“The unresolved Palestinian problem has generated a new spiral of violence not only in Gaza but also in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stressed the necessity of an independent Palestinian state to address what he called the “unresolved Palestinian problem.”
Lavrov made the remarks on the global geopolitical situation at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Johannesburg on Thursday, according to a statement issued by Moscow’s Foreign Ministry.
“The unresolved Palestinian problem has generated a new spiral of violence not only in Gaza but also in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen,” Lavrov said.
🇷🇺 Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey #Lavrov takes part in the #G20 Ministerial.
The opening ceremony concluded. President of the Republic of South Africa Cyril #Ramaphosa addressed the Heads of delegations.
📍 Johannesburg, 20 February pic.twitter.com/RQ80gUaxuG
— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) February 20, 2025
Over the past eighteen months, he added, 47,000 Palestinian civilians “fell victim to the escalating Arab-Israeli conflict.”
“This is a record number of civilian casualties since World War II,” Lavrov noted.
“We want to stress the following: the final settlement of this confrontation is only possible on the basis of the two-state formula and the creation of an independent Palestine coexisting with Israel in peace and security,” he stated.
‘White Supremacy’
The foreign minister pointed to what he said was the “Western minority” holding “a dialogue with the Global South in the same old way, from the position of ‘White supremacy.’”
Lavrov said that despite the UN-sponsored resolutions, “colonialism has not been eradicated to this day, for there are still 17 non-self-governing territories across the world.”
🔴 #LIVE: Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions following the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Johannesburg https://t.co/6KPOZ0dk3p
— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) February 21, 2025
“Neocolonial practices are flourishing in politics, the economy, the social area, and culture,” Lavrov stressed.
“The former mother countries would like to continue draining off natural riches wherever possible, while containing the industrial and technological development of countries that own these resources,” he continued.
‘New Balance of Forces’
The foreign minister said it was “high time” that the West “accepted the new balance of forces and started building a relationship with the Global Majority countries based on mutual respect.”
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He said the Russian delegation also “discussed this with our US colleagues in Riyadh and reached agreement on the main point: International relations must be based on an understanding that each country has its own national interests.”
Lavrov further noted that geopolitical contradictions “can only be diffused through constructive cooperation relying on the principles of the UN Charter in their entirety and interconnection.”
‘Democratising Global Governance’
“This implies the need for democratising the global governance in favour of justice for the countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America. Attaining this objective is facilitated by the strengthening of multilateral formats, such as BRICS, the SCO, the EAEU, the African Union, the Arab League, CELAC, and others,” he said.
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Russia welcomed the effort “to normalise relations” between the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf and Iran.
The same refers to President Vladimir Putin’s “initiative on establishing a Greater Eurasian Partnership,” Lavrov added.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
