Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I’ve once again heard the insults from my Russian colleague, and I won’t take the time to reply other than to say that I consider being accused of “non-traditional diplomatic intercourse” as a badge of honor.
Just so colleagues around this table know the topic to which the Russian Ambassador, or his Foreign Ministry, so strenuously objects –- which I referred to as “absurd” –- it was actually a news article quoting the Foreign Ministry saying that Russia had “nothing to do” with the violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. I regard that as absurd, and it is a continuation of a trend where the bigger the lie Russia tells, the more often they repeat it.
This is not a reflection on the delegation here, let me make that clear again. This is a criticism of the Russian Federation, of their government, and I recommend the statements of the MFA of the Russian Federation to all of you, because there has been long line of statements recently coming out of the MFA that are absurd. They are not true, and they are an insult to the international community.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman
