Western Nations Seek to Restrain Russian Development: Lavrov

On Thursday, Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Western nations have been openly trying to restrain the development of Russia and Belarus.

RELATED: 

Russian Holds Ukraine Responsible For Dnipro Building Collapse

"Our Western neighbors have openly proclaimed their aim to restrain our development and (the development) of the Union State," Lavrov said at a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart, Sergei Aleinik, in Minsk.

"The West is trying to incite the non-systemic opposition that is working abroad against the interests of Belarus and Russia," he added.

At a joint press conference after the talks, Lavrov said the two sides also discussed "the ongoing attempts made by the West to interfere in the internal affairs of both countries," including through the introduction of illegal sanctions that aim to weaken both economies and undermine their political stability.

During his visit, Lavrov also met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, and participated in a joint meeting of the Russian and Belarusian foreign ministries.

Russia and Belarus also signed an intergovernmental Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on ensuring biological safety, in addition to other documents on bilateral cooperation.

The MoU is important in strengthening the security of the two countries and in countering biological threats emanating from Western states and organizations, Lavrov pointed out.