MOSCOW, January 21. /TASS/. The Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) plays an important role in promoting Russian diplomacy and implementing the country’s foreign policy, Russia’s Acting Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, addressing the council’s meeting on Tuesday.

"We at the Foreign Ministry value friendly relations with the council, which has become one of the key think tanks on international relations not only in Russia but also at the global level," he pointed out.

Lavrov added that the Foreign Ministry appreciated the council’s efforts "to provide intellectual support to the activities of Russian diplomats and offer expert analysis in terms of the country’s foreign policy course." "It is particularly important today, when the global situation remains tense and even explosive, and is difficult to predict," the Russian top diplomat emphasized.