Lavrov discusses with Foreign Ministry Business Council measures against sanctions

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met on Tuesday with the Business Council functioning under the ministry's auspice to discuss "support and promotion of the Russian business in the current geopolitical conditions."

Opening the meeting that is taking place in the Russian capital Moscow, Lavrov stressed that economic sector is "one of the most important fronts of the hybrid war that the West is waging against Russia."

"A whole bunch of measures aimed at blatant discrimination against domestic economic operators have been brought down on us -- they are blackmailing our traditional foreign partners, they have launched a large-scale information campaign to discredit Russia as a trade and investment counterparty," he said.

The majority of the Global South, countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America do not support anti-Russian measures, and also the sanction policy undermines trust to the US, he noted.

"The global majority has numerous complaints about the effectiveness and impartiality of international financial institutions and interaction formats controlled from Washington. The understanding is growing that absolutely no one is immune from state banditry on the part of the collective West," he said.

To mitigate the risks arising in connection with using the US-controlled systems, many countries actively use alternative currencies and payment platforms in foreign trade, he noted.

"International transport corridors and supply chains are being created that are resistant to the unfit attempts of unfriendly states to prevent the implementation of mutually beneficial projects," he said.

Lavrov also invited the participants to hold a "substantive, rich, and perspective-oriented" discussion and speak not only about risks and threats but also opportunities that open for Russian companies in foreign markets.