MOSCOW, September 2. /TASS/. Russia must do away with any kind of dependence on the West, be it financial, technological, or otherwise, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, addressing lecturers and students of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO).

"The key tenet of the UN Charter is the sovereign equality of states. In every conflict that has occurred since the establishment of the UN, neither the US nor its allies have adhered to this principle. They have never considered anyone their equal and, unfortunately, still do not. <…> This issue must be addressed. At the very least, we must strive to reduce and eliminate any dependence on their mechanisms - financial, technological and others - that the West was so boastful about, offering them to everyone. Now it is using them against all those who want to be independent," Lavrov said.

The minister noted that Russia does not just aspire to be an independent country, it already is one.

"As a world power, Russia plays a stabilizing role in international politics. We have a reliable partner - China, <...> our alliance plays a balancing role as well as fulfills a crucial function on the international stage. We do not intend to take part in any schemes being created without our participation and without taking Russia’s interests into account under the West's rules. We will continue to uphold the universally recognized standards of international law. We have a clear vision for the future, one that will be based on multipolarity and the main principle of the UN Charter - the sovereign equality of states," Lavrov concluded.