Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated in a press briefing: “Western countries are trying to prevent the formation of a multipolar world. They seek to maintain their dominance, not through negotiation or fair competition, but through direct blackmail, pressure, and sanctions.”

Lavrov noted: “The general opinion among summit participants was that all this has nothing to do with defending the legitimate rights of the West in the global economy and politics, but is simply used as a means to suppress competitors.”

He explained his viewpoint by saying, “It is clear to everyone that the competitors have not only grown but are already outperforming the historical ‘collective West’ in most indicators.”

Lavrov also pointed out that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit held today in China represented “a very rich discussion in its content,” both within the SCO framework and the SCO+ framework.

The Russian Foreign Minister described the main outcome of the SCO and SCO+ summits as the participants’ readiness to defend their national interests.

The SCO summit began on Sunday in the city of Tianjin in northern China, with the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin and leaders of more than 20 countries.