Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in a speech from the Arab League headquarters in Cairo that “Russian-Arab relations are based on friendship and cordiality”, appreciating “the Arab League’s interest in the situation in Ukraine”, noting that “we agreed with the rector of the university, Ahmed Abul Gheit, to identify additional plans to strengthen relations between the two parties in various fields, he added, “we plan to hold the sixth session of the Arab-Russian Cooperation Forum in the near future.”

He clarified that “we have nothing to hide about our operation in Ukraine, and our legitimate security concerns are confirmed by the West pumping its weapons next to us.”

Lavrov stressed that “the preservation of a united Ukraine is clearly seen in the guarantees established by the previous Minsk agreements”, noting that “the European Union did not show any concern about the Kyiv regime’s violation of the Minsk agreements and the situation in Donbas”, and added that “the Kyiv regime did not comply commitments. The Minsk agreements were sabotaged and the European Union did not intervene to prevent this.”

The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry stressed that “the agreement signed in Istanbul gives Russia the right to inspect ships entering or leaving the ports of Ukraine.”