Russia’s ex-ambassador to Minsk appointed Secretary of State of Russia-Belarus Union State

MINSK, MAR 21: Russia’s former Ambassador to Belarus Dmitry Mezentsev has been appointed State Secretary of the Union State of Russia and Belarus.

"Chairman of the Supreme State Council of the Union State, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on March 19 signed Resolution No 1 on the Union State’s state secretary relieving Grigory Rapova of his duties as the State Secretary of the Union States and appointing Dmitry Mezentsev to the post," the press service of the Belarusian leader said on Friday.

Rapota was appointed State Secretary of the Union State on November 25, 2011 to replace Pavel Borodin.

The Kremlin website also announced Mezentsev’s appointment.

Mezentsev will ensure the deepening of brotherly relations between the two countries in the new office, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"We are certain that, as a head of the Union structure, Dmitry Fyodorovich Mezentsev will ensure the continuity of operation of the State Secretary office and will continue the course towards the strengthening of brotherly Russian-Belarusian relations, which he efficiently facilitated as the head of the Russian diplomatic mission in Minsk. We wish him all kinds of success in this work in the interest of Russia and Belarus and for the benefit of the peoples of our countries," the diplomat said.

She also noted that Moscow is deeply grateful to Grigory Rapota, who held this office for almost 10 years, "for his significant contribution to development of the Russian-Belarusian state unification and strengthening of comprehensive and strengthening of comprehensive cooperation between the two countries."

"Thanks to his active position, implementation of significant union programs in various fields has become possible," Zakharova added.

Earlier, the Union State Supreme State Council appointed Mezentsev as the State Secretary. The same ruling dismissed Rapota from State Secretary duties due to expiration of his term in office.

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COURTESY TASS

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UK calls on Russia to immediately release all Ukrainian political prisoners

 

• The UK also welcomes the new International Crimean Platform, which will bring together the international community to support the return of Crimea to Ukraine

The UK calls on Russia to immediately release all Ukrainian political prisoners held in Crimea and Russia.

"The UK has reaffirmed its unwavering support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and its support for Ukrainians whose lives have been impacted by Russian aggression, seven years after Russia illegally annexed Crimea and began its ongoing campaign to militarise the peninsula," UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement on seventh anniversary of illegal annexation of Crimea.

He said Russia is trying to cover up its human rights abuses by preventing access to Crimea for international monitors.

"The UK calls on Russia to immediately release all Ukrainian political prisoners held in Crimea and Russia – currently known to be over 100 – who are often kept in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions and refused access to proper medical treatment," reads the statement.

The UK also welcomes the new International Crimean Platform, which will bring together the international community to support the return of Crimea to Ukraine.

It is noted the UK has contributed nearly GBP 700,000 to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission, which monitors and documents human rights abuses on the peninsula, while also providing human rights expertise to promote the right to a fair trial for political prisoners in Crimea.

Moreover, to mark the seventh anniversary of the illegal annexation, the UK is announcing funding for a new project to improve access to vital services for Ukrainians living in Crimea. The UK will contribute GBP 168,000 to this project, which will support the local authorities in neighbouring Kherson region to help those who are struggling to visit hospitals or apply for Ukrainian passports.

Russian occupation of Crimea

Russia occupied Ukraine's Crimea in March 2014 after its troops had seized the peninsula. An illegal referendum was held amid the aggressive takeover on the issue of the peninsula's accession to Russia. De-facto Crimean authorities claimed that 96.77% of the Crimean population had allegedly supported the move.

On March 18, 2014, the so-called agreement on the accession of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol to the Russian Federation was signed off in the Kremlin.

Western powers never recognized the seizure of Crimea and imposed sanctions on Russia over aggression against Ukraine.

Ukraine's parliament voted to designate February 20, 2014, as the official date for the start of the temporary occupation of Crimea.

The Russian Federation supplies weapons and sends mercenaries and its regular troops to occupied Donbas.

The hostilities in Luhansk and Donetsk regions have been going on since mid-April 2014.

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COURTESY unian.info

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Russian presidential envoy to Afghanistan meets COAS Gen. Bajwa

 

ISLAMABAD, FEB 20: Zamir Kabulov, Russian Presidential Envoy to Afghanistan called on Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa at GHQ.

According to the military media wing ISPR, matters of mutual interest, regional security situation particularly developments in the Afghan Peace Process were discussed during the meeting.

COAS said that peace in both countries is in the greater interest of the region. The visiting dignitary appreciated the positive role being played by Pakistan for Afghan Peace Process and expressed that, Pak-Russia relations will continue to prosper manifolds.

Both sides reiterated the commitment to enhance bilateral relations.

Zamir Kabulov is visiting Islamabad for a one-day visit, which is part of Pakistan's diplomatic outreach in support of the Afghan peace process. The visit will also contribute to further strengthening Pakistan-Russia bilateral cooperation.

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Pandemic in Russia slowly receding, says Putin

 

• It is too early to relax in the fight against the disease, the president stated

NOVO-OGARYOVO, Jan 28: Actions of Russian authorities to combat the coronavirus spread are in line with the level of threats and yield positive results, hence the pandemic is slowly subsiding in Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a cabinet meeting Thursday.

According to him, objective data shows that the actions taken in Russia to curb the COVID-19 spread "are in line with the level of threats which it poses for citizens."

"Generally, [these actions] yield positive results," the leader stressed. "The pandemic is gradually receding."

He explained that the number of cases is going down in Russia, while the number of recoveries "has been steadily above the infection numbers lately."

"As of lethality, the situation is generally satisfactory if you can speak about it in such terms. Nevertheless, this is the case in comparison with other countries," Putin added.

The Russian president emphasized that the infection rate in Russia remains lower than in other countries. "We have around 12 infections per every 100,000 people," he noted. "This is four times as low as in European countries, many European countries.

Meanwhile it is "too early to relax" in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, the president stated.

Putin noted that in conversations with regional governors he constantly emphasized "the need to maintain precautionary measures and health rules and keep a reserve of hospital beds for coronavirus patients and means to combat COVID-19, including personal protective equipment and medications."

"We need to act carefully, providing assistance to people and supporting the economy," Putin stressed. The president also ordered that federal and regional authorities continue coordinated efforts to combat the coronavirus, adapting their activities "to the current threats."

About 68 mln Russians need to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, Vladimir Putin said.

He noted that according to head of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing Anna Popova, nearly 70 mln people were inoculated against the flu during the recent vaccination campaign. "We need to reach the same level as far as the fight against the coronavirus pandemic goes," the head of state pointed out.

"We launched a mass vaccination campaign on January 18, we have big plans in this regard," the president noted. "[Trade and Industry Minister Denis] Manturov reported to me that vaccine production was ahead of schedule," he added.

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COURTESY tass

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Russia rejects US institutionalized lies against Cuba

 

Moscow, JAN 15: The Russian Foreign Ministry considered an institutionalized lie the accusation against Cuba by the United States of supporting terrorism, and the inclusion of Cuba in the list of States that sponsor terrorism.

'We have interpreted the announcement that Washington once again included Cuba in the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism, from which it was excluded in 2015, as a non-constructive measure,' said the spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova.

'Such an accusation constitutes a falsehood and an institutionalized lie, a lie elevated to the status of official US policy,' the official said.

'The false accusation against Cuba of allegedly supporting terrorism also demonstrates the inability of the White House to implement a consistent course of its foreign policy,' Zakharova said.

'Does Washington's presentation of an accusation of sponsorship terrorism against Havana not constitute in itself a fake new?' She questioned.

The Russian official also expressed her hope that the United States will fulfill its promises to close the detention center at the naval base in Guantanamo Bay in eastern Cuba and occupied against the will of the people of the country.

Russia condemned last Tuesday the inclusion of Cuba and Iran in a list of countries that support terrorism, drawn up unilaterally by the US government.

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COURTESY plenglish.com

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