MOSCOW, May 12. /TASS/. Russia welcomes mutually beneficial political, economic and cultural partnership, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a message to participants of the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum (SPILF).

"Russia has been invariably in favor of building a mutually beneficial partnership in the political and security sphere, in the economy, science, culture and sports," Putin said in the message uploaded to the Kremlin website on Friday.

He stressed that illegitimate sanctions, which ignore the principles of equality of countries and non-interference in their internal affairs, and the severing of treaties in the sphere of strategic stability cause serious harm to the international legal system and destroy its very essence. In this regard, he drew attention to the fact that "it is the rule of law and respect for state sovereignty that provides a solid foundation for the emerging multipolar world order, a more just and democratic one."

Putin also pointed out that over the years, the legal forum had gained a firmer foothold and become an authoritative platform for professional and expert discussions on a wide range of legal issues. The main theme of the current forum, Sovereignty in Law, is relevant and in great demand.

In conclusion, Putin expressed the certainty that the forum would be held in a constructive manner, and the ideas and proposals voiced by its participants would contribute to solving pressing problems of international law and its development.