Russian FM Lavrov and his Brazilian counterpart solidify their commitment to boost ties

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, on July 8, that Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Brazilian counterpart Carlos Alberto Franco Franca confirmed their determination to strengthen strategic partnership during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Bali, Indonesia. The leaders also discussed pressing global issues, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry, particularly in light of Brazil's rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council in July.

According to TASS, the official statement read, "The conversation took place in a constructive atmosphere, which is typical for Russian-Brazilian meetings. The parties reaffirmed their determination to continue boosting the entire range of strategic partnership between the two countries."

G20 summit in Bali

A joint summit of the Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers was held on the Indonesian island of Bali on July 8, as tensions over Ukraine between the West and Russia increased. The meeting was "intense, but very polite," according to Josep Borrell, head of EU foreign policy.

Despite opposition from Western leaders, Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, attended the summit. The Russian FM walked out of a morning session as Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock chastised Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine. Lavrov, on the other hand, chastised the West for what he called its "frenzied criticism" of Russia.

Russia-Ukraine war remained main agenda at Summit

Further, Retno Marsudi, the foreign minister of Indonesia, called for an amicable resolution to the conflict in Ukraine. Marsudi continued, saying it was crucial for Indonesia to "create an atmosphere that's comfortable for everybody" as the host nation. At the gathering of foreign ministers, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken directly urged Russia to permit grain exports from Ukraine. Blinken claimed that numerous requests for Russia to end its conflict in Ukraine were made at the meeting.

Lavrov was then absent from the meeting in the afternoon, when Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba spoke to the foreign ministers. The Russian Foreign Minister thanked the Indonesian hosts before departing but refuted Western criticism of Moscow's conflict in Ukraine. Lavrov claimed that the Western participants "strayed almost immediately, as soon as they took the floor, to the frenzied criticism of the Russian Federation in connection with the situation in Ukraine."

(Image: AP)