The development of constructive, mutually beneficial bilateral ties can bring real benefits to the peoples of Russia and the US, and will also have a positive impact on the world situation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told local media.
"From our side, we are ready to work with the administration of D. Trump on the whole agenda of the Russia-US relations on the basis of the principles of equality, mutual respect and taking each other's interests into account," the minister said in an interview with the Russian newspaper Izvestia published on Friday.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. /CFP Photo
The top Russian diplomat also said that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has been discussing the possibility of the allies' military deployment in Bulgaria and Romania, which the minister said is "certainly provocative and destabilizing."
"We are closely monitoring the current and prospective military-political situation in Europe. We will stick to a comprehensive approach aimed at securing our borders and Russia's national interests," he said.
Concerning the Syrian issue, the minister stressed: "Unanimously adopted Resolution 2254 of the UN Security Council remains a key element of the internationally accepted framework of the Syrian settlement."
Syrian men carrying babies make their way through the rubble of destroyed buildings following a reported air strike on Aleppo city, on September 11, 2016. /CFP Photo
Lavrov insisted that "only Syrian people can determine its future without interference from the outside world."
Talking about Ukraine, Lavrov said that in recent days, the situation in southeast Ukraine has deteriorated and that radical and nationalist forces in Kiev are responsible for the new round of escalation of the situation in Ukraine.
A tank is seen in the Ukrainian town of Avdiivka on February 1, 2017 as government forces and rebels exchanged mortar and rocket fire for a fourth day around the flashpoint eastern town of Avdiivka just north of Donetsk. /CFP Photo
The minister urged Kiev's government to immediately stop military provocations, and to follow existing agreements and begin to fulfill the terms of the Minsk agreements.
Lavrov also said that Russia's Foreign Ministry will continue to promote the creation of favorable external conditions for Russia's security and well-being of its citizens.
(Source: Xinhua)
1km
