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US, Western meddling with domestic affairs of other states blow to stability, says Lavrov

Lavrov feels confident that resolution of problems of today’s world can be attained only by the international community’s collective efforts relying on the central role of the UN

MOSCOW, October 25. /TASS/. Interference of the U.S. and other Western states in the domestic developments of other countries deals a telling blow to international stability, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang.

“The world has entered a transition period and, in all appearance, the situation now is bigger than a yet another historical stage - we’re dealing with a change of epochs,” he said. “Taking place is a redistribution of the global balances of forces and the rise of a new polycentric system of the world order.”

“The international situation is characterized by an increasing turbulence and unpredictability, and the aggravation of global competition that embraces not only economy and politics but, along with them, values and development models,” Lavrov said.

“Formation of the new world goes hand-in-hand with other numerous factors that make the picture of international relations far patchier and more multifaceted than previously,” he said.

“Cross-border challenges like the spread of the weapons of mass destruction, international terrorism, drugs trafficking, organized crime, shortages of resources and foodstuffs, mass epidemics, illegal migration, climate change, and many others are accumulating,” Lavrov went on.

”The zones of conflict are expanding and the conflicts break out with an increasing frequency because of the deterioration of internal crises powered by interethnic and interreligious root-causes,” he said. “Religious extremists, including the ones united under the aegis of the so-called Islamic State, are striving for state power in a number of countries in the Middle East and North Africa.”

All of this, according to Lavrov, brings about the aggregation of the elements of chaos and anarchy in international affairs.

Lavrov feels confident that resolution of problems of today’s world can be attained only by the international community’s collective efforts relying on the central role of the UN. This implies a painstaking and professional elaboration of common approaches relieved of double standards.

“Unfortunately, we’re evidencing attempts on the part of the U.S. and other Western countries to impose their recipes on all others, to meddle with the internal affairs of sovereign countries for reaching their own geopolitical objectives, taking liberties with the basic principles of international law along the way,” Lavrov said.

“These methods of action opened the doors to bombings in Yugoslavia, incursions of Iraq, attacks on Libya, and destabilization in Syria,” he said. “All of that dealt a heaviest blow to international stability.”

“Russia plans to continue to promulgate an encouraging, unifying agenda in the international arena,” Lavrov said. “We’re ready to build up relations with all states and associations that show the readiness to meet us halfway - quite naturally, on the basis of equality, mutual benefits and respect for one another.

Fight against terrorism

Fighting against terrorism should be conducted on a solid basis of international law under the auspices of the United Nations Security Council (UN SC), Lavrov said.

“Syria’s conflict cannot be settled without mutual efforts of the world community aimed at counteracting extremism and terrorism, a huge danger the Middle East is faced with now,” Lavrov said. “The Islamic State extremist group reveals a qualitatively new level of processes for militants’ self-organisation.”

Russia supports “consistently the governments in Iraq and Syria in their struggle with religious extremists seeking power,” he said. “At the same time our country does not take part in the U.S.-led coalition that carries out air strikes on militants’ positions, including in Syria.”

Moscow is confident that “fighting against terrorism should be conducted on a solid basis of international law under the auspices of the UN SC as the main body in charge of maintaining international peace and security.”

“It arouses a considerable concern that the U.S. forces are hitting the IS positions in Syria from the air without any official permission from the Syrian government,” he said.

Russia calls for a thorough research into extremist and terrorist threats in the Middle East and North Africa under the auspices of the UN SC, the Russian minister said.

Moscow is set to cooperate in “working out complex measures, including concrete steps to cut off flows of money and arms to terrorists and deterring trade in oil from the deposits seized by terrorists.”

“The fight with extremist ideology is also a top priority,” Lavrov said adding that “A goal of leading the processes of the Middle East settlement out of a deadlock should not be avoided.”

“Palestine’s uncertainty remains a key factor enabling extremists to brainwash the young people and recruit new supporters into their ranks,” Lavrov said.

Syrian conflict

Moscow urges external players to induce the sides in Syrian conflict to dialogue to stabilize the situation in Syria, Russian Foreign Minister said.

“The recent situation in Syria has been characterized by a sharp rise in activities of the ‘Islamic State’ terrorist group,” Lavrov said.

“The flywheel of violence is uncoiling. Human casualties are growing, many vital infrastructure facilities are being destroyed and millions of people have been internally displaced or have become refugees in neighboring countries,” the Russian foreign minister went on to say.

He is convinced that this bloody internal conflict “cannot be resolved by force.” Straight from the outset, Russia has been pursuing a consistent policy aimed at peaceful settlement, Lavrov said.

“We believe that the Syrian people should decide the future of their country themselves via an inclusive national dialogue without any foreign interference,” the Russian foreign minister emphasized.

“The task of external participants is to encourage the sides in Syrian conflict to continue efforts to search for a common denominator with an aim to end violence and stabilize the situation in the country,” Lavrov said.

Moscow will continue helping the Syrians “to find political solutions that are suitable to them.” “We are ready to continue our joint work with partners in the interests of achieving comprehensive political settlement on the basis of full implementation of the Geneva communiquй adopted on June 30, 2012,” Lavrov said.