Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks at a meeting with university graduates accepted into the diplomatic service for the first time, Moscow, October 18, 2022

My friends,

I am happy to welcome you at the historic mansion on Spiridonovka, which is associated with the Ministry. We hold practically all our international events here. It is symbolic that this new stage in your lives is starting in this ceremonial building.

You are already working in your departments, but we usually hold our traditional meeting in October to let everyone get used to the new, adult working conditions.

I am glad to see here today that a majority are graduates of MGIMO (Rector  Anatoly Torkunov is present) and the Diplomatic Academy (Rector Alexander Yakovenko is also here). I am not saying at all that we have a biased attitude towards other universities. I know that there are graduates of Moscow State University (MSU), Moscow State Linguistic University (MSLU) and the Russian Friendship University that will continue to bear the name of Patrice Lumumba – I promise you. I don’t know why the previous administration at the university was too embarrassed to retain this heroic name, a symbol of this university. 

We are glad that the competition for admission to the Foreign Ministry was traditionally high. This year, we accepted 80 people. We accept about the same number every year. In 2022, admission was determined by specific circumstances. Many of our comrades had to discontinue their foreign missions due to the West’s Russophobic policy. Our priority was a commitment to provide them with jobs as soon as possible. We did that. We had been busy resolving this problem since last June. Now all issues have been settled without any detriment to the admission of the young people that are present here.

By tradition, the number of people wishing to work in our Ministry exceeds our requirements. If we could, we would have taken more candidates. At present, we are reorienting geographically our activities both abroad and in the central office.

All of you follow international developments for obvious reasons. President of Russia Vladimir Putin described in detail what is happening now, in part, in his speech at the signing ceremony for the treaties with the four new regions of the Russian Federation on September 30 of this year. I am referring to the re-emergence of colonial thinking, the striving of our American colleagues to subjugate everyone to their will and to prove that as a “hegemon,” they will follow the “my way or the highway” principle. If they wish, they may decide to bomb some country, for instance, Yugoslavia, Iran or Libya 10 thousand miles away from their shores. Likewise, they may wish to pit the whole world against Russia.

The Russian Federation warned for many years that it is unacceptable to create threats to our security and not at a distance of 10 thousand miles but right on our borders, and to our people who consider themselves Russian and want to remain part of the Russian world. For many years, the Kiev regime oppressed them, prohibiting the Russian language, education, media, culture and many other things. For eight long years, Donbass was subjected to bombing, women and children were killed. During these eight years, Western journalists have not visited Donbass even once (probably with one or two exceptions). They covered everything related to the implementation or non-implementation of the Minsk agreements exclusively from Kiev’s positions.

The coup in Ukraine was carried out under Nazi slogans and banners, symbols of SS battalions and divisions, with swastikas on flags and tattoos that covered all the main “performers” of this action. The West backed it. To be more precise, the US had actively prepared it while Europe obediently accepted it. This means only one thing – the West has sided with those who want to restore Nazism. This continues to inform our thinking.  We daily see significant evidence confirming our assessment. Under these conditions, we will transfer the centre of gravity to countries that are willing to cooperate with us along the lines of equality and mutual benefit and will seek out promising joint projects.

It makes no sense to maintain our presence in Western countries. Our people are working in conditions that can hardly be called human. They are being incessantly confronted with problems and threats of physical attack. Most importantly, there is no work there, since Europe decided to fence itself off from us and terminate economic cooperation with us. You can’t make people love you with force. On the contrary, the “third world” countries in Asia, Africa, or Latin America need extra attention. Many plans are being coordinated at the top and high levels, which need diplomatic support, including in terms of business support and joint cultural, humanitarian and educational projects.

I know you come well prepared. Most of you have diplomas cum laudae. Many of you participated in international events, the University and the Academy’s social life, and the volunteer movement. We offer a lot of room for creativity. I have no doubt that you will successfully combine your official activities and participation in the broader life of the ministry.

We are convinced that you will put to good use the wealth of knowledge that you acquired studying at your universities. International developments are unfolding quickly, so it is a good idea to continue to improve your skills at Higher Foreign Language Courses, or you can take up any specialised course to your liking at the Diplomatic Academy. There will be mentors by your side every step of your way, such as the Council of Veterans headed by Valery Morozov and the Council of Young Diplomats which is prominent in the international arena. Take a closer look at it, but make sure your main focus remains on your core occupational activities. We will encourage your participation in various activities sponsored by the council, including through the international Council of Ministers, which was created on our initiative.

If you look at the number of partners with whom we are building up ties as we shift our focus away from the frenzied and infuriated West, you will clearly see that there is no such thing as Russia's isolation. Multipolar processes are underway on all continents, and new centres of economic growth, financial power, and political influence are emerging. I’m talking about Asia and, in a broad sense, Eurasia and Africa, which boasts enormous natural resources that remain untapped. The vast majority of Latin American countries continue to not only maintain relations with us, but are interested in expanding them.

Given the circumstances, your civic position is important in addition to your professional training, your efforts to improve your skills and broaden your erudition. The Foreign Ministry employees have always been known for their patriotism and sense of pride in our country. These are not some lofty words, but a statement of fact. Under our foreign policy concept, we must concentrate our efforts on ensuring safe, maximally favourable external conditions for Russia's economic development, improving individual living standards, and protecting our compatriots and businesses abroad. We are living during, without exaggeration, an inflection point, or rather an inflection era, since it is going to last. At a time like this, it is important to uphold not only the socioeconomic interests of our country and citizens, but also the sense of national pride, honour and protection of our historical legacy.

I have no doubt that you will fit right in with our team, all of you. We will do our best to make this happen as soon as possible and with the greatest possible effect for the ministry, the country, foreign policy and your career. Once again, congratulations on joining the Foreign Ministry.

Welcome aboard and good luck.