VLADIVOSTOK, July 8. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday he doesn’t rule out that the West may try to "shake the situation" and "provoke protests" in Russia ahead of the parliamentary elections.
"It is not ruled out that ahead of the elections to the State Duma (lower house of the Russian parliament - TASS) we will see new attempts to shake, destabilize the situation, to provoke protests, preferably violent protests, as the West is in the habit of doing. A campaign for the non-recognition of our elections will probably follow. Such plans do exist and we know about them. But we will be guided first of all by the position, opinion of our people who are well able to assess the actions of the authorities and speak out about how they want to develop the country further on," he said in his lecture delivered at the Far Eastern Federal University.
He stressed that such attempts would be thwarted. "I would like to say without reservation that the West-hatched scenarios will never be implemented. [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin has repeatedly stressed it. His last warning to those who is seeking to speak with us in such a manner was voiced in his state-of-the-nation address when he said that organizers of any provocations against us would regret it afterwards," he said.
Attempts to interfere into domestic policy
Moscow observes daily attempts of the Western nations to interfere into Russia’s domestic and foreign policy, Lavrov said.
"Our Western colleagues make no secret that many of them would prefer to deal with weak Russia, with Russia which is ready for any concessions. We observe, nearly every day, attempt at influencing our domestic and foreign policy," he said.
According to the minister, Western nations are using a wide "arsenal of instruments" for these purposes. "For instance, military provocations, like the one with NATO warships near Crimea - by the way, they are heading here, to the South China Sea - it looks like their ambitions have no limits," Lavrov noted. "And, naturally, such instruments include illegitimate economic sanctions, the seizure of our nationals abroad, with laying claims that are to be settled under international agreements but the West ignores them, and large-scale information attacks."
He noted that many don’t like to see that Moscow "has overcome the hardships of the 1990s for good and is resolving problems quite effectively." "When we resolve these problems inside the country, we concurrently strengthen our international positions," he stressed. "Our biggest achievement is preservation of civil peace, consolidation of society around moral values of Russia’s peoples, respect to the memory of our forefathers and their exploits, defense of our homeland’s freedom and independence, upbringing of the youth in the spirit of the continuity of generations.".
No isolation of Russia
Russia is winning over more and more friends, so there can be no isolation of Russia the West keeps on talking about, Russian Foreign Minister said.
"Russia’s foreign policy course approved by President Putin has a long-term, strategic nature and this is our competitive edge, which helps boost our country’s authority in the world, strengthen its image as a reliable, predictable, strong and fair partner, a partner who keeps its word and deserves trust. On this basis, we expand our ties with the overwhelming majority of foreign states in Eurasia, in Latin America, in Africa, including with the closest allies in the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Eurasian Economic Union, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the BRICS. In all, these countries represent more than 80% of Earth’s population," he said.
"So, probably, any unbiased person can see that any isolation of Russia our Western colleagues keep on speaking about is out of the question. Moreover, we are winning over more and more friends, although the United States and its allies are seeking to hinder this process," he stressed.
"Our Western colleagues are especially active here, in the Asia Pacific region, with its key new world centers of economic development and political influence. I mean, first of all, our really strategic partners - China and Japan, which actively and consistently strengthen their political, economic and technological sovereignty, their cultural and civilizational identity," he added.
According to Lavrov, Russia’s diplomacy sees it as its major priority to use the great potential of the Asia Pacific region in the interests of boosting comprehensive development of the Russian Far East, improving the lives of people living in this region.
"In line with the Russian president’s instructions, the Russian government is taking systemic measures to boost the role of the Far Eastern Federal District as an economic hub for cooperation with the countries of this region, to obtain maximal practical yield from international cooperation," said.