Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's opening remarks at the 8th World Congress of Compatriots, Moscow, October 30, 2024

Your Holiness,

Madam Matviyenko,

Compatriots, colleagues, friends and guests,

I am delighted to welcome all of you in the Hall of Church Assemblies of the Christ the Saviour Cathedral.

I hereby declare the 8th World Congress of Compatriots Living Abroad open.

***

First of all, allow me to read out a message of greetings from President of Russia Vladimir Putin to the participants and guests at the congress.

“Friends, I would like to cordially welcome you on the occasion of the 8th World Congress of Compatriots. Russia is steadfastly intensifying its endeavours to support foreign compatriots. Most recently, the opportunities for restoring and acquiring Russian citizenship have been significantly expanded. The mechanisms of the State Voluntary Resettlement Programme, under which more than 1.2 million individuals have already entered our country, are being continuously enhanced. The Foundation for Supporting and Protecting the Rights of Compatriots Living Abroad allocates additional resources to those in need of legal assistance.

I am pleased to acknowledge that, despite the formidable challenges and harassment faced today in the West by citizens who uphold spiritual ties with Russia and share our moral values, over 400 representatives of Russian communities from more than a hundred nations have assembled at this Congress. Naturally, for delegates residing in unfriendly countries, travelling to Moscow to participate in this event demanded personal courage. I wish to express my sincere gratitude to those who, even under the most challenging circumstances, persist in actively defending the international standing of Russian culture and the Russian language.

I am confident that during the Congress you will not only deliberate on the issues confronting Russian communities abroad today, but also propose new ideas and initiatives that will serve to consolidate the vast Russian world and realise its immense creative potential

I wish you every success and all the best.

Vladimir Putin.”

***

I would like to say a few words as Chairman of the Government Commission on Compatriots Living Abroad.

The situation on the international stage has not improved over the past three years since the previous congress held in October 2021. The US-led collective West has actually redoubled its systemic efforts at containing Russia, launching a full-scale hybrid war against our country with the aim of inflicting a “strategic defeat” on it. Washington and its NATO vassals are openly speaking about pushing Russia to the margins of global development.

But all efforts by those who wish evil to Russia are in vain, and are doomed to fail. In fact, Russia has been carrying out the special military operation with great resolve and confidence in an effort to ensure its legitimate security interests and prevent Ukraine from turning into a hostile entity under NATO’s control. Even more importantly, we are doing this to defend the Russian people of Donbass and Novorossiya, to stand up for their rights as set forth in the UN Charter, while the Kiev regime trampled on them and the West supported it in this undertaking. The persecution of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church provides another example of these practices. They violate the UN Charter, which sets forth the obligation to respect human rights without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion.

Make no mistake, Russia will achieve all the goals of the special military operation as defined by President Vladimir Putin. We will secure and reliably ensure Russia’s security, and enable our citizens and compatriots to live in honour and dignity, to live where their forefathers used to live, and to speak their mother tongue, preserve their history and their spiritual and moral values.

Attempts to isolate Russia on the international stage also failed miserably. The countries belonging to the Global Majority refused to toe the Western line and opted for forging closer ties with Russia in various settings and sectors. The outcomes of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, held as part of Russia’s chairmanship, prove this point. The people of the Global South and East understand that a sovereign and assertive Russia presents a major force in terms of shaping a multipolar world order with greater justice for all in keeping with the principles of the UN Charter not in word, but in deed. Instead of handpicking these principles at its discretion, Russia adheres to all of them considering their interconnected and holistic nature. This world order will reflect the interests and aspirations of the entire humankind, rather than just a few countries belonging to the so-called Golden Billion.

We do understand that the developments around the world have affected the way we operate. This is what President Vladimir Putin said in his message. The coordination councils for the organisations of compatriots and other associations of compatriots have come under serious pressure in unfriendly countries, including manifestations of a Russia-hating attitude, and other forms of discrimination, as well as attempts to cancel Russian culture and eliminate the Russian language from the public space and even from everyday life. There is also an effort to sow division within the global Orthodoxy.

Faced with this unprecedented pressure, you have preserved your spiritual, cultural and linguistic bond with your historical Motherland, and have been contributing to reinforcing our international standing. The fact that this congress brought together so many high-profile participants demonstrates that all attempts to alienate the members of the Russian world from one another will fail, no matter who tries to achieve this goal.

A compelling demonstration of the unity within the Russian diaspora was evident during the Russian presidential election held in March of this year, wherein the majority of our citizens abroad expressed their support for Vladimir Putin. We extend our gratitude for your assistance to our foreign missions and your active participation in the organisation and execution of the voting process.

The theme of the Congress, Together with Russia, is more pertinent than ever. The current global situation necessitates additional exertion and synergy of efforts. Over the past three years, we have achieved significant progress in consolidating the fundamentals of the Russian World, bolstering the compatriotic movement, enhancing the effectiveness of its coordination structures, and preserving our common historical memory. The 2024−2026 Comprehensive Plan of Principal Measures for the Implementation of State Policy in this domain, adopted by the Government Commission on Compatriots Living Abroad, establishes guidelines for future endeavours in all of the aforementioned areas.

The first plenary session of the Congress is dedicated to the protection of traditional and family values. This matter holds particular significance in light of the West's aggressive attempts to impose its destructive neoliberal ideas on all, which inflict serious harm on people's moral health. One of the stark examples of moral decline was the incorporation of anti-human, satanic motifs in the arrangement of the programme for the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

In counteraction to these tendencies, we continue to reinforce the foundations of Russian society, including by adhering to the provisions of Presidential Order No. 809 of November 9, 2022, On Approval of the Fundamentals of State Policy for the Preservation and Strengthening of Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values. It is gratifying that our compatriots abroad are organising events to coincide with the Year of the Family, as announced in Russia this year.

Fortunately, in states that advocate unnatural behavioural models, there are numerous individuals who reject attempts to undermine the history and customs of their peoples. In response to the increasing number of appeals, on August 19 this year, President Vladimir Putin signed an order to provide humanitarian support to this group of people and assist in their resettlement in Russia. The order pertains to 47 countries and territories whose governments promote destructive ideological narratives detrimental to the future of humanity.

Today, you will discuss a range of issues related to the preservation of our shared cultural and historical heritage. The Russian language and the rich Russian culture, which encompasses the heritage of all peoples of our multinational nation, are the unifying pillars of the Russian World. We trust that you will support the International Movement of Russophiles, established in 2023, which unites individuals with the warmest and most sincere feelings for Russia and its culture.

Next year, we commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory. Leaders of the CIS, at the Astana summit in October 2022, resolved to designate 2025 as the Year of the 80th Anniversary of the Victory and the Year of Peace. I wish to convey my heartfelt appreciation to all those who, despite ongoing challenges and threats, organise commemorative events abroad at sites of military glory and the burial grounds of Soviet soldiers, as well as concerts, car rallies, the Immortal Regiment, Ribbon of Saint George, and Garden of Memory campaigns. These endeavours immortalise the Great Victory.

At dedicated sections of the Congress, it is intended to deliberate upon critical matters such as the protection of the rights and interests of compatriots, the promotion of the Russian language and Russian education, the engagement of young people in community activities, the development of diaspora media, and the issue of resettlement to the Russian Federation. The proposals and recommendations put forward during these discussions, as in previous years, will be meticulously examined by the Government Commission on Compatriots Living Abroad and subsequently reported to the President and the Government of the Russian Federation.

Our close cooperation allows us to substantively consider most issues of concern to our compatriots. Following the previous congress, a decision was made to grant Russian citizenship to children born in mixed marriages without the consent of the foreign parent. This was one of our friends’ concerns, which was not addressed. Now this issue is closed.

A repatriation procedure has been established to expand the opportunities for compatriots’ relocation to the Russian Federation. President Vladimir Putin approved a decision to double the budget of the Foundation for Supporting and Protecting the Rights of Compatriots Living Abroad this year; the foundation’s services are more in demand than ever in the current situation.

A comprehensive state programme Support and Promotion of the Russian Language has been approved and is being implemented. The International Russian Language Organisation, created at the initiative of President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, is open not only to the CIS countries, but also to any interested country.

It is gratifying that young compatriots are increasingly involved in the activities of their communities. The opportunities for them to visit Russia are expanding. This is an important resource for ensuring the continuity of the Russian world.

The role of women in the diaspora bodies is increasing. Our compatriots participate in the Eurasian Women’s Forum. The World Federation of Russian-Speaking Women has been established. The Eurasian meetings of Russian compatriots, held regularly since 2022, have become an important platform for discussing today’s issues. We will continue to support all these projects.

I cannot fail to note the important role of the compatriots’ media in promoting national culture and delivering objective information about Russia and its domestic and foreign policy to foreign audiences.

Our common efforts to involve the Russian regions in supporting our compatriots, to connect the regions’ economic capabilities with the business communities in the Russian diasporas, and expand the geography and forms of our foreign economic and investment ties have brought tangible results. We appreciate the role played personally by Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko in promoting these efforts.

I must also acknowledge, and I am doing this with great pleasure, the role played by the fruitful cooperation with compatriots that has been facilitated by the Russian Orthodox Church and other traditional religious groups in Russia. Our congress is taking place in a holy place, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. This clearly confirms that the spiritual ties binding our people, wherever they live, are unbreakable.

The Russian government will continue to support your aspirations to benefit your historical Motherland, promote its economic growth and social progress, and strengthen its international role. There is no doubt that our joint efforts will help preserve and increase the creative potential of the Russian world as our legacy for future generations.

Thank you for your attention and wish you rewarding work.