Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s greetings on Diplomats’ Day Moscow, February 10, 2018

Friends,

First of all, I would like to congratulate Russian diplomats and veterans on their professional day.

Russia’s foreign policy department was established centuries ago and has very strong traditions. It has always had relented people, true patriots and professionals. Many of them went down in the history of the Russian state, including Nikita Panin, Alexander Bezborodko, and Alexander Gorchakov, Nicholas de Giers, Andrey Gromyko and Yevgeny Primakov. The ministry staff also included literary luminaries, such as Alexander Pushkin, Alexander Griboyedov, Fyodor Tyutchev and Alexey Tolstoy. On our professional day we also commemorate our comrades who died during the Great Patriotic War and in the line of duty. We will always hold them dear to our hearts.

The heritage we received from them imposes serious obligations upon us, the more so since the global situation is not improving.

While working to implement the multidirectional foreign policy, which has been approved by President of Russia Vladimir Putin, our diplomats contribute to protecting Russia’s sovereignty and security.

Our independent policy meets national interests and enjoys broad support in Russian society. No threats or pressure will force us to revise it. The overwhelming number of states view Russia as the only guarantor of global stability as well as the defender of the fundamental principles of interstate relations, such as the primacy of international law, the central role of the UN, the sovereign equality of states and respect for their  national identity and the right to independently choose their development paths.

We are promoting constructive interaction with our numerous foreign partners on all continents and in a variety of fields, which helps us to create favourable international conditions for our dynamic national development. We are advocating a constructive agenda aimed at pooling the efforts of the international community against the threat of terrorism and other global challenges.

I am convinced that in this responsible period in Russia’s history all employees of the central office, foreign missions and offices in Russian regions will continue to show initiative and work creatively and efficiently. I wholeheartedly wish Russian diplomats and their loved ones, together with our veterans, health, prosperity and success in their service to the homeland.

Friends! Once again, congratulations on our professional day.