Comment by the Information and Press Department on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s upcoming visit to Nicaragua

During the upcoming talks, he will discuss prospects for bilateral political dialogue, the most pressing international issues, issues of practical cooperation in various fields and strengthening the legal framework of relations.

Our countries are bound by time-tested friendship and brotherly relations, which are taking on the nature of a strategic partnership. President Putin’s visit to Nicaragua in July 2014 provided a significant impetus to the promotion of bilateral cooperation across various fields.

An official visit to Managua by a parliamentary delegation headed by Chairman of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko in January 2015 gave another boost to our bilateral relations. An agreement on promoting inter-parliamentary cooperation between the Federation Council and the National Assembly of Nicaragua was signed during that visit.

An official visit to Nicaragua by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on February 11-12 was important for strengthening the partnership between our two nations.

Russia and Nicaragua share a common vision of a just world order, solidarity and mutual support in international affairs, which we value greatly. Moscow and Managua interact effectively in the international arena. The positions of the two countries on key issues on the global agenda are similar or identical. That includes the strengthening of the principle of rule of international law, strengthening the central role of the UN in maintaining international stability and security, disarmament, outer space, and the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking and organised crime.

Nicaragua has traditionally supported Russia's priorities within the UN General Assembly, including the initiatives to counter the glorification of Nazism, international information security, measures to promote transparency and build confidence in outer space, road safety and human rights. Nicaragua co-authored the UN General Assembly resolution, The 70th Anniversary of the End of World War II, adopted on February 26.

Stronger partnership between Russia and Nicaragua necessitates the expansion of the legal framework. A number of draft bilateral agreements on cooperation in the sphere of customs services, education, healthcare, finance, and veterinary and phytosanitary security are in the works.

Cooperation in combating illegal drug trafficking is developing dynamically. Training courses for Central American anti-narcotics services conducted by Russia’s Federal Drug Control Service in Nicaragua are gaining prestige with our Central American partners. In view of this positive experience, work is underway to establish a permanent regional training centre of the Russian Federal Drug Control Service in Managua.

Progressive development of bilateral relations is further promoted by the activities of the Intergovernmental Russian-Nicaraguan Commission on Trade, Economic, Research and Technical Cooperation, the fourth session of which was held in Moscow on December 10-11, 2014.

Our trade and economic cooperation is expanding based on increasing direct contacts between the business circles of our two countries. In particular, in October 2014, Nicaraguan businessmen came to Moscow, and Russian entrepreneurs went to Managua. We support the continuation of such exchanges on a regular basis.

Russia reacted positively to the request by the Nicaraguan side to provide free aid to that country: in 2012-2014, Russia shipped 225,000 tonnes of wheat, 200 Agromash-85TK tractors and 10 Yenisei-950 harvesters in the tropical version to Nicaragua.

In August 2014, the Russian Emergencies Ministry completed the three-year Programme of Assistance to Nicaragua to Develop a National System for Preventing and Providing Relief for Emergencies, which was carried out at the expense of Russia’s contribution to the fund of the International Civil Defence Organisation in the amount of $26.6 million.

In August-September 2014, the Russian Emergencies Ministry conducted an assessment of seismic resistance of buildings and their remaining service life after a series of tremors in Nicaragua in April 2014. The Russian specialists trained local staff to work with the Struna 2 mobile diagnostic complex, and donated one to the Nicaraguans.