Foreign Minister Lavrov meets with former South African President Thabo Mbeki -By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh

On November 27, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held discussions with former South African President Thabo Mbeki, who arrived in Moscow to take part in the 9th Primakov Readings International Scientific and Expert Forum.

Both reviewed various aspects of the Russia-South Africa’s bilateral strategic partnership, and also a number of current issues on the international agenda, with emphasis on the developments in Ukraine and the situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Prior to their brief meeting, Lavrov delivered a speech and answered series of question from participants’ gathering, which is held as the annual Primakov Readings forum of experts and academics, initiated in 2015.

Lavrov spoke, at length, over about Russia’s views on fundamental global development trends, specifically the ongoing rise of a farer multipolar world, developments on Russia-Ukraine and Palestinian-Israeli conflicts.

Referring to many global events that are unfolding dynamically and shaping the multipolar order, Lavrov said that it was a tested-time for strength and adequacy in the face of new realities. It outlines a new polycentric architecture now taking shape, the process may take a long time to attain perfection.

There are emerging new centers, steadily strengthening their sovereignty and looking for a fairer, equitable distribution of global benefits, and this encourages countries in different regions to forge solidarity, according his interpretation.

Lavrov quoted President Vladimir Putin when he said at the last extraordinary G20 summit held Nov. 22 that “a significant share of global trade, investment and consumer activity is shifting to Asian, African and Latin American regions, where the majority of the world population lives.”

The unbalanced and unfair model of globalization is becoming a thing of the past. It is a common interest for many new centers to accept new concept based on principles of international law, cultural diversity and the right to determine their own paths of development.

Primakov Readings forum is dedicated to the memory of outstanding Russian statesman, diplomat and academic Yevgeny Primakov. Primakov was a Russian politician and diplomat who served as Prime Minister of Russia from 1998 to 1999. During his long career, he also served as Foreign Minister, Speaker of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, and chief of the intelligence service and later became member of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences.