On 20 September 2021 Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov held a traditional meeting in Moscow with heads of diplomatic missions of EU Member States and the Head of the European Union Delegation to Russia.
Topical international issues were addressed with a focus on the situation in Afghanistan, Syria, Libya and Mali, developments in the post-Soviet space (including the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement), the state of strategic stability in Europe and opportunities for cooperation in the Arctic and the Asia-Pacific regions. Speaking about the dynamics of building a polycentric world order, Sergey Lavrov noted the importance of pragmatic and de-ideologised interaction between the international players – leaving aside attempts to divide the world into "friends" and "foes".
Discussing the situation in Ukraine, the Russian side emphasised once again that it was imperative for the Kiev authorities to implement the Minsk Package of Measures, the non-alternative basis for resolving the internal Ukrainian conflict, to uphold their Constitution as well as to fully comply with their international obligations on ensuring the rights of Russian-speaking residents of the country.
An exchange of views was also held on Russia – EU relations. The Russian side reiterated the futility of building them on the “push back” and “constrain” principles the EU is trying to apply. Openness to equal and mutually beneficial cooperation based on a balance of interests was reaffirmed.
