Speaking to reporters at a press conference on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Friday, Lavrov was asked a question by a journalist from South Africa about Moscow's plans vis-à-vis the minority white South African farmers amid fears of land expropriation without compensation.
"At this time, we are busy with meddling with Catalonia's elections," Lavrov replied, keeping a straight face, leading to an outburst of laughter in the room.
There was "no time" for this issue, he added, saying South Africa was "too far" away, before moving on to other issues.
Over the years, Lavrov has become well-known for his outbursts of wit and biting sarcasm, particularly over claims of Russian interference in the internal affairs of other countries. Last year, appearing on a Russian year in review television program, Lavrov sarcastically said that Russia had accomplished a great deal through the year, managing to meddle successfully in "Sweden, Denmark, Montenegro, Macedonia, Austria. We had a lot of work…We have not managed to overthrow the Japanese emperor yet. We did everything we could, but he is to remain for two more years," Lavrov joked.