Comment by the Information and Press Department on Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Denis Ronaldo Moncada Colindres’ official visit to Russia
On December 12-13, Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Denis Ronaldo Moncada Colindres will pay an official visit to Russia. On December 13, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Denis Ronaldo Moncada Colindres will meet for talks, after which a joint statement is planned.
Improving the strategic partnership with Nicaragua is one of Russia’s foreign policy priorities in Latin America and the Caribbean region. Russia and Nicaragua maintain a top- and high-level dialogue and have initiated inter-parliamentary coordination. In addition, the Intergovernmental Commission for Trade and Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation has been functioning.
Russia supports Nicaragua and the country’s Sandinista leaders and firmly condemns any form of external interference or the use of sanctions to pressure this sovereign country and its people who have proved they have the right and capability to resolve their domestic matters on their own.
The forthcoming visit will take place amid a series of events to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two countries, one of which is a visit to Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, by Russian Deputy Speaker of the State Duma Olga Yepifanova on December 11-13. Her schedule includes talks with President Daniel Ortega, Vice President Rosario Murillo and Speaker of the National Assembly Gustavo Eduardo Porras. Olga Yepifanova will also speak in the Nicaraguan Parliament on the Day of Friendship with Russia, which is marked on December 12.
On December 13, the Media Centre of the Zaryadye Park in Moscow will hold an exhibit of archival documents and photographs dedicated to the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Russian and Nicaraguan foreign ministries are building dynamic cooperation based on the Memorandum of Intent for consultative cooperation in international forums between permanent missions and delegations from both countries, which was signed in May 2018.
Our cooperation in the global arena is underpinned by the proximity or similarity of our positions on key issues on the regional and international agendas, as well as the commitment to strictly observe the norms and principles of international law, primarily, the UN Charter, and to strengthen the central role of the UN and its Security Council.
In the UN General Assembly, Nicaragua has traditionally supported Russia’s initiatives, in particular, efforts to counter the glorification of Nazism, ensure global information security and introduce measures to build confidence in outer space and to not be the first to deploy weapons in outer space.
Moscow and Managua believe that interference in the domestic affairs of sovereign countries is unacceptable; they do not recognise coups as a method to replace government; and believe that attempts by some countries to illegally pressure others should be expunged from international practice.
Russia and Nicaragua are developing cooperation in trade, the economy and investment activities. They have recorded growth in bilateral trade: over the first nine months of 2019, trade increased by 68.23 percent over the same period last year, reaching $51.7 million.
Among the flagship projects is the production of medicines and vaccines using Russian technology at the Mechnikov Plant in Managua, which opened on April 10, 2019.
The partnership in space is being strengthened – there is a GLONASS tracking station in Nicaragua for natural disaster relief. Other projects include assistance in creating a national emergency relief system and the creation of a situation center for training personnel for law-enforcement agencies – a training centre in Managua, which is a branch of the Siberian College of Law at the Russian Interior Ministry. Exports of wheat and vehicle equipment from Russia are important for Nicaragua.
Investors are offered good opportunities to promote cooperation thanks to the active involvement of Nicaraguan delegations in major investment forums held in Russia, including the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (2014-2019), the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok (2016 and 2019), the International Investment Forum in Sochi (2016 and 2019) and the 5th Yalta International Economic Forum (2019).
The legal framework for bilateral relations is becoming broader. Last March, an agreement on cooperation between the two countries’ Prosecutor-General offices was signed in Moscow, along with the Protocol of Cooperation Between the Russian Interior Ministry and the Nicaraguan National Police for 2019-2021. Currently in the pipeline are a number of draft bilateral agreements on cooperation between customs offices, as well as in the field of the peaceful use of nuclear energy, legal assistance, education, healthcare, finance and intellectual property rights.
