Lavrov: Facts Prove NATO's Reluctance to Interact

ROME (Sputnik) - Russia does not possess any data on the intentions of NATO, but facts attest to the reluctance of the alliance to interact with Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters on Sunday.

"We have no information about what NATO is going to do. We rely on facts, and facts are as follows that NATO does not want any cooperation with us. When we had representatives there and the NATO-Russia Council was operating, [the alliance] only wanted to teach us what to do, demanding every time to convene the NATO-Russia Council and discuss Ukraine. They were interested only in spreading propaganda and putting pressure on Russia," Lavrov said at theG20 press conference.

The Russian diplomat added that "the matter is closed."

"If NATO has a motive to address us, we have an ambassador in Belgium, who is responsible for the bilateral relations. We have informed the North Atlantic alliance that in any case it can send signals through this diplomat," Lavrov said.

Lavrov also said that starting 1 November, Moscow is suspending its permanent mission to NATO in response to the mission staff reduction.

On US Warships in the Black Sea

By sending military ships to the Black Sea waters, the United States does not add stability to the region but tries to push coastal countries toward confrontational policies, Lavrov said on Sunday.

On Saturday, the Russian defence control centre said that the Black Sea Fleet was monitoring the USS Porter, a guided-missile destroyer, which entered the Black Sea.

"The demonstration of the US navy flag in the Black Sea is not an isolated incident. There have been several occasions when the US has explicitly declared the need for its military vessels to enter these waters in order to deter Russia," Lavrov told reporters.

"Of course, this does not add stability. The Americans are actively trying to push the coastal Black Sea countries, which are members of NATO, to pursue such a confrontational policy," the minister added.

Russia is ready for any threat, he said, noting there is no problem for Moscow to reliably ensure the security of Russian territory and in the Black Sea.

"But we are always in favour of promoting projects of cooperation, not projects that are based on confrontation," he added.

On Conversation With Biden

Lavrov said that he managed to talk with US President Joe Biden during a dinner on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rome.

"We were able to talk with President Biden during dinner last night," Lavrov told reporters.

The minister added that he did not meet with US State Secretary Anthony Blinken in the Italian capital.

On Energy Policy

The G20 countries have pledged to pursue an energy policy based on the balance of interests between consumers and suppliers of resources, the Russian Foreign Minister said.

"The G20 will support such energy policy solutions for the future that are based on a clear, sustainable balance of interests between suppliers and consumers," Lavrov told reporters following the G20 summit meeting in Rome.

On Attempts to Promote Unilateral Approaches

The main result of the G20 summit in Rome is that attempts to promote unilateral approaches are deemed ineffective, while collective approaches are needed, including to combat the coronavirus pandemic, Lavrov said on Sunday.

"The main conclusion to be drawn from the summit and from the work not only of the leaders but also of the experts who negotiated the full, multi-page declaration is that efforts to promote one-sided approaches have fallen by the wayside," Lavrov told a briefing following the summit in Rome.

The majority of participants agreed that the G20 should lead by example and seek collective solutions to achieve a balance of interests both in dealing with the coronavirus, in fighting for habitable climate, and in dealing with energy security, the minister added.