Putin thanks Russian diplomats for thwarting West's plans to isolate Russia

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked on Friday the country's Foreign Ministry for the help in thwarting "plans of the collective West to isolate Russia."

In a statement on the occasion of Diplomatic Workers' Day, Putin said the Russian diplomats "fulfilled with honor their professional duty and set an example of patriotism and civic courage even in the most difficult times, in the face of severe trials."

He added that "the best qualities" of the diplomatic service are "much in demand today amidst the hybrid war unleashed against Russia," and urged "to make the most" of foreign policy tools to defend Russia's state sovereignty and national security.

"The country managed not only to thwart the plans of the collective West to isolate Russia but also to step up cooperation with the majority of members of the international community largely owing to your efforts. I am referring to the states in Eurasia, the Middle East, the Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Latin America," Putin said.

The president noted that "the agenda now is to continue building on this interaction with responsible international partners."

He vowed that Russian diplomacy will continue supporting the trend towards the formation of a "multipolar, truly democratic world order based on equality, mutual respect, and observance of the generally recognized norms of international law."