Meeting with permanent members of the Security Council

Taking part in the meeting were Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin Mishustin MikhailPrime Minister of the Russian Federation, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko Matviyenko ValentinaChairwoman of the Council of Federation, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin Volodin VyacheslavState Duma Speaker, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office Anton Vaino Vaino AntonChief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev Patrushev NikolaiSecretary of the Russian Federation Security Council, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Lavrov SergeiForeign Minister of Russia, Director of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov Bortnikov AlexanderDirector of the Federal Security Service, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin Naryshkin SergeiDirector of the Foreign Intelligence Service, and Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergei Ivanov Ivanov SergeiSpecial Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport.

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Good afternoon, colleagues.

When building relations with our partners in the international arena, we always say that we prioritise relations with our closest partners, with our friends and neighbours. This has traditionally been the case, and trade, economic and political ties with our neighbours are constantly intensifying. We always proceed from the fact that these contacts should be based on mutual interests, taking into account each other's interests.

Today I propose to consider one of these areas, which is very important and traditional for us. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will report on this now.

Mr Lavrov, please take the floor.

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