Sergey Lavrov
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Western countries of using the COVID-19 pandemic to “punish the unwanted.” He is quoted by RIA Novosti.
“Unfortunately, despite the pandemic and the obvious need to consolidate efforts, some Western colleagues still do not intend to revise their selfish line, abandon forceful approaches, illegitimate methods of blackmail and pressure,” the diplomat emphasized during his speech at the 46th session UN Human Rights Council.
Lavrov recalled that the West ignored calls by UN Secretary General António Guterres and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet to suspend sanctions that may affect the supply of food, medicine and equipment needed to fight the coronavirus. The Foreign Minister pointed out that such measures affect the implementation of human rights, which is why Russia considers such sanctions to be “politicizing humanitarian issues” and a desire to punish “objectionable governments.”
In mid-January, Washington imposed sanctions on a coronavirus vaccine developer in Tehran, having previously agreed to unblock Iran's assets for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccine.
