MOSCOW, March 3. /TASS/. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold talks with the Foreign Minister of El Salvador, Hugo Martinez on Friday.
As it was earlier reported by the Foreign Ministry, the ministers will discuss prospects of development of bilateral political dialogue and cooperation, as well as the most pressing international and regional issues.
"Particular attention will be paid to trade and economic component. The priorities in this area are the growth and diversification of trade turnover, which totaled $8.3 mln in 2016, according to the Federal Customs Service," an official with the Ministry said.
Promising partner
"Russia sees in El Salvador as a promising partner in Central America. We are satisfied with our cooperation in the UN, similarity of approaches to key problems, particularly with regard to the formation of a polycentric world order based on the rule of international law, strengthening the UN's central role in the maintenance of international security and stability, responding to global challenges," Russia’s Foreign Ministry said.
The official with the ministry recalled that El Salvador is one of the co-authors of Russia’s UN General Assembly draft resolutions "on non-deployment of weapons in outer space" and "developments in the field of information and telecommunications in the context of international security".
Anniversary of diplomatic relations
In June, Moscow and San Salvador will mark the 25th anniversary of the Russian-Salvadoran diplomatic relations. According to the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova, during this time the parties have accumulated positive experience of fruitful cooperation in various fields.
"On January 16, 2017, El Salvador marked the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Chapultepec Peace Accords, which fixed the end of the protracted internal conflict in the country. Russia has great respect for this date that marks national reconciliation."
"The symbol of kindness and peace, a sculpture in the form of bronze dandelion by Russian sculptor Gregory Pototsky, that was donated (to El Slavador) serves as a sign of our solidarity with El Salvador. The monument was installed at the international airport of San Salvador in January 2017," the official with the ministry said.
In turn, during the visit of Martinez to Moscow the Salvadoran party plans to donate the bust of Monsignor Oscar Romero, who in 1970 actively opposed the military dictatorship in El Salvador, and became the symbol of the struggle of the Salvadoran people for human rights and social justice, to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Bilateral contacts
The Russian Foreign Ministry marked intensive bilateral contacts between Russia and El Salvador.
"In October 2010 and June 2015 visits by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of El Salvador in Russia took place. In August 2011, Sergey Lavrov was El Salvador on an official visit, that resulted in signing the Agreement on principles of relations between Russia and El Salvador , which entered into force in December 2012," the official said.
"On March 26, 2015 in Guatemala and Martinez Lavrov signed an intergovernmental agreement on the terms of removal of visa requirements for mutual trips of citizens of our countries, which entered into force in August 2016," the ministry noted.