Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks during talks with Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany Annalena Baerbock, Moscow, January 18, 2022

Madam Minister,

I am delighted to welcome you and your delegation to Moscow.

We appreciate this opportunity to meet in person only a few weeks after the new German government was formed and started working.

It is our hope that we will be able to achieve a more constructive state of relations between our countries. We are committed to overcoming any accumulated problems with all members of the new government. We are always interested in a good relationship with Germany based on mutual respect, equality and consideration for each other’s interests.

I appreciate your message to me of January 10, 2022, and its positive tone. I would like to specifically note your statement about centuries-long historical ties between the nations of Russia and Germany, and about our shared responsibility for the successful development of our bilateral relations.

I fully support this attitude and hope that our work today will follow the same sentiment.