Russia stands for ‘peace, order based on international law’: Top diplomat

ANKARA (AA) – Russia supports the processes for global peace and order based on international law, true multilateralism, and the central role of the UN, the Russian top diplomat said on Thursday.

Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ Council along with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said they see how the world is “transforming towards greater diversity and balance.”

“There is a growing number of truly inclusive forms of interaction. This evolution is supported by many states, including Russia, China and most countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, seeking to pursue an independent policy,” said Lavrov, according to a Russian Foreign Ministry statement.

Lavrov emphasized that he is sure the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of member states, which will be held Friday, will lay a “good foundation” for further cooperation and preparation for the upcoming meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO.

The statement said both sides exchanged views on the current situation in and around Ukraine.

Russia-China relations continue developing “dynamically amid the uneasy geopolitical situation,” it added.

The ministers also discussed the regional and international issues, including the integration processes in Central Asia and the latest situation in Afghanistan.