Lavrov Calls SCO Meeting Productive, Rejects US Claim on Ukraine Talks
Dragon Media News Desk
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has described the meeting of foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as productive, saying it completed important preparations for the organisation’s summit scheduled to be held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on September 1.
Speaking to reporters following the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Cholpon-Ata on Friday, Lavrov said draft statutes had been prepared for the establishment of a Universal Centre for Countering New Challenges and Threats and a Centre for Combatting Drug-Related Crime.
According to the SCO Secretariat, the meeting adopted a joint statement on the international and regional situation and approved draft documents to be submitted to the summit, including the Bishkek Declaration marking the organisation’s 25th anniversary. The ministers also discussed cooperation in energy, artificial intelligence, healthcare, security and other sector-specific areas.
Lavrov also responded to questions about his meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Manila, the Philippines, a day earlier. Rubio had said previous US-mediated efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict had not produced the expected results and that any new proposal would have to be acceptable to both sides. He said an immediate agreement appeared unlikely but that Washington remained prepared to play a mediating role.
Lavrov rejected the suggestion that understandings reached between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska, had failed because of Russia.
According to Lavrov, Moscow accepted proposals initially put forward by the United States despite having some reservations, demonstrating its willingness to compromise in pursuit of an agreement.
He said Russia’s assessment was that the proposal had not been implemented because of opposition from Ukraine and European countries. Lavrov also alleged that the continued supply of weapons, intelligence, surveillance technology and communications support to Ukraine had made a political settlement more difficult. The United States and Ukraine have not accepted this assessment.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov told Rubio during their meeting in Manila that further arms deliveries to Ukraine were unacceptable. He said Russia remained prepared to seek a political and diplomatic settlement and continued to support the understandings reached during the Anchorage summit.
The US side, however, has said there has been no change in its military support for Ukraine.
Lavrov did not provide specific information about a possible visit to Moscow by US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff or Jared Kushner. He said diplomatic channels remained open but argued that progress would require a clear interpretation of previous understandings and sufficient political will from all parties involved.
Foreign ministers and representatives from SCO member states attended the Cholpon-Ata meeting, which focused on preparations for the Bishkek summit, regional security, international affairs and the organisation’s future areas of cooperation.
