Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks at the meeting with Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China Wang Yi on the sidelines of the BRICS Council, Rio de Janeiro, April 28, 2025

Mr Minister,

Dear friend,

Colleagues,

Indeed, we meet regularly and frequently, which allows us to remain in good shape.

You said that we are likely to live for a long time in an era of change. As far as I know, there is an old Chinese proverb that says, “God forbid you should live in an era of change.” But that saying dates back a long time. Today, China is one of the main drivers of global change, and perhaps such change is indeed necessary.

As you mentioned, there is an ongoing struggle between those trying to preserve a unipolar system, rooted in colonial and neocolonial practices long used by the West to conduct world affairs, and those who are working to build a just, multipolar world order. This new order must be based, as stated in the UN Charter, on the principle of sovereign equality among all states.

Together with China, our BRICS and SCO partners, and other allies, we are active participants in this transformation and stand at the forefront of the movement for justice and equality. This imposes a special responsibility on us, especially in fulfilling the objectives set by the leaders of our countries.

We look forward to the official visit of President Xi Jinping to the Russian Federation to take part in the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, for which we are actively preparing.