Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said this at a Saturday press conference after a session of the twelfth Assembly of the Council for Foreign and Defense Policy.
"Such dialogue, as well as constant contacts and opinion exchanges are very useful for the Russian foreign ministry when it has to develop foreign policy initiatives and realize the Russian Federation foreign policy concept, which is approved by the president and is now being implemented," Lavrov said.
"We appreciate this cooperation and will continue to develop it as we've been doing all these years," the minister emphasized.
The Council for Foreign and Defense Policy has a status of a public organization. It was founded February 25, 1992. The Council is a non-governmental association of politicians, businessmen, state employees, media people and scientific circles. Financing of the council is carried out at the expense of sponsors' contributions, grants and donations.
