last year, the military police unit of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh has been patrolling the Lachin corridor on a daily basis. The purpose of this patrol is to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, gather information, check areas of terrain that are not visible from observation posts, and demonstrate the presence of the Russian peacekeeping contingent.
The Lachin corridor is a road that connects the city of Stepanakert with Armenia. The Russian peacekeeping contingent, in accordance with the agreements, exercises control over it. Control is carried out not only of the road, but also of the approaches to it up to 5 kilometers wide. The corridor is patrolled daily. In all weather conditions. The most difficult period was December – January, when there were serious fogs on the Lachin corridor, as well as icing of the road.
Every day, the length of the patrol routes of the military police of the Russian peacekeeping contingent is about 50 kilometers.
In addition to the tasks of patrolling the Lachin corridor, the military police unit of the Russian peacekeeping contingent is regularly involved in ensuring security during humanitarian actions, escorting pilgrims to the monasteries of Amaras and Dadivank, located in the immediate vicinity of the line of demarcation of the parties, as well as escorting convoys with humanitarian supplies delivering everything necessary for the restoration of the infrastructure of the Kelbajar district and other events.
In accordance with the agreements specified in the joint statement of the President of the Russian Federation, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, from 00:00 Moscow time on November 10, 2020, a complete ceasefire and all hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh were announced.
To monitor the ceasefire and military operations, a peacekeeping contingent of the Russian Federation is being deployed in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.
The basis of the Russian peacekeeping contingent consists of units of the 15th separate motorized rifle brigade (peacekeeping) of the Central Military District.
During his two-day visit to Baku, Sergey Lavrov laid flowers at the memorial to Heydar Aliyev and the grave of Zarifa Aliyeva. The Russian Minister also laid wreaths at the Eternal Flame on the Martyrs' Alley and at the Memorial of Military Glory.
At a meeting with President Ilham Aliyev, issues of bilateral humanitarian and economic ties, the supply of Russian vaccine to Azerbaijan, and of course the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh were discussed. Aliyev thanked the Russian side for the prompt delivery of Sputnik-V to Azerbaijan, which will contribute to an early victory over the coronavirus pandemic.
Well, of course, most of the visit was related to the talks between the Russian minister and his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov. The ministers of the two countries signed a Plan of Consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2021-2022.
Lavrov summed up the results of his two-day visit during a joint press conference.
Major world tournaments that Russia will host in the coming years, as well as the final of the Night Hockey League, were discussed on Monday in Sochi by Vladimir Putin and the head of the International Ice Hockey Federation Rene Fasel.
We also remembered the recent victory of Avangard Omsk in the Gagarin Cup.
The conversation turned out to be very informal and confidential. Note that Putin and Fasel communicated without an interpreter.
Vladimir Putin believes that the situation with the spread of coronavirus in Russia remains stable, he told reporters on Monday. He called for continuing active vaccination and testing of the population for coronavirus.
The Military Parade marking the 76th anniversary of the Victory in the 1941–1945 Great Patriotic War took place on Moscow Red Square on Sunday.
Thirty-seven infantry units took part in the parade on Red Square: officers, sergeants and soldiers of military formations and units, students and cadets of military academies, Suvorov and Nakhimov schools and cadet corps, Young Army members, as well as units of the Emergencies Ministry, National Guard Troops and the Border Troops of the Russian Federal Security Service. Servicewomen were represented by parade units from the Military University, Military Academy of the Signal Corps, a branch of the Military Logistics Academy, the Military-Space Academy, and the Air and Space Defence Academy. Overall, almost 12,000 personnel were engaged.
Over 190 units of military hardware were on show, including the legendary T-34 tanks of the Great Patriotic War and the cutting-edge T-90M Proryv and T-14 Armata tanks, Kurganets infantry fighting vehicles, and Koalitsiya-SV artillery systems. Engaged in the parade were also Iskander-M mobile short-range ballistic missile systems, Buk-M3 and Tor-M2 surface-to-air missile systems, Pantsir-S mobile air defence systems and S-400 Triumf system. Yars mobile intercontinental ballistic missile launchers also crossed the square as part of the hardware column.
The parade concluded with an air show with 76 aircraft and helicopters in the sky, including Mi-26 heavy transport helicopters and Mi-8 multipurpose helicopters, Mi-35 attack helicopters of the Berkut aerobatic team, as well as a Kamov Ka-52 assault helicopter and a Ka-52 Alligator and Mi-28 Night Hunter assault helicopter. A group of three Ilyushin Il-76 transport planes, Tupolev Tu-160 and Tu-95MS strategic bombers capable of carrying cruise missiles flew over Red Square, accompanied by two Ilyushin Il-78 refuelling tanker planes and followed by Sukhoi SU-35S jet fighters, SU-24 bombers, Mikoyan MiG-31 supersonic interceptors, Sukhoi Su-57 fighter jets and a Lipetsk Aviation Centre mixed group of ten Sukhoi Su-30SM, SU-35 fighter jets and SU-34 fighter bombers. The Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights) and Strizhi (Swifts) aerobatic teams were penultimate to fly their Sukhoi Su-30SM and Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter jets in the famous Kubinsky Diamond formation. To conclude the airborne part, a group of six Su-25 assault jets flew in the Moscow sky spraying aerosols that matched the colours of the Russian national flag.
In Europe, it so happened, Victory Day is celebrated on May 8. When the act of surrender of Germany was signed that day in 1945, it was already past midnight on May 9 in Moscow.
This year, due to the pandemic, everything is not so large-scale, and nevertheless, in France, there is a national ceremony on the Champs Elysees. It was headed by President Emmanuel Macron. And in Montpellier, wreaths were laid at the graves of Soviet partisan soldiers who gave their lives for the liberation of France.
Germany honored the memory of those who fell during the storming of Berlin. The Victory Banner over the memorial, where more than 13 thousand soldiers and officers of the Red Army are buried, and over the famous Treptower Park, was raised into the sky on his plane by German Thomas Hennig.
In Prague, flowers and wreaths were laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. President Milos Zeman attended the ceremony.
Well, in Ukraine, on the eve of May 9, members of the Victory Regiment movement are putting in order the graves of Soviet soldiers, just like in Zaporozhye. And they visit the veterans. This project was named so: "As long as we remember - we are alive."
Vladimir Putin spoke with President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, who flew to Moscow to celebrate Victory Day, about the great date and how common traditions are now continuing.
Also, Russian President expressed gratitude to the veterans and home front workers in his messages to the leaders and citizens of the CIS countries, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as the peoples of Georgia and Ukraine
On the eve of the 76th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Alexander Garden near the Kremlin wall.
Sergey Lavrov, speaking on Friday at an online meeting of the UN Security Council, spoke about the substitution of the West for the concepts of international law.
He noted that Russia upholds the order of affairs in the world, in which disagreements become the subject of negotiations, and not a reason for arbitrary pressure from some countries on others. Also, it is unacceptable, practiced by (in particular) the US and Great Britain, the substitution of the norms of international law for some unilaterally declared rules for their own benefit.
During visit to Yerevan, Sergey Lavrov held a bilateral meeting with his Armenian counterpart Ara Aivazian, where they discussed the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh and the supply of Russian COVID-19 vaccine to Armenia. In addition, the Russian minister updated the diagnosis of Russian-EU relations, during a joint press conference.
Recently, the Russian-Armenian partnership has developed so rapidly that, as Sergei Lavrov joked, there is no need to talk about its sharp expansion.
At the talks, the foreign ministers touched on all the main topics. Intense political dialogue - in less than half a year, Vladimir Putin and Nikol Pashinyan spoke in person twice and eight times by phone. In addition, interdepartmental and inter-parliamentary projects, joint educational programs. On Friday, a memorandum of cooperation in the field of biological safety was signed. Moscow has already delivered tens of thousands of doses of Sputnik V to Yerevan, and now the issue of organizing production in Armenia is being resolved. And of course, a sore subject is Karabakh.
Minister Ayvazyan highly appreciated Russia's efforts aimed at fulfilling the agreements, including the extremely topical issue of returning prisoners.
Lavrov urged the world community not to engage in political speculations on the Karabakh issue.Journalists asked about the recent scandal with the mass expulsion of diplomats and about the hysteria that began in Europe after Russia's retaliatory measures, in particular, after a number of European officials were banned from entering our country.
Russian top diplomat recalled that it was the West that launched this chain reaction, and relations between Russia and the EU were destroyed by Brussels after the events in Ukraine and Crimea.Also, on this day, Sergey Lavrov honored the memory of the victims of the Armenian genocide at the beginning of the twentieth century and laid flowers in Yerevan Victory Park. And he spoke with the acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
The Acting Prime Minister thanked the Russian side and President Putin personally for providing assistance in solving the problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic and noted the decisive role of Russia, thanks to which it was possible to stop the bloodshed in Nagorno-Karabakh.
In turn, Lavrov, on behalf of Vladimir Putin, conveyed wishes for success to Pashinyan and assured him that Russia, as before, is committed to preserving the security of its ally country.
Vladimir Putin and Tatyana Golikova discussed the epidemiological situation in the regions.
They also discussed issues related to the production of Russian vaccines against COVID-19. Sputnik-Light was registered today, this is the fourth Russian vaccine. It is made on the same platform as Sputnik V, but requires only one injection.
Today Russia's Sputnik V is one of the most popular and widely used vaccines in the world. It is registered in 60 countries, where about three billion people live. At the same time, the domestic drug has the lowest rate of side effects with the highest efficiency. Nevertheless, the participants of the World Vaccine Congress for some reason recognized the little-studied American drug Moderna as the best vaccine in the world. And it seems that in this case, not so much medical as financial considerations were taken into account.
Russian vaccines are as simple and reliable as a Kalashnikov assault rifle, Putin concluded.
The band's official birthday is May 6, 1991, when it first performed at an aviation show called "Swifts".
In October 1991, the Swifts performed for the first time abroad at the Uppsala airbase in Sweden, and in May 1992, a group of 6 MiG-29s amazed French spectators with their skill at a celebration dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Normandie-Niemen squadron.
In subsequent years, Swifts with dignity represented the aviation of our country in Malaysia, Belgium, Thailand, Hungary, Holland, Bulgaria, USA, Vietnam, China, Mongolia, Germany, Kazakhstan, Czech Republic, United Arab Emirates.
In 1993, the Swifts aerobatic team was awarded the title of "The Best Aerobatic Team in the World".
In 2004, the complex of demonstrations included a joint flight of the Swifts and Russian Knights aerobatic teams consisting of nine aircraft (5 Su-27 and 4 MiG-29) in the "rhombus" formation with the implementation of a full complex of aerobatics. This fact in itself became a world record in the history of aviation. This nine is called the "Cuban diamond". It is in this formation that the Swifts take part in the air parade over Red Square on May 9.
Vladimir Putin congratulated the participants and all hockey fans on the opening of the final stage of the 10th All-Russian Night Hockey League Festival in Sochi.
The main Easter Service in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was conducted by Patriarch Kirill. Among the thousands of parishioners were President Vladimir Putin and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
The believers were holding candles in their hands, lit from a particle of the blessed fire. The night before, he was taken by special plane to Vnukovo airport. And from there the fire was transferred to 25 cities of Russia. One of the lamps was brought to the Cathedral of Christ the Savior just in time for the beginning of the service.
Traditionally, during the night liturgy, priests change their white robes for red ones. Icons are also decorated with red flowers. It is both the color of the blood shed by Jesus and of life triumphant over death. With the onset of the bright holiday of Easter, the Patriarch congratulated the Orthodox. He wished all Orthodox Christians physical and spiritual health. And also getting rid of COVID-19, which has become a global threat.
Vladimir Putin, also congratulated everyone who celebrates the Bright Resurrection of Christ on Easter.
The text was distributed today by the Kremlin press service.
The President, in particular, spoke about the enormous moral significance of the Easter holiday. He, according to the head of state, awakens faith, hope and the desire to help others. Vladimir Putin also noted the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in promoting high ideals in society and solving social problems.
The Great Lent, which the Orthodox Christians held for seven weeks, ended today. And according to church canons, you can gather for a festive meal even at night, right after the service.
Easter Sunday is just the beginning of the celebrations. They will last a whole week. This is the time when the royal gates in church altars are opened and all the bells are rung, spreading the endless joy of the Resurrection of Christ throughout the world.
