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"Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed that Western sanctions reflected a 'fear of competition' and a "declining influence on world events", during an interview with Shanghai Media Group on Wednesday. "What we are currently observing in the form of sanctions, in the form of the seizure of sovereign states, and attempts at invasion is, above all, unfair and dishonest competition. These methods of unfair competition are used by the West in many spheres - in the economy, in technology, in trade, and in sports, when athletes from one country or another are suddenly excluded from international competitions. This is a very serious matter. So this is a fear of competition, which reflects the West’s perception of its own declining influence on world events," he said. Lavrov also stressed that Russia did 'not wish harm to anyone' and did 'not want to punish anyone', but noted that the country would 'firmly defend' its interests and legitimate rights. "We do not want a dictatorship of one group of countries to turn into chaos. We are interested in normal relations between all states, including between the structures we are talking about, where Russia and China participate - the SCO and BRICS. President Xi Jinping has a number of initiatives, including the Global Security Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative. We have also outlined our vision of Eurasian security and the Greater Eurasian Economic Partnership in the speeches of President [of Russia Vladimir] Putin," he continued. The Russian foreign minister emphasised that Moscow and Beijing wanted an 'orderly formation of a multipolar world', adding that the principles on which it should be based were enshrined in the UN Charter. The comments came as Russian President Vladimir Putin met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, where the two leaders praised their countries’ strategic partnership and signed a series of cooperation agreements. "
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