Russian FM Lavrov Arrives in Brazil to Meet With G20 Top Diplomats

RIO DE JANEIRO, (Sputnik) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has arrived in Brazil to participate in a meeting of G20 foreign ministers, taking place in the city of Rio de Janeiro from February 21-22, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Tuesday.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said earlier that the first meeting under Brazil's chairmanship would be devoted to the issues pertaining to the modern international agenda, "with a focus on resolving geopolitical contradictions and reforming global economic institutions."

Lavrov, in his address, will talk about Russia's assessment of the challenges facing the international community, their internal causes and dynamics, as well as the steps needed to effectively overcome these issues, the ministry said.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said earlier that Lavrov would note the importance of using all available diplomatic tools, means of peacefully settling disputes, mutually respectful dialogue and cooperation to ensure indivisible and sustainable security.

The Russian top diplomat is going to meet with several of his counterparts from emerging market countries on the meeting's sidelines, Zakharova noted.

Last week, Assistant US Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs Ramin Toloui stated that there were no scheduled bilateral meetings between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Lavrov. Additionally, he clarified that Brazil had not requested the G20 foreign ministers to draft a joint statement on the situation in Ukraine.

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that at the scheduled meeting of G20 foreign ministers in Rio de Janeiro on February 21-22, Moscow would emphasize the importance of avoiding any politicization of the forum. The G20 is meant to address social and economic challenges, and Russia aims to call attention to this core focus.

"During the foreign ministers' meeting, the Russian delegation plans to draw special attention of partners to the unacceptability of politicization of the Group of Twenty, which is, according to the mandate, designed to focus strictly on social and economic challenges," the ministry said in a statement on the website.

The ministry added that the G20 should not be considered an alternative to the United Nations Security Council, which has exclusive prerogatives to maintain international peace and security.