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The President of Russia received the letters of credence from Daniel Ruben Castillos Gomez (Oriental Republic of Uruguay), Smail Benamara (People's Democratic Republic of Algeria), Nazih El Naggary (Arab Republic of Egypt), Olziisaikhany Enkhtuvshin (Mongolia), Maria Madalena Lobo Carvalho Fischer (Portuguese Republic), Emhemed Almaghrawi (State of Libya), Harouna Samake (Republic of Mali), Sarah Walsh (New Zealand), Vagharshak Harutiunyan (Republic of Armenia), Hector Isidro Arenas Neira (Republic of Colombia), Fredrick Ibrahim Kibuta (United Republic of Tanzania), Igor G. Bailen (Republic of the Philippines), Lilian Darii (Republic of Moldova), Momcilo Babic (Republic of Serbia), Jean-Baptiste Thiathie Tine (Republic of Senegal), Kypros Giorgallis (Republic of Cyprus), Ivan Vangu Ngimbi (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Moses Kawaaluuko Kizige (Republic of Uganda), Mohammed Elgazali Eltijani Sirraj (Republic of the Sudan), Mansour Al-Otaibi (State of Kuwait), Milan Raj Tuladhar (Nepal), Dmitry Krutoi (Belarus), Chang Ho-jin (Republic of Korea), and Jesus Rafael Salazar Velasquez (Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela).

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Speech at the presentation of letters of credence

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

I am happy to welcome you at the presentation of the letters of credence at the Kremlin and wholeheartedly congratulate you on the official beginning of your diplomatic mission.

You have been entrusted with an important and responsible mission: to promote the development of multifaceted relations between the countries you represent and Russia. We believe that you will be working to expand political dialogue, trade and economic ties and to deepen our cultural and humanitarian exchanges and contacts between our people.

We are sincerely interested in the successful work of the embassies you will head in these key spheres. The initiatives and proposals you may advance to strengthen mutual understanding among our nations will certainly receive the support of the Russian authorities, the public and the business communities of our country.

Colleagues,

You are working at a time when a radical transformation of the entire architecture of international relations has accelerated, when the development of a multipolar and more democratic and fair world order has entered its active phase.

The fact that the movement towards a multipolar world is the main strategic development line in global politics was reaffirmed at the SCO summit held in Samarkand a few days ago.

The SCO is a major regional organisation of the countries where more than a half of the world’s population live and where 25 percent of global GDP is created. The countries which firmly believe that the modern world must be polycentric and based on the generally recognised norms of international law and the principles of equal and indivisible security with the central coordinating role of the UN are members of the organisation I have mentioned, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

This approach is gaining more and more supporters, as proven by the growing interest in the SCO’s activities from many countries and interstate associations. Let me remind you that the issue of Iran obtaining the status of a full SCO member was resolved in Samarkand, the membership application from Belarus was approved, and eight more states became dialogue partners.

Regrettably, objective movement towards multipolarity has come up against resistance from those who are trying to preserve their dominant role in international affairs and to control everything – Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa. I must say that the global leader managed quite well for a long time, but this cannot continue forever; it is impossible. I am talking about this outside the context of developments in Ukraine. In order to strengthen their position, illegitimate sanctions are introduced, and pressure is exerted in all areas, including, of course, on Russia. However, those who do this can see that their actions have negative consequences for themselves.

Unfortunately, this policy impacts innocent states as well, above all developing and the poorest countries. They were the first to suffer from the Western restrictions on the supply of Russian energy, food and fertiliser to world markets. In this context, it is absolutely cynical that even our offer to transfer 300,000 tonnes of Russian fertiliser blocked in European ports due to sanctions free of charge, I want to emphasise this, to countries in need still remains unanswered. Well, it is understandable that they do not want to let Russian companies earn money, but we want to give it away for free, at least give it away for free to countries in need; but no, nothing is being done, no answer.

As for Russia, it will not deviate from its sovereign course. As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, we intend to further promote the unifying interstate agenda, contribute to the search for effective responses to the numerous challenges and threats of our time, and help settle acute regional conflicts. It is from these positions that Russia will speak at the opening of the 77^th session of the UN General Assembly.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Today’s ceremony is attended by heads of twenty-four diplomatic missions. By tradition, I will briefly characterise the relations between Russia and every state you represent.

Russia and Uruguay have long-standing ties of friendship. In December we will mark the 165^th anniversary of Russian-Uruguayan diplomatic relations, and we stand for the further development of cooperation in the economic, scientific, educational, cultural, humanitarian and other fields.

By the way, one of Uruguayan cities, San Javier, is inhabited mainly by descendants of Russian immigrants. We appreciate that people with Russian roots living there and elsewhere have the opportunity to preserve their ethnic and cultural identity and national traditions and speak their native language.

Russia’s cooperation with the Algerian People’s Democratic Republic is that of strategic partnership. In March we marked the 60^th anniversary of diplomatic relations, and invited President of Algeria Abdelmadjid Tebboune to visit Russia.

Algeria is Russia’s second largest trading partner in Africa in terms of trade volume. And trade and economic cooperation continues to develop actively, as well as our ties in other areas, including military-technical and cultural ties.

Russia supports Algeria’s balanced policy in regional and international affairs, and we will continue to work together to strengthen stability in the Middle East, North Africa and the Sahara-Sahel region.

We are consistently building up our friendly relations with Egypt in accordance with the fundamental Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Strategic Cooperation signed in 2018. We view Egypt as one of our most important partners in Africa and the Arab world. We are in constant contact with President Sisi.

Our intergovernmental commission is working actively, promoting the growth of trade, which increased by more than 40 percent in the first six months of this year. Large joint projects are being implemented, such as the construction of the El Dabaa nuclear power plant and the creation of a Russian industrial zone near the Suez Canal. There is a regular political dialogue and close foreign policy coordination.

In the presence of the distinguished ambassadors of Algeria and Egypt, as well as their colleagues from other African countries, I would like to remind you that the second Russia-Africa summit is scheduled to be held in St Petersburg in 2023. We hope that together we will be able to give a new impetus to the comprehensive development of mutually beneficial cooperation between Russia and the African states.

Just the other day, the leaders of Russia, Mongolia and China held a traditional trilateral meeting as part of the SCO summit in Samarkand. This format is very important, not only given the geographical location of our countries, but also the interest in implementing major joint projects, including in the transport and energy sectors.

Russia and Mongolia are advancing their traditional bilateral ties as well. Their official diplomatic relations go back 101 years. In early September, during talks with Prime Minister of Mongolia Oyun-Erdene, who took part in the Eastern Economic Forum, we reached a number of agreements aimed at expanding Russian-Mongolian economic cooperation in a number of areas.

As for Russian-Portuguese relations, they have been diverse and mutually beneficial for many years and even centuries. Now, bilateral political and economic dialogue and cooperation have been suspended for well-known reasons. We regret this and are confident that the situation will eventually improve.

We attach great importance to relations with Libya and are interested in a fair and lasting settlement of the protracted internal conflict in that country. Russia will continue to support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Libya and help the friendly Libyan people defend their right to a decent life, peace and security. As the internal situation in Libya stabilises, we look forward to resuming bilateral cooperation in various fields.

We welcome the intention of the leadership of the Republic of Mali to form a long-term strategic partnership with Russia and develop mutually beneficial ties.

During a detailed telephone conversation in August with Interim President Assimi Goïta, we agreed to continue joint efforts in countering international terrorism and religious extremism.

Russia will continue to provide the Malian people with comprehensive assistance and support, including the supply of necessary food, fertilisers and industrial goods. We will continue to cooperate in the humanitarian sphere, in particular, by expanding the number of places for Malian citizens who want to study at Russian universities.

In two days, Mali will celebrate its Independence Day. We sincerely congratulate all Malians on their national holiday.

Let me remind you that during World War II, New Zealand, as part of the coalition of allies, fought together with the Soviet Union against Nazism, against this misanthropic ideology. It is well known that the current state of affairs in bilateral relations cannot be considered satisfactory.

Armenia is our close friend and strategic ally. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the brotherly nation of Armenia and its leadership on tomorrow’s Independence Day. This year marks two significant anniversaries at once – the 30^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our countries and the 25^th anniversary of the fundamental Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance.

Russia and Armenia maintain an intensive political dialogue. This year alone, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and I met three times, most recently at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. In November, Yerevan will host the annual summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation.

Let me note that this organisation is taking measures due to the escalation in the Armenian-Azerbaijani border region. A special mission headed by the CSTO Secretary General was sent to the confrontation zone and instructed to draft proposals for the Collective Security Council based on their analysis of the state of affairs.

Let me emphasise that any conflict situations between states close to Russia cause us serious concern. We call on everyone to show restraint, adhere strictly to the ceasefire, and firmly follow the tripartite statements of the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia.

We believe that the key to resolving territorial disputes lies in professional joint work within the bilateral Commission for the Delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Border with advisory assistance from Russia.

Colombia is a promising partner for Russia in Latin America, with which we want to maintain friendly relations. We share the constructive resolve, expressed by President Petro in his recent statement, to build up our ties in trade, energy, infrastructure, science, technology, education and culture.

We will continue to consistently support international efforts within the framework of the UN Security Council towards a post-conflict settlement in Colombia in the interests of maintaining peace and national accord in that country and ensuring regional security and stability.

We will continue to strengthen traditionally friendly relations with the United Republic of Tanzania, including in promising spheres such as peaceful nuclear research, transport, energy and tourism.

We welcome the efforts of Tanzania to settle problems on the African continent. We will cooperate on a broad range of current issues on the regional and international agenda.

The history of Russian-Philippine relations includes implemented projects in various spheres. The conditions are in place for boosting our trade and cooperation in energy, space exploration, information technology, agriculture and tourism. We are willing to work together with our partners and hope that the new leadership of the Philippines share this approach.

We are convinced that the development of cooperation between Russia and Moldova, which is historically close to us, on the principles of pragmatism and mutual benefit meets the fundamental interests of our nations. Russia has always acted as the guarantor of the Transnistrian settlement. Incidentally, our actions in the sphere of energy security strictly comply with all our agreements that are based on the proposals of Moldova.

Relations of strategic partnership between Russia and Serbia are based on traditions of friendship and cultural, spiritual and historical affinity between our fraternal people.

We regularly discuss key aspects of the further development of cooperation during face-to-face meetings and telephone conversations with President Vucic. We appreciate the desire of our Serbian friends to pursue a balanced and independent policy on the international stage, and we will continue to work together to deepen our political dialogue and expand interaction in the economy, trade, science, technology, culture and education.

Acting within the framework of international law and relying above all on UN Security Council Resolution 1244, we will continue to provide all-round assistance to our friends in upholding the legitimate rights and interests of Serbia and protecting its state sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Senegal is one of Russia's important African partners. Diplomatic relations were established 60 years ago, and our countries have since been successfully interacting in politics and other areas, including trade and the economy.

President Sall of Senegal and I held productive talks in the city of Sochi this summer. Since Senegal chairs the African Union, we discussed strengthening stability and security throughout the African continent and preparations for the upcoming Russian-African summit.

Relations with the Republic of Cyprus have always relied on the cultural and spiritual commonality and the traditions of friendship between our nations. The Russian Federation has always been and continues to be in favour of a comprehensive, just and viable settlement of the Cyprus problem based on UN Security Council resolutions.

We are interested in expanding cooperation with the Democratic Republic of the Congo in politics, trade and international affairs. We will continue to provide assistance to our Congolese partners in order to improve the socioeconomic situation in that country.

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a member of the Group of Friends of the Great Lakes Region, Russia will continue to contribute to the peace process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region as a whole.

Russia's relations with Uganda, one of Russia's reliable partners in Africa, are friendly and mutually beneficial. I am positive that our ties in the political, trade and economic fields will continue to develop successfully, including in new promising areas, such as the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Russia has long-standing relations of friendship and cooperation with Sudan and maintains a meaningful dialogue at various levels, which expands business cooperation in geology and subsoil use, as well as food supplies. In August, the seventh meeting of the Russian-Sudanese intergovernmental commission was held in Moscow. We look forward to seeing all the agreements reached there put into action.

Russia has consistently advocated the speedy normalisation of the internal political situation in Sudan and supports the efforts of the Sudanese leadership aimed at getting there.

We stand for the further strengthening of constructive cooperation with the State of Kuwait. We are ready to continue close foreign policy coordination not only in Middle East affairs, but on other international priorities as well. We see untapped potential in expanding trade, economic and investment cooperation.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the leadership of Nepal and all Nepalese people on the national holiday celebrated today – Constitution Day – and wish you success and prosperity. Russia's relations with Nepal have always been based on mutual understanding and friendship. We hope this will be the case as we go forward.

Fraternal Belarus is our closest ally and strategic partner. This year, we are marking the 30^th anniversary of diplomatic relations. The two countries are developing multisectoral integration cooperation and are consistently implementing the fundamental Treaty on the Creation of the Union State, including the 28 specific programmes that were coordinated in developing this treaty.

We are working on major trade and investment projects aimed at further improving the wellbeing of Russian and Belarusian citizens.

We are countering the challenges and threats to the security of our countries together. We are actively cooperating in the CSTO, the EAEU and the CIS. As I have mentioned, a decision was made at the recent summit in Samarkand to start the procedure for the accession of the Republic of Belarus to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. We will contribute to the full integration of Belarus into this authoritative regional organisation.

We have amassed substantial, diverse and mutually beneficial experience in cooperation with the Republic of Korea. Importantly, we are cooperating on the situation on the Korean Peninsula with a view to reaching a comprehensive political and diplomatic settlement and enhancing regional security and stability.

Venezuela is a strategic partner and reliable ally in Latin America and the world as a whole. We maintain a constant dialogue with President Maduro. The positions of Russia and Venezuela are close or identical on the main issues on the international agenda.

We intend to continue promoting bilateral cooperation in all areas, primarily energy, industry, infrastructure, transport, and pharmaceuticals.

We support the Venezuelan government’s efforts to stabilise the domestic situation and protect their national sovereignty. We denounce the illegal sanctions introduced against the republic.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I described Russia’s relations with the states you represent in a very broad outline. I hope that with your participation these relations will develop dynamically and be filled with new, mutually advantageous projects for the benefit of our nations and in the interests of international security and stability. I sincerely wish you success in this endeavor.

And, of course, I hope your work in Russia will be interesting for you professionally and will help you learn more about our country, its history and culture.

Allow me to wish you all the best. Good luck.

Thank you for your attention.

Unfortunately, pandemic rates, which are on the rise again and an increase in the number of infected people will not allow us to communicate more thoroughly and closely, but this does not change our attitude as you start your work. I would like to emphasise again that we wish you all the best.

Good luck, my best wishes, Thank you.