Lavrov on Asia and the West Culture, security and energy

Jun 24

Dynkin invites Viktor Larin's question about scientific, educational and cultural ties with Japan and South Korea. Lavrov welcomes continuing cultural contacts and says culture should be separate from wars and politics, contrasting those ties with cancellations involving Netrebko and Abdrazakov in Italy. He broadens his answer to European security, criticizes European leaders and their proposed Ukraine stabilization force and says Europe seeks to exclude Russia and Belarus. He describes the OSCE as largely obstructed but says it remains useful for presenting Russia's positions; withdrawal would be for the president to decide, and he credits the secretary-general's efforts. On U.S. relations he welcomes dialogue but reports no Anchorage follow-up and warns that U.S. economic pressure and ambitions over Russian oil businesses, Venezuelan oil, Hormuz and a reported Nord Stream acquisition plan could occupy opportunities before promised postwar cooperation. The plan is explicitly reported, not a completed purchase. He favors respectful, incremental cooperation, offers help with Iran and says the Ukraine ball remains in the other side's court. He recalls Putin's offer of one billion in frozen U.S.-held Russian funds for Palestinian reconstruction, while asserting that Putin would not join the Board of Peace and that there has been no response. Brief football and parliamentary-contact examples complete his small-steps argument. His claims about energy control, cooperation, membership and absent responses remain attributed; no transfer, acquisition, withdrawal or peace settlement is announced.

Answering Viktor Larin, Lavrov welcomes continuing Japanese and South Korean cultural contacts, festivals and exchanges. He says cultural links should have nothing to do with wars or politics and contrasts this with what he calls shameful Italian cancellations involving Netrebko and Abdrazakov. This is his June 24 cooperation and anti-exclusion stance, not a new exchange agreement or an independently dated Italian cancellation decision.