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Foreign minister says Russia will not let US intervene in its internal affairs

The Russian Foreign Ministry hasn't got information on a recommendation by a committee of the European Parliament to support anti-government forces in Russia financially

© Mikhail Metzel/TASS

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MOSCOW, May 19. /TASS/. Russia will not permit US intervention in its internal affairs, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the Federation Council (upper house of parliament) on Wednesday.

"We do know about that recommendation [by a committee of the European Parliament to support anti-government forces in Russia financially]," Lavrov said in reply to a question on the issue. "From the legal standpoint it is not a binding one. It remains to be seen what the European Commission will say. We do hope there are rationally-minded people there."

"This is not the sole example of intervention in the internal affairs by supporting those who come out against the existing authorities. The US president signed the Ukrainian Freedom Support Act, where there is a special section concerning Russia. Its wording is approximately the same. Specific allocations - about $60 million - are mentioned there. We have warned our counterparts that we shall not permit such activity and that we regard such actions as destructive for bilateral relations," Lavrov said.

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Foreign policy Sergey Lavrov

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FACTBOX: Collective Security Treaty Organization

The Collective Security Treaty came into force on April 20, 1994 to herald the emergence what would eventually become the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The six member-countries are Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan