MOSCOW, September 2. /TASS/. Moscow welcomes the statements delivered by French President Emmanuel Macron on the need to establish collective work with Russia, stressing that these initiatives must translate into reality, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told an audience of students and teachers of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) and the Foreign Ministry’s Diplomatic Academy on the occasion of the beginning of a new academic year.
"Realization of the dramatic changes that are taking place on the modern geopolitical arena has just manifested itself in the very powerful address delivered by President Emmanuel Macron at the annual French ambassadors’ conference, when he directly acknowledged that the hegemony of the Western world had run its course in the international relations and recognized the need to establish collective work with Russia, China and other leading modern states. Naturally, we cannot but welcome such proposals and initiatives," Lavrov stressed. "The main thing is that they translate into reality and help establish equal dialogue based on mutual respect and consensus aiming at achieving specific agreements."
Last week, Macron delivered a speech at the annual French ambassadors’ conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris, claiming that the era of the Western dominance in the world is coming to a close, particularly due to "the rise of new powers." He supported expansion of dialogue and stronger ties with Russia, underlining that the partnership with Moscow is necessary to build a new system of trust and security in Europe.
View on Macron's initiative on crisis regulation around JCPOA
Russia supports French President Emmanuel Macron’s initiative on crisis regulation around the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Iranian nuclear deal, hoping that it will bring positive results, Sergey Lavrov stated in his address marking the beginning of a new academic year.
Macron informed Russian President Vladimir Putin of this initiative during a meeting in Bregancon. "President Putin supported the line of thought shared by President Macron. We hope that France’s actions will bring results," Lavrov stressed.
"Right after our meeting, I will meet with Iranian Foreign Minister [Mohammad Javad Zarif]," the Russian top diplomat noted. "I suppose that during the talks we will get a better understanding on how to realistically achieve results on these initiatives. Russia, along with the other members of this deal, reaffirms its unwavering commitment to it."
According to Lavrov, the situation around the JCPOA remains concerning. "The agreement that came into force in 2015 was deemed by all members of the international community an outstanding achievement of international diplomacy of the past decades. When the US unilaterally exited this deal, it caused universal concern," he noted. "However, the United Stated did not stop there: they prohibited all other countries of the world from adhering to the JCPOA, although this agreement was deemed obligatory by the resolution of the UN Security Council. This situation has caused a crisis, because the entire agreement was based on the balance of interests and concessions."
The minister noted that the overwhelming majority of foreign companies found themselves in a dire situation after Washington banned the purchase of Iranian oil, along with any bank transfers in US dollars as payment for Iranian goods. "They [the companies] depend on the American market, on the dollar that loses its reputation in the eyes of the international community due to these actions," Lavrov noted. "Of course, Washington has undermined the dollar’s position as the global currency not only due to its decisions on Iran, but also due to other sanctions that banned dollar payments in certain countries, whose government fell out of favor with the Americans."