Russian FM Lavrov kicks off Latin America tour from April 17-21 with Brazil visit

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov commenced his Latin American tour on Monday with a visit to Brazil. Lavrov will meet senior officials and hold talks with Foreign Minister of Brazil Mauro Vieira within the framework of the visit’s programme, reported TASS news agency. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday that Sergei Lavrov would be undertaking a visit to a number of Latin American nations from April 17 to 21.

"From April 17 to 21, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit several Latin American countries, including Brazil, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba. The Russian foreign minister will have a rich program, which will include meetings with these countries’ leaders and talks with the foreign ministers," it said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the primary objective of Sergey Lavrov's tour was to enhance mutually beneficial co-operation among the countries in various fields such as political, trade and economic, educational, humanitarian, cultural, and more.

"The talks are planned to focus on issues of strengthening the legal framework of the present-day world, which is based on the United Nations Charter," the ministry said. "Latin America is a friendly region, one of the centers of the formation of a multipolar world and Russian plans to maintain a dynamic dialogue with it, develop constructive cooperation free from any dictation from the outside," the statement concluded.

'Co-operation in Latin America based on a pragmatic approach': Lavrov

In an article by Sergei Lavrov for the Brazilian newspaper Folha de São Paulo and the Mexican magazine Buzos on April 13, the Russian rop diplomat wrote about the "stubborn desire of the so-called historical West, led by the United States, to maintain global dominance, hinder the development and strengthening of new world centers" and the "new opportunities for the development of mutually beneficial co-operation between Russia and the Latin American states".

"For us, Latin America and the Caribbean (LACC) is a valuable area of ​​foreign policy in itself. We do not want your region to turn into an arena of confrontation between powers. Our cooperation with the Latin Americans is based on de-ideologized, pragmatic approaches, not directed against anyone. Unlike the former colonial metropolises, we do not divide partners into friends and foes, we do not put them in front of an artificial choice - with us or against us. We want the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, in their unity in diversity, to be strong, politically united and economically sustainable," he wrote.

"We consistently stand for the strengthening of Russian-Latin American cooperation on the basis of mutual support, solidarity and consideration of each other's interests," he added.