Putin: Events At Armenia-Azerbaijan Border Show Region Is Still Volatile

The recent events at the Armenia–Azerbaijan border show the situation in the region remains volatile and requires that Russian peacekeepers stay on to guarantee stability, Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

"A year ago, the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh was stopped, with Russia making considerable mediation efforts,’’ he said at a meeting of senior staff of the Russian Foreign Ministry. ‘’However the recent shooting at the Armenian-Azeri border showed that the situation in the region hasn’t settled down completely yet.’’

"To ensure stability, the Russian peacekeeping force is very much needed as a guarantor of the ceasefire regime and security of the civilian population,’’ Putin said.

Russia has a larger role to play in the efforts to settle controversies between Azerbaijan and Armenia, rebuild economic ties in the region and unblock transportation links, he said. The outlook is promising as all countries in the region are interested in a long-term solution, he said.

On November 16, violent clashes between the armed forces of Armenia and Azerbaijan broke out at their border. Yerevan said the Azeri military began advancing into Armenian territory, threatening the highway that connects the Armenian capital with the country’s southern regions and Iran. Baku pinned the blame on Yerevan, saying the Armenian armed forces had staged a provocation by attacking Azeri positions.

Later that day, Putin held talks by phone with Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to discuss the situation. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu held phone talks with his counterparts in Armenia and Azerbaijan. The situation later returned to normal after Azerbaijan and Armenia sought to stabilize it, Russia’s Defense Ministry said.

Putin's Remarks On Russia's Politics In Post Soviet Space

It is necessary to continue creating an atmosphere of friendship, security and cooperation in the post-Soviet space, Vladimir Putin said at the Russian Foreign Ministry expanded board meeting Thursday.

"We need to expand our relations with our partners in the Commonwealth of Independent States(CIS), with whom we are bonded by historical, cultural and simply human ties,"Putin said.

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is a key integration association. The EAEU goal is to create a common market for goods and services, capital and workforce. Consistent promotion of integration is already producing results for the participating states, driving their economic growth and helping improve the wellbeing of their citizens.

"We should use such achievements to involve new members and partners in the orbit of this organisation,"he added.

"Considering the risks and challenges arising along the perimeter of our borders, we should pay special attention to joint efforts with our allies in the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO),"Putin noted.

SCO is one of the most influential centres in the multi-polar world, multi-polar international architecture. It is substantially facilitating stability and a sustainable socioeconomic growth in Eurasia.

"It is in our interests to achieve closer foreign policy coordination between its members, primarily in the UN, and other international venues,"he said.

BRICS brings over 40 percent of the world’s population together and occupies more than a quarter of the Earth’s land area.

"BRICS should play a bigger role in international affairs and match the growing potential of its participants,"Putin stressed.

Putin Awards Order Of St Andrew To Patriarch Kirill On His 75th Birthday

Vladimir Putin awarded Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia who turned 75 today with the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called, according to the corresponding decree published on the Russian president’s website on Saturday.

"[I hereby decree] to award the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia (Gundyayev Vladimir Mikhailovich) for an outstanding contribution to the preservation and development of spiritual and cultural traditions, the strengthening of peace and accord among peoples," the decree said.

The voice of church has again acquired an enormous significance in Russia and in many ways this is the result of ministerial activities of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a meeting with him in the Kremlin on Saturday on the occasion of the Patriarch’s 75th birthday.

"Undoubtedly, the church has known different times yet today its voice again has gained an enormous significance, it is being listened to, it is trusted. And this is in many ways the result of your personal efforts and tireless ministerial labors, the sincere care to instill in people’s hearts the ideals of peace, kindness, justice, love and mutual understanding," the head of state said.

Lavrov Notes Crisis Of Trust Among OSCE Member States

The crisis of trust between OSCE member states is getting deeper, Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference following talks with OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde on Friday.

"Since the moment of our meeting in February when Madam Minister was here on a first visit as the leader of the OSCE, the situation in the organization’s space has not improved, problems haven’t decreased. We admit that the state of affairs is characterized by the deepening, to be honest, [crisis] between the member states and the predomination of confrontational logic over constructive dialogue and cooperation for the sake of which, actually, the OSCE was created," he said.

The Russian top diplomat noted that during talks the Russian side stressed that the attempts to use the OSCE for meddling in internal affairs is "a very dangerous path." "These attempts should be intercepted," he stressed.

The Russian foreign minister also pointed to certain flaws in the current operations of the organization. "Due to a wide geographic scope, the all-encompassing scope, the rules of consensus, the organization is capable of indeed playing an important part in the search for collective answers to shared challenges and threats. In order to tap this very important unifying potential, the OSCE should increase the effectiveness of its institutes, its field presence, adjust certain disproportions in its activities, both geographic and thematic ones," he explained.

According to the Russian top diplomat, the talks facilitated an exchange of opinions on how to increase the effectiveness of the organization. He also reiterated that Russia with its allies has been promoting an entire package of proposals on the OSCE reform for a while "so that it fully justifies its intergovernmental nature."

Lavrov: Russia Will Not Turn Blind Eye To Gross Provocations By West

Moscow will not ignore the most serious provocations by NATO and the EU, including in their attempts to play along with the militarists in Ukraine, Sergey Lavrov reported on Friday following talks with Swedish Foreign Minister and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Chairperson-in-Office Ann Linde.

"We are open to dialogue with our Western colleagues. Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about this in great detail yesterday at an expanded meeting of the board of the Foreign Ministry. We will not turn a blind eye to the gross provocations that we witness on a daily basis by NATO members and more often by the European Union, including in their attempts to play up to warmongers in Ukraine, orchestrate some kind of military training missions for Ukrainians, prepare the Ukrainian army for the very actions that we are constantly threatened with, stating that they will take Donbass by force, unwilling to fulfill the Minsk agreements, and encroach on Russia’s Crimea," the minister said.

"The West condones all this belligerent rhetoric and the military preparations in Ukraine. We witness what is happening, but I assure you that we never allow the infringement of our legitimate, national interests. We have all the means to ensure this," the minister concluded.

Putin Meets Uzbek President In The Kremlin

Vladimir Putin on Friday met with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, congratulated him on his reelection and said that he held his achievements in high regard.

"I’d like to congratulate you on a convincing victory in the elections,’’ Putin said. ‘’We discussed it many times when you were making the first steps as president that the work ahead was big and complicated, but you are doing perfectly well.’’

"You are confidently making progress and improving the country’s affairs,’’ Putin went on to say. ‘’The result is visible and people are seeing and feeling it.’’

Uzbekistan held presidential elections at the end of October, which had five candidates including Mirziyoyev in the running. Mirziyoyev won reelection for a five-year term, garnering 80% of the vote. Mirziyoyev was first elected president at special elections in 2016, following the death of his predecessor, Islam Karimov, who had ruled the Central Asian country since 1989.

Lavrov: Kiev Seeks Image Of ‘Victim Of Russian Aggression’ Through Black Sea Provocations

Kiev is exploiting the escalation of the situation in the Black Sea to portray itself as ‘a victim of Russian aggression’, Sergey Lavrov said at the ministry’s enlarged board meeting on Thursday.

"Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined quite clearly our assessments of what is taking place in the Black Sea. We see deliberate provocations, the situation repeatedly portrayed by artists, filmmakers and novelists, in particular, in the film ‘Wag the Dog,’" the foreign minister said.

"All that is happening largely reflects the Kiev regime’s desire to portray itself as a victim of ‘Russian aggression,’ which they now see and now deny," Lavrov said.

There are politicians in Kiev, including Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky who would like ‘to whip up tension’ and would very much want "to stage some provocation to prompt Russia’s reaction," the foreign minister said.

"They are doing this in the hope that, as Ostap Bender [the main character of the popular Soviet satirical novel] used to say, abroad will help us," Lavrov added.

Russia’s foreign minister slammed as "utterly irresponsible" the statements by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin who actually guaranteed Ukraine’s NATO membership and his UK counterpart Ben Wallace who vowed that Great Britain would build naval bases in the Azov Sea and would send about 600 commandos to the region to defend Ukraine from the alleged Russian aggression.

"On the one hand, they seem to be serious people; on the other hand, it is ludicrous and, what’s more, this is very dangerous because they may be doing this just to deflect attention from some other problems. In general, the Brits should display their activity somewhere on the international scene because they have exited the EU and cannot get accustomed with their new position and have now proclaimed the Global Britain strategy. Of course, it is necessary to ascertain yourself but this looks both ludicrous and provocative," Lavrov said.

"These serious people cannot but understand there are a lot of people holding various posts in Ukraine who are just waiting for the West to make such a provocation that will entail our response. This should be clearly understood in all the Western capitals, especially in Washington, because without Washington none would utter a word or stir a finger there," the Russian foreign minister said.

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on November 10 that US Navy ships arrived in the Black Sea to take part in the US European Command’s multinational drills in the region. According to the ministry’s data, the US guided missile destroyer Porter, fleet replenishment oil tanker John Lenthall and command and staff ship Mount Whitney entered the Black Sea for the multinational exercise. On November 15, the Mount Whitney departed for the Mediterranean Sea, following the completion of the exercise.

Russia’s Defense Ministry slammed these maneuvers as a destabilizing factor in the region intended to use Ukrainian territory for military goals. The Russian armed forces were closely watching the situation in the region, the ministry assured.

'It’s The Limit,' Lavrov Explains Publication Of Correspondence With Le Drian, Maas

Sergey Lavrov has explained the decision to disclose his correspondence with the French and German counterparts with just one phrase: "It’s the limit!"

"We are all humans. I can tell you - it’s the limit," Lavrov said while answering a corresponding question. "But we feel no despair at all, naturally. It is not very appropriate on the part of my colleagues to behave the way they do. For the past two weeks, when their initiative for having a ministerial level meeting of the Normandy quartet was discussed, they were making arrogant, not very appropriate and not very ethnical statements: ‘Everybody is ready, Putin has given orders, but Lavrov does not want it.’ Something like that."

Lavrov recalled that in a conversation with Germany’s acting Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron Putin in response to insistent calls for a ministerial level meeting replied that he would ask the foreign minister "to look into what can be done about this."

"But the whole previous discussion focused on the fact that not a single decision by the previous summits and ministerial level meetings of the Normandy Quartet has been implemented exclusively by the regime in Kiev," Lavrov said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday made a decision to disclose diplomatic correspondence between Lavrov and his French and German counterparts Jean-Yves Le Drian and Heiko Maas in order to prevent distortions of Moscow’s stance regarding the idea of a meeting of the Normandy Quartet’s foreign ministers. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova explained that the published correspondence would make it possible for everybody to see Russia’s proposals regarding the Normandy Quartet to make a future meeting meaningful and to prove that the Western partners’ allegations to the effect Russia was taking an unconstructive stance were groundless.

Putin: US Doesn’t Even Want To Discuss Seizure Of Diplomatic Property

The US doesn’t even want to negotiate with Russia on its diplomatic property seized in that country, though this situation goes against all civilized norms, Vladimir Putin told an expanded board meeting of the Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday.

The current situation in diplomatic relations of the two countries is the result "of the provocative policy of the American authorities who five years ago began to practice large-scale bans and restrictions for Russian diplomats" as well as seized diplomatic property "in violation of all international norms".

"Violated grossly, just took the property away and that’s it. Where is the Vienna Convention? They don’t even want to talk about this issue, it’s even strange somehow. It is a civilized, seemingly, world that we live in. No. Not really," Putin noted.

On September 2, 2017, the US authorities closed Russia’s Consulate General in San Francisco, the Russian trade mission in Washington and its rented office in New York as part of their anti-Russian sanctions. The first two facilities are Russia’s state property and enjoy diplomatic immunity. Moscow castigated the seizure of Russia’s diplomatic property as an openly hostile step and called on the United States to immediately return the facilities. On March 26, 2018, Washington shut down Russia’s Consulate General in Seattle (rented premises) and the consul general’s residence (diplomatic property).

In retaliation for the anti-Russian sanctions and the subsequent expulsion of diplomats, this year Moscow imposed restrictions on hiring Russian citizens and employees from third countries. The US Embassy in Moscow announced that beginning on May 12, it would reduce consular services, along with suspending the issuance of non-diplomatic visas. Visa issuance to diplomatic personnel also slowed down considerably. Since August 1, the US Embassy in Moscow has been functioning with only 120 employees, its lowest in five years. Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry noted that the US diplomatic mission was free to fill the quota of 455 diplomats by employing American citizens.

Putin Slams Poland For Using Water Cannons, Tear Gas Against Migrants

Vladimir Putin criticized the actions of Polish law enforcement against migrants at the Belarusian border - children in particular-speaking at the Russian Foreign Ministry expanded board meeting Thursday.

"Let’s take a look at how Polish security forces behave at the border. All of you can see it, after all, you watch it on the Internet and on TV. The first thing that comes to mind is - poor children. There are small children there, but no - they douse them with water, throw tear gas grenades," Putin said.

Putin also noted that, at night, helicopters patrol the border and sirens go off.

"I remember 2014 very well, when Polish authorities, trying to stop the use [of such means] by Ukrainian law enforcement - Viktor Yanukovich was the president back then - stated that using such means against civilians must not be possible. And what do they do now?"

The migrant crisis at Belarus’ border with Latvia, Lithuania and Poland escalated sharply on November 8.

 Several thousand people approached the Polish border and refuse to leave the border area. Some of them attempted to break into Polish territory, breaking barbed wire barriers. EU countries accuse Minsk of intentional escalation of the crisis and urge to impose sanctions against Belarus. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko put the responsibility on the Western states, claiming that their actions make people flee the war.

Putin Says West Indulging Kiev In Dismantling Minsk Agreements

The West indulges Kiev in its policy aimed at dismantling the Minsk Agreements, Vladimir Putin said, addressing an expanded board meeting of the Foreign Ministry on Thursday.

"Ukraine keeps defiantly refusing to implement its obligations under the Minsk Package of Measures, as well as the agreements that were reached on the Normandy Four platform," he pointed out.

"In word, our partners in the Normandy Four group - Germany and France - don't dispute the importance of the Minsk Agreements," he added. Putin emphasized that the Minsk Agreements "have become part of international law, the UN Security Council adopted a decision on the matter." "But in fact, unfortunately, [Western countries] indulge the current Kiev authorities in their wish to dismantle the accords, which is bringing negotiations and efforts to resolve the issue to an impasse," the Russian leader stressed.

"Still, it's crucial to continue mediation efforts within the Contact Group and the Normandy Four group in a persistent and vigorous manner because there is no other international mechanism to help resolve the domestic conflict in Ukraine," Putin emphasized. "Likewise, there is no alternative to the full implementation of the Minsk Agreements," he added.

The Russian president was also confident that the West's move to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine was raising tensions in Donbass. "A thing to note is that our Western partners are stirring up tensions [in southeastern Ukraine] by providing advanced lethal weapons to Kiev and holding inflammatory drills in the Black Sea - and not only in the Black Sea but also in other regions close to our borders," Putin stated.

Putin: West Taking Russia's Red Lines Too Superficial

Western countries’ actions in the Black Sea go beyond boundaries, Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

"As for the Black Sea, the latest developments go beyond certain boundaries: strategic bombers fly at a distance of 20 km from our state border and they carry quite serious weapons, as is known," the head of state said at a Foreign Ministry enlarged board meeting.

The Western countries’ actions that aggravate the situation can be seen not only in the Black Sea but also in other regions close to the Russian borders, Putin said. "Yes, we constantly express our concerns over these actions, talk about red lines but, of course, we understand that our partners are very peculiar and, to put it mildly, do not take all our warnings and talks on red lines seriously," the Russian leader said.

The Russian president recalled NATO’s expansion to the east. "Even though the relationships between Russia and our Western partners, including the United States, were just unique and these ties were almost at the level of allied relations, our concerns and precautions about NATO’s expansion to the east were absolutely ignored," Putin said, adding that "there were several stages of the expansion" of the military bloc.

"And now let us see where the NATO military infrastructure is: it is located right near to our borders while missile defense systems have been deployed in Romania and Poland and they can be easily employed, considering that MK-41 launchers stationed there can operate as strike complexes," the Russian president pointed out.

"It is just a matter of several minutes to change the software," he added.

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on November 10 that US Navy ships arrived in the Black Sea to take part in the US European Command’s multinational drills in the region. According to the ministry’s data, the US guided missile destroyer Porter, fleet replenishment oil tanker John Lenthall and command and staff ship Mount Whitney entered the Black Sea for the multinational exercise. On November 15, the Mount Whitney departed for the Mediterranean Sea, following the completion of the exercise.

Russia’s Defense Ministry slammed these maneuvers as a destabilizing factor in the region intended to use Ukrainian territory for military goals. The Russian armed forces were closely watching the situation in the region, the ministry assured.

Putin Urges To Oppose US, EU Attempts To Dictate Climatic Agenda

Russian diplomats should more actively oppose attempts of the United States and the European Union to dictate the climatic agenda, Vladimir Putin said on Thursday at the extended board meeting of the Foreign Ministry.

"Our diplomacy should more actively oppose attempts of the European Union and the US to assume a right for themselves to dictate the climatic agenda single-handedly and form for itself standards on this topic," the Russian leader said.

Russia calls for searching for mutually acceptable solutions, the head of state noted. The country has recently taken "leading positions in green transformation, digital development of all branches of the economy and spheres of human life," Putin added.

Putin Says Risk Of New Pandemic Waves Exists

The coronavirus pandemic is far from being defeated and there is a risk of new waves, Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

It’s impossible for any country to shield itself from these waves, he said at a meeting of the senior staff of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

"The coronavirus pandemic, it has to be mentioned, there’s no way around it these days, has seriously disrupted the familiar way of life around the world,’’ Putin said. "What I would like to stress is that despite the measures that have been taken, the pandemic is far from being defeated.’’

‘’There are possible risks that new waves of the disease will spread, and not a single country will be able to shield itself from them,’’ he said.

Moscow is calling for other countries to seek closer cooperation in fighting the coronavirus on an equitable basis, he said. Putin mentioned that he proposed at the Group of 20 summit in October that countries move fast to mutually recognize their national vaccination certificates, as that would help the return to normal life and boost business and tourism.

The World Health Organization needs support as it could do more for mass immunization, he said. The WHO could accelerate prequalification - or the endorsement of the quality, safety and efficacy - of new vaccines and medicines, Putin said.

Putin Shaping A Roadmap For Russia's MFA

Russia's agenda is focused on the implementation of RF’s foreign policy and priority tasks for the future, taking into account the adopted amendments to the Constitution, which also concern foreign policy, Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, at a Foreign Ministry enlarged board meeting.

"Importantly, our Fundamental Law has now sealed such basic ideas and values as loyalty to the homeland, respect for our native tongue, history, culture and traditions of our predecessors. This is everything that unites our people around common ideals and determines the vector for the development of the sovereign, independent and peace-loving Russian state, an active member of the international community," he said.

"We will also fix the specific areas of foreign policy, of our diplomatic work in today’s difficult international conditions in the new version of the Foreign Policy Concept that is now being drafted. This document, along with the National Security Strategy endorsed this summer, will, actually, become a roadmap for the Foreign Ministry and other ministries and departments,"Putin added.

Russia is committed to developing partnership and mutually beneficial constructive relations with all countries and regional associations. "We will proactively participate in international efforts to counter common challenges and threats which, unfortunately, still include terrorism and cross-border crime, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, poverty, inequality, climate change and environmental degradation,"President noted.

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Russia is set to continue to firmly uphold the fundamental principles enshrined in the UN Charter such as sovereignty and equality of states, non-interference in their internal affairs, fair settlement of disputes and of course, the key role of the UN in addressing international problems.

Zakharova Responds To British Truss's Anti-Russia 'Awkward' Statements

Moscow noted the anti-Russia statements by British Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss, which were published by The Sunday Telegraph. she tried to pin the migration crisis on the Belarus-Poland border on Russia and urged European countries to oppose the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project in a united front, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a briefing on Wednesday.

"It would have been better if she had explained in this article how people are suffering from cold in her kingdom, what the statistics say about it and what warming-up measures are recommended to Her Majesty’s subjects, instead of verbally attacking Russia," she said.

London is deliberately ignoring the humanitarian backstory of the crisis that is taking shape at the Belarus-Poland border. nothing at all is said about the direct connection between the current events and the UK’s massive involvement in the armed interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan and events in Syria. these interventions not only killed people and destroyed the statehood of these countries, but also ruined their economies, forcing a substantial part of their population to go to other parts of the world, less in search of a better life than a chance of survival.

"London’s bellicose rhetoric on Nord Stream 2 is perplexing as well. How do the appeals of Elizabeth Truss tally with the persistent crises in the British fuel market and the plans to de-carbonise the economy? This is an interesting question. Maybe it is worth discussing this in the British press as well? It is nothing but double standards and unfair competition,"Zakharova noted.

It would be better if the British Foreign Office and its head tried to normalise relations with Russia rather than repeat the sad experience of their predecessors who stubbornly sought to dismantle them.

Zakharova: NATO Is A Colossus With Feet Of Clay

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a briefing on Wednesday that NATO no longer being a defence alliance but rather a tool for advancing geopolitical interests and ensuring, or so they think, the collective West’s dominant position in international affairs, which has nothing to do with the genuine interests of strengthening security in Europe and the Euro-Atlantic region. It has nothing to do with actual dominance that is based on leadership. It’s a colossus with feet of clay.

"The North Atlantic Alliance continues its propaganda campaign on the European population, accusing Russia of interference into other countries’ affairs, but forgets to mention who is really to blame for the growing confrontation on the continent," Zakharova said.

"Unfortunately, the alliance continues its information propaganda on the population of Europe, convincing them that it is our country and its aggressive stance that is the source of instability on the continent. Recently, NATO Secretary General [Jens Stoltenberg] used a meeting of the 73rd session of the Northern Council for this, where he reiterated again the accusations of our country’s interference into the affairs of other countries, which has already become a bad tradition of his, while he did not provide any evidence or facts," she said.

According to Zakharova, the NATO secretary general just used "proven and well-tested cliches for agitation in favor of increasing NATO activity in the northern latitudes. Apparently, [its purpose is] for dragging Finland and Sweden into the militarization process of the Arctic region, turning it from an area of cooperation into a space for geopolitical competition," Zakharova added.

The diplomat drew attention to who is actually to blame for the increase in confrontation in Europe. "This is not Russia, but NATO allies have done everything to create dividing lines on the continent. The facts tell us that. They have destroyed the key elements of ensuring Euro-security," she noted.

Russia's MFA Publishes Lavrov's Correspondence With French, German Counterparts

The Russian Foreign Ministry has moved to publish Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's correspondence with the French and German top diplomats, Jean-Yves Le Drian and Heiko Maas, in order to prevent attempts to distort Moscow's position on a Normandy Four meeting on Ukraine, the ministry said on Wednesday.

According to the statement, Lavrov informed his German and French counterparts on November 16 that the correspondence would be made public.

In an October 29 message to Maas and Le Drian, Lavrov emphasized the importance of mediation efforts on the Normandy Four platform. However, he stressed that a possible ministerial meeting "should be well prepared," including the development of a thorough joint statement "with specific recommendations" for Ukraine and the self-proclaimed Donbass republics as the parties to the conflict. The Russian foreign minister sent a Russian draft document on the matter to his counterparts. However, Lavrov later noted that the response of France and German was "disappointing." He particularly pointed to statements by Le Drian and Maas who had said that Russia's draft document contained provisions "that cannot be accepted" on the Normandy Four platform.

At the same time, Lavrov slammed a draft document presented by France and Germany, particularly because of their interpretation of the Minsk Agreements. When commenting on his counterparts' proposal to meet in Paris on November 11, Lavrov noted that he had informed the French top diplomat on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rome that he would not be able to participate as he already had a meeting planned for that day in Moscow.

Kiev Exploits 'Russian Threat' To Deflect Gaze From Minsk Accord Sabotage

The Kiev regime seeks to distract attention from its course towards dismantling the Minsk accords on settling the conflict in southeastern Ukraine by drumming up various sorts of scaremongering about the alleged Russian threat, Sergey Lavrov told a press conference on Wednesday. 

"As I understand it, it is also an obvious fact that the Ukrainian authorities and personally President [of Ukraine Vladimir] Zelensky have embarked on a course towards disrupting the Minsk accords and sabotaging all that they undertook to fulfill and they are implementing this policy with the outright connivance of their patrons in Berlin, Paris and Brussels," Russia’s top diplomat said.

"Considering the problems that exist in Ukraine today, we see the Kiev regime’s undisguised desire to distract attention from the course towards dismantling the Minsk Package of Measures by instigating various sorts of scaremongering, including the alleged Russian threat," Lavrov pointed out.

The Kiev regime turns to Berlin and Paris "with a call to protect" it and turns to NATO "with a request to send troops to defend a free and democratic Ukraine," holds talks with Great Britain to agree "on creating some naval bases," Russia’s top diplomat said.

"And some official, I do not remember his name, has claimed that the launch of the Nord Stream 2 [gas pipeline] will be tantamount to declaring Russia’s war against Ukraine," Lavrov went on to say.

"And all these thoughts and calls by the hot heads, unfortunately, find support, in particular, among Western participants of the Normandy format," he said.

As Russia’s top diplomat recalled, following the results of their meeting, the foreign ministers of Ukraine, France and Germany came up with a statement where they highlighted key points based "exclusively on Kiev’s stance" and threatened Russia "with some terrible consequences," if Moscow "continues creating a threat to Ukraine’s security."

"It is clear that Zelensky is not averse to provoking some incidents with the intent that, as Ostap Bender [the main character of the famous Soviet satirical novel The Twelve Chairs] used to say, abroad will help us," the Russian foreign minister said.

Russia’s top diplomat said, however, he was confident that Western experts "who are somewhat in the know and follow developments" understand the real situation well.

"And I sincerely think that our colleagues, the heads of diplomatic agencies in most EU countries also understand all this well. The point is that once they have taken part in this Russophobic project based on the anti-Constitutional coup d’·tat and supported it, they now find it difficult to depart for the positions of the truth and an impartial review of what is taking place," the Russian foreign minister said.

"The only ones who are actually ready to fulfill what was written in these documents and what was approved by the UN Security Council are the LPR, the DPR and Russia as a participant in the Normandy format and negotiations in the Contact Group where all these issues should be directly solved between Kiev, Donetsk and Lugansk," Lavrov stressed.

Lavrov: Russia, Moldova Set For Pragmatic, Mutually Beneficial Cooperation

Moscow and Chisinau have an interest in promoting mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation in a variety of areas, Sergey Lavrov said at a news conference on Wednesday after his talks with Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu.

"We underscored our mutual interest in promoting our partnership in a variety of areas in conformity with those statements that the new president of the Republic of Moldova, Ms. [Maia] Sandu, has repeatedly made. Our mutual commitment to pragmatic, mutually beneficial cooperation in the interests of our peoples was fully confirmed today," Lavrov said.

According to the Russian foreign minister, today Moldova again reaffirmed its policy of maintaining a balance in its cooperation with Eurasian integration bodies and the European Union.

"We also proceed from, and we confirmed, our respect for the non-aligned status, the status of a neutral state, which is enshrined in the Moldovan constitution. We welcomed the spirit of developing our relations based, as I have already said, on pragmatism and mutual consideration of interests," Lavrov added.

The Russian foreign minister recalled that the Wednesday meeting had taken place just two days before the 20th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation between Russia and Moldova.

"We shared the opinion that this document retains its full meaningfulness and serves as a reliable legal basis for the promotion of bilateral cooperation in all directions," he said.

Before the news conference, the ministers signed a joint statement marking the 20th anniversary of the treaty.

Additionally, the ministers touched upon trade and economic cooperation.

"We stated with satisfaction that after last year’s slump there has been a quite steady recovery in trade. We noted the importance of the October 29 agreements in the gas area," the Russian foreign minister said. "We believe that the regular, 17th, meeting of the intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation, which Nikolai (Nicu) Popescu chairs alongside Dmitry Patrushev, is meant to help enhance practical cooperation."

Lavrov and Popescu focused their attention on cooperation between the two countries’ foreign ministries.

 Before the news conference, they also signed a plan of inter-ministerial consultations for 2022-2023, which, in Lavrov’s words, "is quite meaningful and will help sustainably accelerate" bilateral contacts.

Putin Stresses Need To Clearly Define Limits And Standards Of Genetic Technologies

Vladimir Putin considers it necessary to clearly define the limits and ethical standards in the field of genetic technologies.

"It is quite obvious that legislation in the field of genetics should leave wide room for scientific research and creating innovations in medicine, veterinary medicine, breeding, and in other areas. At the same time, it is necessary to clearly define the limits in the use of genetic technologies," he said on Wednesday.

According to the president, the ethical norms in this area "must be understandable, recognized by researchers and business, and, which is fundamentally important, [must] be accepted by society, [must] have people's trust".

Putin recalled that a program was launched two years ago dedicated to developing genetic technologies. In this regard, the President proposed to evaluate its results, the problems that have emerged, and make additional decisions that will help move forward faster, taking into account the speed with which genetics is developing all over the world.

"I mean both fundamental science and the development of advanced industries, entire economic sectors that are associated with it. I propose focusing on the legal regulation of genomic research and the use of genetic technologies. Like in all advanced areas, humanity here is still walking an unknown path, there are many complex, controversial legal and humanitarian issues," Putin added.

Kremlin Says Decision On Certification Of Nord Stream 2 Operator Not Politicized

The decision to suspend the certification process for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline operator is not politicized, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday.

"Absolutely, no. In this case there are indeed certain protocols, Europe’s legal regulations on that issue. And the operating company is ready to meet all requirements of the current legislation so that this project, important for all, will be launched as soon as possible," he said when asked a respective question.

"The certification of Nord Stream 2 is a fairly complicated process, it was clear from the very beginning. The operating company fulfills all requirements of the regulator. Yesterday we saw Nord Stream 2 company to be quite quick to respond. A new company will be founded to meet the requirements," Peskov added.

The energy crisis in Europe and the implementation of the Nord Stream 2 project do not depend on each other, according to the Kremlin spokesman. "As for the energy crisis, those are two processes, though in one area, which do not depend on each other," he said when asked a respective question. "It was clear from the very beginning that it is necessary to practice patience," Peskov stressed. "We are confident here that the project itself is important for Europe. It is important both for us and for European consumers," he said.

Germany’s Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) announced the temporary suspension of the procedure to certify Nord Stream 2 AG as an independent transmission operator on Tuesday, saying that the certification of the operator would only be possible if that operator was organized in a legal form under German law. The certification procedure will remain suspended until the main assets and human resources have been transferred to the German subsidiary.

The regulator will be able to resume its examination in the remainder of the four-month period set out in law. Previously January 8, 2022 was mentioned as the deadline, after which the German regulator should submit its draft report for approval to the European Commission.

The construction of Nord Stream 2 was fully completed on September 10, 2021. Before pumping can commence, the operator of the project should be registered as an independent transport operator - the Federal grid agency is to issue certification by January 8, 2022. The agency cannot prohibit commercial gas pumping, but if it starts before the registration is finalized the operator will be fined. This registration is obligatory for meeting the norms of the EU Gas Directive.

Putin's Address To Russia-Uzbekistan Interregional Cooperation Forum

Vladimir Putin made a welcome video address to the participants and organizers of the Second Russia-Uzbekistan Interregional Cooperation Forum on Wednesday.

Lavrov Points To US Hypocritical Statements On Russia's Threat For Space Exploration

Instead of groundlessly accusing Russia of testing armaments in outer space, the United States should sit down at the negotiating table and discuss its concerns in this field, Sergey Lavrov told a press conference on Tuesday.

"We would prefer that the United States should sit down at the negotiating table at last, instead of making groundless accusations, and discuss its concerns with regard to the treaty, which Russia and China are proposing to prevent this arms race and which the US cannot accept. It would be very interesting for us to hear a specific and reasoned position and not pretexts. We are ready for that," Russia’s top diplomat said.

As the Russian foreign minister pointed out, Washington’s claims that Moscow is creating risks for peaceful space exploration are hypocritical. "No facts exist," Lavrov stressed.

The United States urges Russia to work out some universal regulations for space exploration but ignores the initiative put forward by Russia and China on drafting a treaty on preventing an arms race in outer space, Russia’s top diplomat pointed out.

"They [the United States] simply ignore that, insisting that some rules, universal regulations of conduct be drafted," he said.

In the meantime, the US is most actively unleashing an arms race in outer space, Lavrov said. "In 2020, they set up the Space Command and adopted a space strategy that stipulates creating an all-out military advantage in outer space as one of its basic goals," Russia’s top diplomat added.

"In order to implement this strategy, and such facts were registered even before it was approved, the Pentagon is testing without notifying anyone whomsoever combat strike vehicles in orbit, including delivering missile defense capabilities into orbit. The president of Russia repeatedly commented on this threat, stressing that this would create a completely different security situation when strike armaments would be constantly deployed over a particular country," Lavrov pointed out.

As the US Space Command reported earlier, Russia tested a direct-ascent anti-satellite missile on November 15 that struck a Russian satellite (COSMOS 1408) and "created a debris field in low-Earth orbit." As it also claimed, "Russia continues to pursue counterspace weapon systems that undermine strategic stability and pose a threat to all nations."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that "the United States will work with our allies and partners as we seek to respond" to this act ascribed to Russia.

Lavrov Demands Poland Stop Arbitrary Treatment Journalists On Polish-Belarus Border

Moscow demands Warsaw immediately stop the arbitrary treatment of journalists working for the RT France TV channel, who were detained on the Polish-Belarusian border, Sergey Lavrov told a news conference on Tuesday.

According to Lavrov, the Polish side’s goal right now is to hide its actions from the public. "Journalists aren’t just let in there. Reporters from CNN, the BBC and other Western newspapers and TV channels are working on the Belarusian side and are voicing serious misunderstanding over the fact that they are just not allowed to the Polish side," he said.

RT France’s reporters "were detained and taken somewhere where they were charged and fined," Lavrov said. "We demand this arbitrary treatment stop immediately."

Vucic Plans To Focus On Gas Price, Increased Supplies At Talks With Putin

Aleksandar Vucic plans to discuss the gas price and increased supplies with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Vucic said in an exclusive interview with the YouTube channel SolovyevLive on Saturday.

"This time we will have plenty of practical issues to touch upon. In addition to political issues, I can say something, and I also leave something for the one-on-one conversation. I would say that the top issue here, in Serbia is gas," Vici said.

"I am convinced that we will find a solution to three things related to gas. They are the price of gas and its amount, as we need more and more gas. we are spending more and more. if we used to spend 1.1 billion cubic meters of gas, now we use 2.7 [bln]. We should reach an agreement on increased gas supplies, as our economy is the fastest growing in Europe," he said.

Vucic said that Putin had always shown an understanding of Serbia’s dire circumstances.

"I hope that this time he will also understand us in regard to the gas price and amounts of supply," he added.

On October 7, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said at a meeting of the Russian-Serbian intergovernmental committee that he hoped a long-term contract for Russian gas supplies to Serbia would be inked by the end of 2021.

Serbia is ready to continue implementing interconnector pipeline projects with the Russian gas holding Gazprom, President Vucic said.

"I want that people in Russia know that Serbia successfully resisted pressure and we have never been a problem: neither when the South Stream was built [the project was not implemented] nor when the TurkStream and the Balkan Stream were built. We constructed the 400-km long gas pipeline together with Gazprom and gas is already flowing now over the gas pipeline. We are ready to continue expansion of interconnectors of this gas pipeline [the TurkStream gas pipeline] in the region," Vucic said

Serbia is the only European country that has never introduced any sanctions or measures against Russia, Vucic said. "We have never allowed ourselves anything that can influence on our relations with Russia," the President of Serbia added.

On January 1, Vucic gave a start to operation of the Balkan Stream gas pipeline. The segment in Serbia is the extension of the TurkStream main gas pipeline delivering Russian gas.

Putin Greets Young Talents - Finalists Of Bolshaya Peremena Contest

On Saturday, Vladimir Putin greeted the finalists of the Bolshaya Peremena contest, who gathered in the Crimean Artek, via video communication.

"I sincerely congratulate the contest winners. You have shown what you are capable of, your talents, your best character traits, and coped with all the assignments admirably. Well done!" he said. The President also congratulated all the finalists.

"You have also achieved great results. Some of you lacked just a little bit to achieve victory but it will make fighting for it next year even more exciting,"Putin said.

Bolshaya Peremena is much more than a contest: it is a closely-knit team which unites hundreds of thousands of young people across the country, a true community of like-minded people which appreciates everyone, helps to believe in yourself and your energies and to find your way in life.

"Bolshaya Peremena is also making progress, including thanks to your ideas and suggestions. Thus, new tracks appear in the contest, regional teams are being set up, while earlier this year The Good Saturday volunteer campaign was launched. It is great that you can take part in an interesting and much needed effort and also be its co-authors," he noted.

"You now have every opportunity to succeed in any profession you choose, to fully display and realise your abilities. And this is very important because the achievements of today’s school students and young people determine our country’s future,"President stressed.

Putin On Normandy Format: EU's Insane Сlaims Against Russia, US Supports Ukraine's Sabotage

Russia is not a party to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with the journalist of the Rossiya-1 TV channel Pavel Zarubin.

"The Minsk agreements do not say that Russia is a party to the conflict, we have never agreed with this and will not agree, we are not," the Russian leader stressed.

As the President noted, the Western partners "are trying to push Russia to implementation of the Minsk agreements."

"But when we ask our partners, in particular in the Normandy format, what exactly Russia does not observe under the Minsk agreements and what Russia should do under the Minsk agreements - there is no answer. They say directly: "We cannot word it". I am not joking, the dialogue is exactly like this," Putin said.

According to him, no one can formulate what exactly the Lugansk and Donetsk people's republics allegedly do not fulfill under the Minsk agreements either.

Putin recalled that it was the Ukrainian authorities who made the decision to use the armed forces to resolve the conflict in Donbass. First, it was done by acting President of Ukraine Aleksander Turchinov, then President Pyotr Poroshenko made the second attempt to solve the conflict by force, "despite attempts to convince him not to do this."

"How it ended, what tragedies it led to, we know very well. It was them who started it," Putin stressed. Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that there are still no other settlement mechanisms in Donbass, except for the meeting of the Normandy Four.

"I believe that we have no other mechanisms, and no matter how difficult it is today, no matter how difficult it is to solve this problem, but this mechanism must be used," he said, answering the question about the settlement in Donbass and whether it makes sense to convene a summit in the Normandy format.

Putin stressed that the mechanism of the meeting in the Normandy format should be used "at least for approaching the solution of the problems" in the east of Ukraine.

The Russian leader noted that he had not heard "persistent proposals in this regard" from Russia’s partners. "Although we are discussing it," he noted.

Publications that Russia is allegedly preparing a "military invasion of Ukraine" are alarmist, Putin said. "I haven’t seen these alarmist statements yet, though. But I proceed from the fact that it is what you said," the head of state said responding to the host's request to comment on such publications by Western media.

Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the reports in the Western media about "the plans of the Russian Federation to invade the territory of Ukraine" as groundless escalation of tension.

He drew attention to the fact that this is "not the first publication, not the first statement by the United States that it is concerned" about the movement of the Russian Armed Forces on its territory. Russia repeatedly said that the movement of its armed forces on its own territory should not cause concern to anyone, since it "poses no threat to anyone," the Kremlin spokesman noted.

Putin Rejects MoD RF Proposals For Retaliatory Maneuvers To NATO Drills In Black Sea

Vladimir Putin finds it inappropriate for Russia to carry out its maneuvers in the Black Sea in response to NATO exercises there, there is no need to escalate the situation. He said it in an interview with Pavel Zarubin, the host of the Moscow. Kremlin. Putin program.

"I should say that our Defense Ministry also came up with a proposal to hold its own unplanned exercises in this water area, but I believe that this is inappropriate and there is no need to further escalate the situation there. Therefore, the Russian Defense Ministry does not go further than escorting aircraft and ships," he said.

He drew attention to the fact that now the United States and its NATO allies are now conducting unplanned exercises in the Black Sea.

Moreover, "not only they formed a fairly powerful naval group there, but they also use aviation, including strategic aviation, in the course of these exercises," Putin noted.

"This is partly the answer to your previous question of where and how our strategic missile carriers fly," Putin told the host of the program.

"B-51 are used, which is rather old aircraft, but it not the carriers that matter, the matter is that they carry strategic weapons. This is a serious challenge for us," Putin said.

Putin: Lukashenko May Block Russia's Gas Transit To Europe

Mr Lukashenko, as president of a transit country, can issue an order to cut off our deliveries to Europe even though it will violate our transit contract, Vladimir Putin said in an interview with host of "Moscow. Kremlin. Putin" Pavel Zarubin.

"I hope it will not come to that. But on the other hand, sanctions are imposed on him and there is a threat of new sanctions. However, it would do more damage to Europe’s energy sector and would not contribute to the development of our relations with Belarus as a transit country,"he added.

The Russian President recalled that such a precedent has already taken place in recent history.

"In 2008, there was a crisis when we were unable to agree on the basic contract parameters among incessant arguments over the price of gas and transit. It came to the point that Ukraine blocked our gas bound for European consumers. They simply, as specialists say, turned off the tap and closed off the transit of Russian gas to Europe. This did happen," Putin noted.

"I spoke with Mr Lukashenko twice recently and he never told me about that, not even a hint. But he can probably do that. Although there is nothing good about it and I will certainly talk to him about this issue, unless he just said it in the heat of the moment,"he said.

Putin: Migration Crisis Were Created By Western Countries Themselves

The Western states created migration crises themselves, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with host of "Moscow. Kremlin. Putin" Pavel Zarubin.

"It is important to remember where the migration crises came from. Is it Belarus that discovered such problems? No, there are reasons that were created by the Western countries themselves, including European countries. They are both of military and economic nature," Putin said.

Elaborating on the military causes, Putin mentioned the conflict in Iraq. "Because everyone took part, say, in operations in Iraq, and now there are a lot of Kurds from Iraq. They [the West] fought in Afghanistan for twenty years, and now there are more and more Afghans there," the Russian President explained.

According to him, "Belarus has nothing to do with it." "Migrants went through other channels as well. The fact that now they have gone through Belarus is not surprising, because Belarus has a visa-free entry to the country from the countries of exodus, as Alexander Grigorievich Lukashenko explained to me," Putin went on.

Speaking about the economic reasons for the migration crisis, the head of the Russian state recalled that in Europe there are very high social benefits for migrants. "For example, a person who works well amid high unemployment in the Middle East, including in oil producing countries, even a worker in the oil industry, earns much less than a social allowance a non-working migrant receives, say, in Germany. Of course, people are heading there," Putin concluded.

Instead of working in turbulent conditions where no basic safety rules are observed migrants prefer to move to Europe, not to work and get two to three times more with their families, Putin noted. "Because they pay for both adults and children, and education is free, and, as a rule, medical care is free. I repeat, this is the policy of the leading European countries," the Russian leader summed up.

Putin's Remarks At The Artificial Intelligence Conference

Vladimir Putin delivers remarks at the AI Journey 2021, the international conference on artificial intelligence and data analysis, on Friday.

Vladimir Putin's APEC 2021 Video Address

Vladimir Putin participates, via videoconference, in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit on Friday.

Russia supports the plan for the long-term development of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation that runs to 2040, Russian President said. 

There are two documents prepared for approval as a result of the summit: a statement by the leaders of the group’s member economies and the plan for APEC development to 2040, according to Putin.

"Russia of course supports them,’’ Putin said. ‘’We believe that both documents are a good foundation for the further development of cooperation as part of the forum in search for collective answers for the most pressing challenges and threats facing the Asian Pacific region.

Kremlin Vows: Russia To Enhance Security Measures Amid NATO’s Assertive Actions

NATO’s assertive actions near the Russian border are compelling Moscow to take additional security measures, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday.

"If necessary, we will take measures to ensure our security if there are provocative actions by our opponents near our borders,’’ he vowed. "I’m referring to NATO and NATO forces that are taking rather active and assertive actions in close proximity to our borders, be it in the air, on water, or on land.’’

"We should stay alert,’’ Peskov went on to say. "We should safeguard [our security], and hedge any risks. And that’s what we are doing.’’

Peskov commented on US media reports that Russia allegedly plans to invade Ukraine, saying they weren’t the first publications and the first statements by the US that it’s concerned about Russian troops moving around Russia’s territory.

"We have repeatedly said to this that the movements of our armed forces on our soil shouldn’t be of anyone’s concern. Russia poses no threat to anyone," he said. "These headlines are nothing more than empty and unsubstantiated fomenting of tensions."

The Kremlin spokesman said the West is stepping up its provocative actions to create tension with Russia.

"You are seeing the situation in the Black Sea, the active aerial recon activity by NATO aircraft, the recon aircraft, including those of the US,’’ he said. ‘All of this cannot leave us indifferent.’’

"They aren’t our friends,’’ Peskov went on to say. ‘’These aircraft belong to those who state as their key purpose deterring and countering Russia. Those that call Russia an enemy."

Russia makes statements and steps of a preventive nature every day, he said.

Lavrov Responds To Western MSM Worried About Russian PMCs In Mali

Reporting by Western media outlets on the actions of Russian private military companies (PMCs) in Africa won’t damage Russia’s image since Moscow has nothing to do with the services they provide, Lavrov said at a press conference on Thursday.

"If somebody thinks that putting a spin on this contrived topic damages the image of the Russian Federation, I don’t think so. <...> As for the phenomenon of private military companies in general, we have nothing to do with the activity of any such structures that were created by Russian citizens," he said.

Speaking of Western countries’ concerns over the plans of Mali’s government to use the services of a Russian PMC, the Russian top diplomat stressed that this issue is the exclusive purview of the republic’s government. "As for the reports of the Malian government’s plans to use the services of a private military company from the Russian Federation that Mali’s prime minister openly mentioned during a session of the UN General Assembly, this issue is the exclusive purview of Mali’s legitimate government," the foreign minister said.

As Lavrov reported earlier, Mali’s government turned to a Russian private military company for help in fighting terrorism. Against this background, a number of Western countries, above all, France, began to accuse Russia of establishing its influence in West Africa with the help of "mercenaries" allegedly connected with the state.

Lavrov Reminds French Counterpart Of Manners Before Serious Conversation On Ukraine At 2+2 Meeting

Moscow and Paris will need to have a serious discussion of Ukraine-related issues at a meeting between the Russian and French foreign and defense ministers set to take place in Paris on November 12, Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference on Thursday.

"I consider France's warning of its plans to raise the Ukraine issue as proof that our French colleagues realize that tomorrow - and in general - they cannot avoid responsibility for what their proteges in Kiev are doing, I mean Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky's regime," Lavrov pointed out. "We will have a very serious conversation on the matter," he said, adding that France and Germany allowed Kiev "to undermine and openly and consistently ignore all advice" and the Minsk Agreements.

"When our French colleagues said that Russia had refused to participate in a November 11 Normandy Four meeting at the level of foreign ministers, we explained everything to them in detail in written form," Lavrov went on to say. He emphasized that when the initiative to hold a Normandy Four meeting on November 11 had been announced at his meeting with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian two weeks back, he had informed the French top diplomat that he was scheduled to hold talks with a counterpart from another country on that day.

The foreign and defense ministers of Russia and France will hold another 2+2 meeting of the Russian-French Cooperation Council on security and strategic stability issues in Paris on November 12.

Putin, Merkel Again Discuss Refugee Crisis On Belarus Border

On Thursday, again, Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Acting Federal Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel.

The leaders continued their discussion of the situation on the Belarusian borders with the European Union and confirmed the importance of settling the acute migration crisis as soon as possible in accordance with international humanitarian standards.

Vladimir Putin supported the restoration of contacts between the EU states and Belarus with a view to resolving this problem.

During an exchange of views on the domestic conflict in Ukraine, President Putin noted Kiev’s destructive policy, which is relying increasingly on force. Thus, it is using assault drones in violation of the Minsk Package of Measures. The destabilising and dangerous provocations by the armed forces of the United States and other NATO countries in the Black Sea was also noted.

Putin Visits Moscow’s Dostoevsky Museum In Honor Of Author’s 200th Birthday

Vladimir Putin took part in the opening of the Dostoevsky Moscow House Museum Center dedicated to the writer's life and works marking the author’s 200th birthday on Thursday.

Russian Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova accompanied President Putin during the excursion. The head of state looked over the memorial along with historical and literary exhibits dedicated to the author, the highlights of his biography and his prominent works.

The writer’s family lived in the building until 1837. The Fyodor Dostoevsky Apartment Museum opened on the first floor of the building in 1928, and has remained the center of the renovated museum. The second floor exhibits information on the writer’s works, including his main novels Crime and Punishment, The Gambler, The Idiot, The Possessed (or Demons), The Adolescent, The Brothers Karamazov and others. The third floor is dedicated to readers’ reactions to Dostoevsky’s works. Large-scale multimedia installations were created there specifically for the new exhibit.

After the tour of the museum, Putin had a meeting planned with Russian literary figures and specialists on Dostoevsky’s works.

Russian Tu-160, Belarusian Su-30 practice Interaction In Belarus

On Thursday, two strategic missile carriers Tu-160 of the Russian Aerospace Forces performed a patrolling in the airspace of the Republic of Belarus and practiced the support from Su-30SM of the Belarusian Air Force.

The pilots have successfully accomplished the task and demonstrated an excellent aeronautic skills and mastery. At the same time, there is an increased level of interaction between the Russian and Belarusian crews throughout the entire flight.

The flight had lasted 4 hours and 36 minutes. The strategic missile carriers have passed a distance of more than 3,000 kilometres.

These activities have been performed in order to ensure the military security of the Union State and are not directed against other countries.

All the planes have returned to their air bases.

Russian Knights Сrews Arrive In Dubai To Participate In International Air Show

The crews of the aerobatic aviation group Russian Knights on multipurpose Su-30SM fighters moved to the United Arab Emirates to participate in the international air show Dubai Airshow 2021, the press service of the RF Ministry of Defense reported on Thursday.

The flight from Kubinka near Moscow took place with two intermediate landings. The Il-76 military transport aircraft delivered specialists of the engineering and aviation service and engineering and technical property to the venue of the international exhibition.

Before the demonstration, which will be held at the Al Maktoum airfield  in the United Arab Emirates, Russian pilots will conduct two qualifying  flights and aerial training.

During the airshow, Aerospace Forces’ crews will conduct flights as part of squad and demonstrate supermaneuverable possibilities of the newest Su-30SM fighters.   The pilots of the aerobatic team Russian Knights will show group aerobatics such as Nesterov's loop, Barrel, Bend at set intervals and distances, as well as doubles, single and oncoming aerobatics.

Dubai Airshow 2021 international airshow will be held in Dubai from 14 to 18 November.