"If you are asking about Russian-US relations, we do not have any concrete relations right now. We only discuss the problems that arise in the work of our embassies out of necessity. And also due to the fact that the US is trying to abuse their position, in particular, as the host country of the UN," Lavrov told a briefing following his visit to Cuba.
Speaking about elations with Cuba the Russia's top diplomat said that military cooperation between Moscow and Havana is developing successfully.
"Our military cooperation with Cuba is developing successfully in accordance with agreements between the two sides. And as I understand the forms of this military cooperation suit both the Russian and Cuban sides," Lavrov told journalist.
The minister also noted that the conditions for the restructuring of Cuba's debt have been agreed upon.
"Of course, everything that is being achieved, has contributed to the completion of work on agreeing on the terms of the restructuring of Cuba's debt," he said.
Russia Ready to Take Part in Discussions on BRICS Currency Creation
Russia is ready to take part in the discussions on the creation of a BRICS currency, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told journalists.
"The BRICS countries have long been working on measures to reduce the share of the dollar in mutual payments and to switch to payments in national currencies... Recently, Brazilian President Lula suggested that we consider moving toward a collective currency within the BRICS. We will participate with interest in this discussion," Lavrov highlighted.
EU Should Buy Ukraine Grain at Initial Price, Supply to Developing States for Free
In the current situation of an oversupply of Ukrainian grain and food on the EU market, it would be more fair for the European Union to buy this grain at its initial price and supply it to countries in need free of charge, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
"I heard that the European Commission offers to compensate for losses, allocating, if I am not mistaken, 100 million euros [$109 million]. But, probably, it would be more fair to buy cheap Ukrainian grain at its initial price and supply it free of charge to the poorest countries that need food," Lavrov emphasized.
The ban on Ukrainian grain imports by some countries proves that the fulfillment of Ukrainian part of grain deal has become commercial, the minister added.
The EU has been engaged in various initiatives to help Ukraine export its agricultural goods amid the conflict in the country, which caused disruptions in supply chains and raised concerns about a large-scale food crisis. However, the measures contributed to cheap Ukrainian grain flooding central and eastern European countries, causing prices to collapse there. For this reason, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Bulgaria have temporarily banned food imports from Ukraine.