70 weeks have passed since the death of Nikolay Glushkov on British soil - no credible information or response from the British authorities
The Russian citizen Nikolay Glushkov was found dead under mysterious circumstances at his London house, on 12 March 2018. The Russian Embassy learned about the suspected murder of the Russian national through the media, rather than from British police, which would be the norm.
Russia has repeatedly asked for, and been denied, access to join the British investigation into Nikolay Glushkov’s death. All the following documents from the Russian side have been left unanswered:
- An official request by the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation for legal assistance in the criminal case on the fact of murder of the Russian national Mr Nikolay Glushkov forwarded in conformity with the 1959 European Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters;
- Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko’s letter of 9 April 2018 to Metropolitan Police Commissioner Ms Cressida Dick with the proposal to meet in order to discuss ongoing investigation of Mr Nikolay Glushkov’s death;
- Embassy’s proposal to arrange consultations between officers of the Investigative Committee, Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation and the Metropolitan Police.
Thus, the United Kingdom violates the established norms of diplomatic intercourse as well as international law, including the 1959 European Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters.
I feel compelled to comment on IISS strategic comment “Russia and the Western Balkans” (17 June), edited by Benjamin Rhode, which alleges that “Russia’s stated policy aim is to prevent the integration of the Western Balkans into the EU”. This presumption reflects a biased and politicized approach to assessing the role of Russia in the region. The IISS has chosen to ignore the fact that Russia has never spoken out, or acted, against the accession of the Balkan States to the EU. What we always emphasise is that those countries must decide for themselves how far the prerequisites required for joining the EU meet their national interests.
The Russian position on that issue, in general, is based on the fact that European integration has not become a panacea for all woes and it could never be. We have some questions regarding certain methods used by Brussels when implementing its strategy in the Balkans. One such question that in many respects remains open is whether the course for European integration pursued by regional States is in harmony with their interests of cooperating with non-EU countries. It is essential for us that the accession of the Balkan States to the EU does not create new dividing lines in Europe. Western Balkan nations must not be forced to confront an artificial choice between the European Union and Russia.
Distinguished colleagues,
I would like to congratulate everyone on the opening of the first-ever session of the UN Open-ended Working Group (OEWG) on International Information Security (IIS) and express gratitude to the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs and, personally, to Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu for its organization.
We congratulate Switzerland on its election as the Group's Chair. This places an important and responsible burden on its shoulders. Switzerland will undoubtedly leave its mark in the history of the United Nations as a country that led the work of the first OEWG. Russia wishes the Chair success in this challenging work and expresses its full readiness to contribute to the effectiveness of the Group's activities.
The month of May and the fireworks are now behind us. The country and the world celebrated Victory Day, which is a holiday of war veterans, home front workers, and all the people of Russia and other victorious nations. There was a grand parade on Red Square and a wreath laying ceremony at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The march of the Immortal Regiment – a civil initiative that has acquired a truly global dimension – took place again not only in Russia, but in many other countries as well, with the participation of hundreds of thousands of Russians, our compatriots abroad and citizens of other countries – all people who cherish the memory of Victory and the memory of those who worked to bring it closer.
Foreign Minister of the Republic of Belarus Vladimir Makei and I had a substantive discussion on bilateral issues of cooperation. We focused on major items on the international and regional agendas.
Our countries are time-tested allies and strategic partners. Our fraternal peoples are linked by a common history, as well as cultural and spiritual roots. This year is special in Russian-Belarusian relations.
Question: How do you assess the results of the presidential election in Ukraine? What do you think caused such an advantage in favour of a candidate without any political experience, which played a historic role? Grigory Karasin: The presidential campaign that has ended in Ukraine can hardly be described as a model of democratic, free and independent expression of will. Numerous violations and falsifications were mentioned in reports from international monitoring missions and in comments by the campaign participants and local observers. The authorities in Kiev used this campaign as just another chance to whip up the anti-Russian hysteria. Most of the candidates, including the current head of state, Petr Poroshenko, made use of frantic Russophobic rhetoric in an effort to divert voter attention from serious problems inside the country.
Every year on 9 May we gather here to honour the men, women and children who fought heroically in World War II, protecting home soil and sacrificing their lives in the fight against Nazism. We remember those who fought on the frontlines and those who selflessly toiled in the rear.
74 years ago the Nazi atrocities were stopped, criminal plans of world domination – suppressed and the Third Reich – defeated. The Soviet Union made a decisive contribution to this Victory, but at a great cost. 27 million people perished, thousands of entire towns and villages were destroyed.
On Monday, April 29, one of the most significant events of this year in the field of non-proliferation and arms control will begin in New York: the third session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2020 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (2020 NPT RevCon PC-3, April 29 - May 10).
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