World much more than Europe: Lavrov echoes Jaishankar on global order

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov cited the statement of External Affairs Minister S Jaishanakar while elaborating on the change in global structure and multipolarity due to the rise of players like Global South and Global East.

He quoted Jaishankar's remarks that the "world is much more than Europe" and the "world is much more than the West".

The Russian Foreign Minister was speaking at the Primakov Readings International Forum in Moscow.

"The key difference of the current edition of multipolarity is the chance to acquire genuinely global proportions, relying on the fundamental principle of the UN Charter: the sovereign equality of states. Previously, decisions of global importance were driven by a small group of countries with the predominant voice coming from the Western community, for obvious reasons," the Russian Foreign Ministry quoted Lavrov as saying at the event.

It is pertinent to note that EAM Jaishankar while defending India's position to buy Russian oil amid the conflict in Ukraine had made a similar statement.

"Europe has to grow out of the mindset that Europe's problems are the world's problems but the world's problems are not Europe's problems," Jaishankar had stated.

Speaking further, Lavrov said that today new players representing the Global South and Global East have stepped onto the international political stage and their numbers are growing.

"We rightfully call them the Global Majority. They are strengthening their sovereignty in addressing pressing issues, demonstrating independence, and prioritising their national interests rather than someone else's whims," Lavrov said.

He added, "To back this up, I will cite my Indian colleague, Minister for External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar who said that the world is much more than just Europe. Clearly, this statement means that the world is much more than the West. Russia consistently advocates the democratisation of relations between countries and a fairer distribution of global benefits".