Russian MFA 🇷🇺

🇷🇺🇳🇪 On July 8, during his working visit to Niamey to participate in the second Russia-Confederation of Sahel States (CSS) ministerial meeting, Sergey Lavrov was received by President of the Republic of the Niger Abdourahamane Tchiani and held talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Nigeriens Abroad of the Republic of the Niger Bakary Yaou Sangare. The meetings covered a wide range of topical issues pertaining to strengthening the traditionally friendly Russia-Niger relations, including in the context of the Russian Embassy’s reopening in Niamey early this year. The Parties confirmed their mutual intention to intensify bilateral cooperation in various fields, with particular focus on expanding mutually beneficial links in trade, the economy, investment and humanitarian affairs, and on improving the legal and regulatory framework. When exchanging opinions on the key issues on the global and regional agendas, the Parties expressed principled solidarity in favour of shaping a more just multipolar world order that relies on the supremacy of international law and the central role of the United Nations. It was emphasised that neo-colonial practices and new forms of exploitation in the context of the “rules-based order,” imposed by the West, are unacceptable. The Parties agreed to strengthen their coordination. The Russian Side expressed support for the sovereign course of the incumbent Niger’s officials aimed at ensuring the country’s steady development, including by combating terrorism sponsored by some Western countries, strengthening security in Niger and the Sahara-Sahel region in general. Significant attention was also paid to the preparations for the 3rd #RussiaAfrica summit scheduled for late October in Moscow. #RussiaNiger

❌ The British political establishment has once again distinguished itself with a series of anti-Russian verbal attacks. This time, the catalyst was the IOC’s decision to reinstate the Russian Olympic Committee's rights. The UK officials’ rhetoric clearly demonstrates that sport has long been regarded here as a tool for political pressure. Under the slogan of supporting Ukraine, London has consistently campaigned in recent years to exclude Russian athletes from international competitions, effectively promoting segregation based on nationality – a practice that directly contradicts the principles of the Olympic Charter. The hypocrisy and double standards of the British approach are particularly evident, as similar calls have never been made with regard to athletes from countries allied with the United Kingdom whose armed forces are involved in military conflicts. This all fits into London’s broader policy of inflicting a “strategic defeat” on Russia and attempting to harm our country in various areas. Nor can one rule out a desire to eliminate a competitor at major international events, given that Russia is one of the world’s leading sporting powers. The IOC’s decision is a step in the right direction. It confirms that common sense and the principles of Olympism can prevail over political expediency, and that global sport can return to its primary purpose of bringing people together.

🎙 Response by Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova to a media question regarding the appointment of Artsrun Hovhannisyan as Head of the National Defence Research University of Armenia (July 8, 2026) ❓ Question: Reportedly, former Armenia’s Defence Ministry Spokesperson Artsrun Hovhannisyan, who is known for making controversial remarks about the history of the Great Patriotic War, has been appointed Head of the National Defence Research University of Armenia on the recommendation of Nikol Pashinyan. What do you make of it? 💬 Maria Zakharova: We’ve taken note of Mr Hovhannisyan’s appointment to a new position. Last year, on May 9, the day marking the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, he made a number of provocative statements during a televised appearance in Armenia. In particular, he effectively expressed regret over the defeat of Wehrmacht in the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943, and also claimed that the defeat of Nazi Germany had foiled Hitler’s alleged plans to create an independent “Greater Armenia.” In Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopyrkin’s open letter to Armenian Defence Minister Suren Papikyan in May last year, and during high-level contacts, we pointed out to the Armenian side that desecrating the memory of our common Victory was categorically unacceptable. In response, we were told that this was supposedly a “personal opinion” that did not reflect the official position. The Armenian state bodies did not react publicly to these widely discussed statements. The fact that Artsrun Hovhannisyan was appointed head of an educational institution suggests that such an “opinion” is now held in high regard by the Armenian authorities. It appears that in an effort to join “enlightened” Europe, Yerevan is also preparing to join a dangerous trend of rewriting the WWII history in ways that are convenient for the West. The ideological successors of Hitler’s supporters and collaborationists, who now occupy many senior positions in Europe, openly justify local Nazi accomplices, portraying their involvement in Wehrmacht crimes as “national liberation struggle.” One of the main aims of this approach is to wipe out the common historical memory of the peoples of the former Soviet Union and to erase the truth about their decisive role in liberating the world from the Nazi scourge. This strategy was widely pursued in the Baltic states and Eastern Europe. As is well known, the neo-Nazi Kiev regime has taken this approach the furthest. This is probably why its leader, Zelensky, was warmly welcomed in Yerevan in early May, with a venue readily provided for him to voice repugnant threats against Russia. ❗️ From our perspective, this represents a direct betrayal of the memory of the Armenian people’s heroic contribution, as their sons and daughters made a major contribution to our common Victory. Glorification of Nazism must be met with unambiguous condemnation at the level of civil society and public authorities. Unfortunately, such attacks on the history of the Great Patriotic War go hand in hand with other attempts by the current Armenian authorities to “reformat” the historical memory of the Armenian people, including the silencing of the tragedy of the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire and the discrediting of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The people of Armenia will need to give a fair assessment of whether this is consistent with the genuine aspirations of Armenian society.

🇸🇸 The Republic of South Sudan marks its 1️⃣5️⃣th Independence Day today. On July 9, 2011, a new sovereign state, the Republic of South Sudan, appeared on the political map of the world. The event was preceded by years of civil wars, which ended with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement on January 9, 2005. During a referendum held on January 9, 2011, 98 percent of participants voted for secession from Sudan. 🇷🇺 Russia was one of the first countries to recognise the young African republic. On July 11, 2011, the President of Russia signed a relevant executive order. Diplomatic relations between our countries were established on August 22, 2011. The Republic of South Sudan became a member of the UN on July 14, 2011, and joined the African Union on July 28. The opening of Russia’s Embassy in December 2025 was a landmark event in bilateral relations. #RussiaSouthSudan: Cooperation between our countries is consistently developing, with trade, economic and humanitarian ties and political dialogue growing ever stronger. In September 2023, President of South Sudan Salva Kiir Mayardit made an official visit to Moscow, where he held talks with President Vladimir Putin. Russia is committed to strengthening multifaceted mutually beneficial partnership with South Sudan and to promoting trade, economic, energy, oil and gas, cultural and humanitarian cooperation, as well as interaction within international organisations. 🎊 We congratulate our South Sudanese friends and colleagues on their national day and wish them well-being, stability and prosperity. #RussiaAfrica

🛬 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrives in the Republic of Mozambique. 📍 Maputo, July 9 #RussiaMozambique

🇷🇺🇳🇪 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov holds a meeting with Foreign Minister of Niger Yaou Sangare Bakary. 📍 Niamey, July 8 #RussiaNiger

🇷🇺🇲🇱 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov holds a meeting with Foreign Minister of Mali Abdoulaye Diop. 📍 Niamey, July 8 #RussiaMali

🇷🇺🇧🇫 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov holds a meeting with Foreign Minister of Burkina Faso Karamoko Jean Marie Traore. 📍 Niamey, July 8 #RussiaBurkinaFaso

🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks at Russia-AES ministerial meeting (Niamey, July 8, 2026) 💬 Colleagues, friends, On behalf of our delegation and on my own behalf, I would like to express deep gratitude for the warm welcome on Sahelian soil to the host of today’s meeting President of the Republic of Niger General Abdourahamane Tchiani and to Niger’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Yaou Sangaré Bakary. This is my first time in Niamey. I am particularly pleased to have had the opportunity to visit all three capitals of the Sahel states most recently. Now that the Russian Embassy in Niger is operational, Russia is represented in all member states of the Alliance. I would also like to thank our friend, Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister and Chair of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré, for coordination and significant contribution to making today’s meeting possible. We have maintained an active and productive dialogue, which our counterparts from Niger and Mali have just mentioned. Significant progress has been made in advancing integration and building new regional security architecture under the auspices of the Alliance. The voice of the AES is being heard with increasing clarity and confidence. Today’s second ministerial consultations in the Russia-AES format will help us identify additional ways for our country to support the integration efforts you are undertaking, as well as cooperation in the field of security. We are united by a shared understanding of the need to build a just multipolar world order and by joint efforts to counter neo-colonial practices, which remain deeply entrenched among our Western colleagues. 🤝 We look forward to #RussiaAES cooperation providing an extra boost to strengthening our countries’ sovereignty and expanding bilateral and multilateral ties within the format in which we are holding this meeting. The third #RussiaAfrica Summit will take place in Moscow in October. President Vladimir Putin wished our meeting every success and asked me to convey to your leaders that he would be genuinely pleased to welcome presidents of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to the summit. The agenda will focus on the economy, trade, and investment. We hope that your delegations will include heads of sector-specific ministries and business leaders. We will likewise be pleased to welcome them to the Economic and Humanitarian Forum, which will be held on the sidelines of the summit. It goes without saying that we also look forward to welcoming all of my counterparts and friends present here to this important event.

🔴 #LIVE: Joint news conference by Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and Burkinabè Abroad of Burkina Faso Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, following the Russia-Alliance of Sahel States Foreign Ministers' Meeting 🔴 Ruptly 🔴 Russia’s MFA website

🇷🇺🇳🇪 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was received by President of Niger Abdourahamane Tchiani. 📍 Niamey, July 8 #RussiaAfrica

#AmbassadorAmbarov 🇷🇺🇿🇦 Ambassador of Russia to South Africa Roman Ambarov paid a courtesy call on Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa Paul Mashatile. The meeting reviewed progress on the outcomes of the Deputy President's working visit to Russia in June 2025 and focused on further strengthening bilateral cooperation across key sectors. 🤝 Russia values its strategic partnership with South Africa and looks forward to expanding collaboration for the mutual benefit of both countries. 📸 ©️ Office of the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa #RussiaSouthAfrica #StrategicPartnership

📸 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov takes part in the Russia-Alliance of Sahel States Foreign Ministers' Meeting #RussiaAfrica

🛬 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrives in the Republic of Niger 📍 Niamey, July 8

🇷🇺🇪🇹 On July 7, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, who was on a working visit to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE), was received by FDRE Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and held talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs Gedion Timotheos. The meetings included a substantive discussion of prospects for expanding Russian-Ethiopian cooperation in various areas, with a focus on deepening trade, economic and humanitarian ties. Agreements were reached to facilitate the establishment and expansion of direct contacts between the business communities of the two countries with a view to launching joint projects in energy, transport infrastructure, digital technologies and telecommunications, information security, and agricultural production. The parties discussed preparations for the third #RussiaAfrica Summit, to be held in Russia in October 2026. Moscow and Addis Ababa reaffirmed their commitment to further expanding coordination at the UN and other multilateral platforms. Considerable attention was paid to exchanging views on ways to resolve conflicts and stabilise the situation in the Horn of Africa. 🤝 The meetings, held in a warm and trusting atmosphere of mutual understanding, once again confirmed the strategic nature of Russia-Ethiopia relations and helped consolidate the traditions of friendship between the two peoples. #RussiaEthiopia

#KievRegimeCrimes ⚡️ Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rodion Miroshnik: 💬 As a result of the Kiev regime’s escalating terrorist attacks on Russian territory over the past week, more than 300 civilians were affected, including 38 people who lost their lives. The Kiev regime’s militants carried out a series of deliberate barbaric attacks aimed at killing and maiming as many civilians as possible, and at creating unbearable living conditions for the civilian population. Kiev’s Nazis hunted civilian vehicles on intercity roads, struck residential areas, and targeted social and energy infrastructure. They carried out a barbaric strike on a city market in Tokmak, Zaporozhye Region, attacked a second passenger bus carrying tourists from Belarus in Bryansk Region, and killed a six-month-old baby in a strike on a residential building in the Moscow Region. On June 29 – July 5, Ukrainian Nazi shelling and attacks resulted in 308 civilian casualties: 270 people were wounded, including 8 children, while 38 people were killed, including 1 child. Over the past seven days, Ukrainian militants fired at least 4,917 munitions at civilian targets on Russian territory.

🎙 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statement and answers to media questions at a joint news conference following consultations with Chairperson of the African Union Commission Mahmoud Ali Youssouf (Addis Ababa, July 7, 2026) Key points: #RussiaAfrica: We share a common interest in further expanding the multifaceted Russia-African Union cooperation in areas of mutual interest which include security, finance, industry, trade, education, energy, healthcare - which the Chairperson highlighted in particular - as well as humanitarian, educational, cultural and sporting contacts. • For our part, we will continue to assist our African friends in resolving crises in strict accordance with the African solutions to African problems principle. • We agreed to strengthen coordination at the UN Security Council, where the African A3 of non-permanent members serves. We share the view that Africa’s representation in the Security Council should be increased in line with the principles set out in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration. From the Q&A session: ❓ Question: Following the liberation of Konstantinovka, Western media launched a campaign to dispute the facts, attempting to portray the success of the Russian armed forces as a false claim. Given that Africa is now part of the audience of the global information space, did the Chairperson of the African Union Commission raise the issue of establishing joint mechanisms for validating information and countering disinformation, so that African states, among others, do not become hostage to false Western narratives? 💬 Sergey Lavrov: I believe the best answer was our military inviting the Ukrainian side to come to Konstantinovka and collect the bodies of fallen Ukrainian servicemen. ❗️ Ukraine refused, thereby once again demonstrating, as many have already observed, that it doesn't care of Ukrainians, whether living or dead. Most likely, they will simply be listed as missing in action. Nevertheless, such an invitation was made. Notably, upon learning of the invitation, about 20 foreign news agencies said they wanted to travel there and witness the transfer ceremony for the bodies of Ukrainian servicemen. They would have had the chance to see how things are in Konstantinovka, and who controls it. The Ukrainian authorities took that opportunity away from them. As for joint mechanisms that would expose fake claims, 👉 there is the International Fact-Checking Network, which will mark its second anniversary later this year. Representatives from more than 50 countries are its members. The network engages in exposing falsehoods through investigative journalism. <...> Read in full

🇷🇺🇪🇹 Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed receives Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov 📍 Addis Ababa, July 7 #RussiaEthiopia

🎙 Statement by Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Alexander Alimov at the Global Dialogue on AI Governance (Geneva, July 6, 2026) 💬 Colleagues, Russia welcomes the launch of the Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance as a dedicated United Nations platform for discussing cooperation in this field. 🇺🇳 We note with satisfaction the efforts made by UN Member States and the UN Secretariat, as well as by the Independent International Scientific Panel, to agree on the modalities and objectives of multilateral engagement. We call on delegations to associate themselves with the statement of the Group of Friends on Artificial Intelligence Capacity-Building, and ask the co-chairs of the Dialogue to include its text into their summary. It has taken us quite some time to arrive at today's meeting and to prepare for it – moving from behind-the-scenes, semi-closed consultations among a narrow group of States and their monopolies towards fully-fledged multilateral discussions involving diplomats, scientists and developers. A significant contribution has been made by India, which undertook to organize the Artificial Intelligence Summit in New Delhi on 19-20 February. We call for the outcomes and conclusions of that Summit to be built upon in further work under the auspices of the United Nations. The Russian Federation is committed to addressing the challenges of development and security in the field of artificial intelligence: bridging the digital divide, raising labour productivity, ensuring non-discriminatory access to technologies, computing capacities and the data that powers them, and developing open-source computer models while upholding security requirements and human rights. It is essential to ensure that developers of artificial intelligence systems comply with the laws of the countries in whose territory such technologies are applied. We have consistently advocated the creation and deployment of trusted artificial intelligence systems in order to ensure an adequate level of protection. We regard as the constant goal of our joint efforts the building of a fair and equitable system of international regulation of the use of artificial intelligence technologies – one that is consistent with the principles of the UN Charter, above all those concerning respect for the sovereign equality of States and non-interference in their internal affairs. The non-state stakeholders taking part in the Global Dialogue, whether developers or experts, are called upon to assist efforts to build and strengthen trust among countries and peoples. Only such work will serve as a safeguard against digital neo-colonialism. Russia stands ready to share its potential – its human resources, scientific and technological expertise, and energy capacities – for the development of sovereign artificial intelligence technologies. We have time-tested achievements and solutions at our disposal. As early as the 1950s, research teams in the Soviet Union explored and demonstrated the capabilities of machine learning. Our delegation, which includes representatives of the Government, research institutions and technology developers, intends to share this experience. We are ready to discuss such cooperation in concrete terms on the margins of relevant meetings of the United Nations, the International Telecommunication Union and other specialized organizations, associations and formats. We will also be glad to welcome our friends to Moscow on 17-19 September for the Second Global Digital Forum, Russia's flagship event addressing the broad agenda of information and communication technologies. Last year it was attended by representatives of 106 States, as well as by the leadership of the United Nations and its specialized bodies. ☝️ We trust that the Second Global Digital Forum will allow us to continue a thorough exchange of views and to bring the positions of our countries even closer together.

⚡️ Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation: The Press Bureau of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation (SVR) reports that, according to information received by the SVR, the June strike on the Museum of the Defence of Sevastopol, which drew broad public attention, was a carefully planned provocation by London and its intelligence services. Ukrainian servicemen prepared and launched the drones. However, they were most likely unaware of the attack’s true target. The flight missions were uploaded into the weapons systems by British specialists posing as military advisers. Why did the British choose the panorama depicting the heroic defence of Sevastopol during the Crimean War of 1853-1856? There were, after all, no military facilities near the museum. ☝️ The reason is that London largely views the Ukrainian conflict as an opportunity to settle old scores after its failed 19th-century attempt to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia. The museum is a historical trigger, stirring painful memories in Britain of a gruelling military campaign that brought enormous losses among the upper ranks of the UK elite. In these circumstances, for proud Albion, setting the panorama ablaze amounted to an attempt to erase a testimony to the heroism of the Russian soldier. 🤷‍♂️ Sadly, London has still failed to learn the lessons of history. We are convinced that the British will have to answer for this strike, as well as for many other barbaric crimes against the peoples of Russia and Ukraine.