Lavrov: Security architecture is being destroyed by Western neighbors

MOSCOW, 17 May (BelTA) - Security architecture on the European continent is being actively destroyed by the Western neighbors of Russia and Belarus, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said as he met with Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Aleinik in Moscow on 17 May, BelTA has learned.

“We have a packed agenda today. Our countries are engaged in improving the defense of the western borders of the Union State, defending justice in international relations and the inadmissibility of double standards in approaches to security in Europe. The security architecture on the European continent is now being actively destroyed by our Western neighbors. The coordination on the foreign policy front, which we have on the basis of two-year plans, is of crucial importance,” the minister said.

Sergey Lavrov noted that the parties would take stock of the progress made in the implementation of the current plan. “According to our assessment, its implementation has been quite a success so far,” he said.

The agenda of the talks also included the discussion of the preparations for the joint collegium which is to be held this autumn. The meeting will be used to adopt a program of joint foreign policy actions for the next two-year period.

“We are set to discuss the role and tasks our ministries are facing to support the Union State construction, the implementation of 28 Union State programs, providing foreign policy support for trade and economic cooperation. We will also consider our actions in the UN, OSCE, CIS, CSTO, and the Eurasian Economic Union. The strengthening of the Union State as the core of the integration processes in the post-Soviet space is also high on the agenda,” the Russian minister said.