Calls for a world-wide wave of revolutions are unacceptable - Lavrov

Speaking before the Lower House of the Russian Parliament, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the calls for a world-wide wave of revolutions were irresponsible.

These comments were made while the Russian foreign minister was delivering a report on urgent foreign policy issues and international relations to the State Duma on Thursday. The minister started with harsh criticism of the ongoing internal interventions being conducted by Western Powers (specifically the United States) in other countries. He said that Russia cannot support Western attempts to displace certain regimes, including those in the Arab world. "We act in accordance with the principle that such attempts cannot be supported. We stand for the strictest adherence to international law,” Lavrov said. The minister added that the revolutions sweeping the world would actually harm humanity. “The situation in the Middle East and North Africa is far from being resolved. We think that the calls for a world-wide wave of revolutions are irresponsible and contradict to the common interests of humanity,” Lavrov said.The minister gave the current unrest in Yemen as an example of a situation that was dangerously close to spiraling out of control. He reminded the parliamentarians that only recently the president, both parliamentary heads and many other officials were wounded as a result of attacks on government offices in that country, though this fact spurred little concern in the international community.“No one is addressing the UN and trying to stop the course being taken by the armed opposition in Yemen, which includes a colossal terrorist component,” Lavrov said.The minister blamed the US side for a stall in the Russian-US talks on missile defense. “There is a dialogue under way, but I cannot say that it’s been hugely successful,” the official noted. He said that Russia believes a concrete shift could have taken place on this issue when the Russian and US presidents met at the Deauville summit, but unfortunately “it turned out that the US partners were not ready for this”. “But we are not giving up and will continue to press for progress on the issue of missile defense and  the Americans know our position well, as it is not a contrived  position, but one that is based on facts,” Lavrov said.He added that the US missile defense system in Europe must be viewed not as something isolated, but as a part of the global system that would inevitably shift the global balance of power. He also said that Moscow is seeking the implementation of the Lisbon Summit agreements concerning missile defense. “This sentiment was absolutely correct, but so far there is only talk,” Lavrov said. “For us, talk needs to be followed by real action,” he added. The minister said that the general issue of missile defense could become a good test for relations between Russia and foreign nations as all parties must provide legal guarantees that their actions are not directed against each other.The minister said that the agreement on easing the visa regime between Russia and the United States was in a high degree of readiness adding that this will become a great facilitation and a boost for contacts between the citizens of the two countries.