On Russia-China Ties
"Russia can certainly fill the resource gap that has arisen in China and other countries that are interested in working with us on an equal and mutually beneficial basis," Lavrov said during a press conference in Beijing when asked about Russia's willingness to provide energy assistance to China amid the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to China will take place in the first half of 2026, Lavrov noted.
"In January of this year, President Putin and President Xi Jinping launched the 14th cross-year … of education. As part of developing the program for President Putin's visit to China in the first half of this year, we proposed that this area be included in the summit agenda," Lavrov said.
The Russia-China relationship acts as a stabilizing force in world affairs and is becoming ever more vital to the "global majority," the top diplomat pointed out.
"Russia-China relations play the role of a stabilizer in world affairs. They are becoming more and more important to the rest of the world, to the global majority, which wants not problems, not turbulence, but calm conditions for sustainable development," Lavrov said.
According to Lavrov, thanks to the cooperation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Chinese leader, relations between both countries "demonstrate a high resilience to the shocks that have engulfed the modern world both economically and geopolitically, and, unfortunately, these contradictions are increasingly acquiring a military dimension."
In addition, the Russian diplomacy chief briefed the Chinese president on his talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, specifically on preparations for Putin's visit to China.
Xi, in turn, emphasized that the relationship between Russia and China holds special significance in the context of a rapidly evolving international landscape.
On World Affairs
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that he discussed events in the Mideast, the militarization of the European Union, and the crisis within NATO with the Chinese side.
"We examined the situation across various regions, with a particular focus on Eurasia, where an increasing number of hotspots are emerging … [we discussed] the militarization of the European Union, which we are witnessing against the backdrop of crises erupting within NATO. We are all aware of the disagreement between Washington and European capitals, particularly the Brussels bureaucracy. The Middle East and the Persian Gulf region, where the events of greatest concern to everyone are currently unfolding, represent a clear crisis point that will not be easy to resolve," Lavrov said.
On Middle East
The Russian and Chinese delegations have clearly stated that Palestine, Gaza, and the West Bank must not take a backseat, Foreign Minister Lavrov stated.
"Palestine, Gaza, and the West Bank must not remain in the shadows and must not be relegated to the background. We made this very clear today with the Chinese delegation," Lavrov said.
Russia insists on continuing negotiations between Iran and the United States to reach a resolution on the Strait of Hormuz, Lavrov said.
"We, along with China, firmly support the continuation of these negotiations," the diplomacy chief stressed.
Moscow and Beijing are willing to promote any form of external support for the US-Iran negotiations, he added.
"We will accept any decision that satisfies the Iranian side within the framework of its legitimate rights," the Russian top diplomat said.
Lavrov noted that the International Atomic Energy Agency has never determined that Iran's uranium enrichment activities were intended for military purposes.
"Russia … is ready to play its role in resolving the enriched uranium issue. This role could take a variety of forms, including the conversion of highly enriched uranium into fuel-grade uranium and the transfer of a certain amount to Russia for storage. Anything that is acceptable to Iran without, I repeat, violating its inalienable right, like the right of any other state, to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes," Lavrov said.
Moscow continues to build relations with Iran in full compliance with international law, which currently does not provide for the imposition of international sanctions against the Islamic Republic, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
On Relations with US, Europe
Ties between the Russian Federation and the United States are not frozen, unlike the state of contacts during the administration of former US President Joe Biden, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov clarified.
"Relations are not frozen. They were frozen under Biden, whose administration completely severed all contacts," Lavrov said.
The foreign minister added that Russia and the US communicate regularly at various levels.
"Some contacts are initiated voluntarily, others are conducted at the request of the American side. We do not discuss all of them publicly," Lavrov affirmed.
Meanwhile, he said that Moscow remains committed to the agreements with the US on Ukraine reached at the Russian-American summit in Alaska.
Russia remains ready for negotiations with the United States on Ukraine, the top diplomat said.
"We need to know how the negotiations initiated by [US President] Donald Trump and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin are progressing – negotiations that we welcomed and continue to express our readiness to continue," Lavrov said.
The agreements reached by Russia and the United States in Alaska regarding Ukraine are being blocked by the European elite, Lavrov pointed out.
"In August 2025, in Alaska, we accepted proposals that we were convinced were made by the United States from the heart and with the best of intentions. Unfortunately, since then, these agreements - not the spirit, but the agreements and understanding of Alaska - have been blocked and torpedoed by the European ruling elite, embedded in Brussels, Paris, and Berlin, and actively supported by London," Lavrov said.
The United States wants to shift the responsibility for containing Russia to Europe so it can focus on China, the Russian diplomacy chief said.
"The United States wants … to shift the primary responsibility for containing Russia to Europe so it can free itself up in the Chinese direction; they make no secret of this. In these interests, they are trying to stimulate not only discussions but also practical actions toward the creation of a pre-announced anti-Russian military bloc with the participation of Ukraine," Lavrov explained.
Once the conflict in Ukraine is resolved, Russia will be interested in resuming investment cooperation with countries willing to work on mutually beneficial terms, Lavrov said.
"When the Ukraine crisis is resolved based on full consideration of Russian interests, we will be interested in resuming investment cooperation with the countries willing to do so on an equal, mutually respectful, and mutually beneficial basis," Lavrov said.
There are companies in the United States willing to work with Russia on a mutually beneficial basis, the top diplomat noted.
Lavrov added that Russia believes that "companies willing to operate under these terms do exist in the United States, and that the US administration is genuinely interested" in such arrangements.