COVID-19 crisis should not be used to attack other countries: Russian FM

The crisis has clearly shown the interdependence and interconnectedness of all countries and all fields of activity,Lavrov said.

MOSCOW, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The current crisis caused by COVID-19 should not be used to settle domestic problems by pursuing "selfish" short-term interests and attacking other countries, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.

"It is paradoxical when countries posing themselves as champions of human rights and main guardians of democracy continue to actively use illegitimate instruments of so-called sanctions bypassing the UN Security Council and try to politicize the provision of humanitarian aid," Lavrov said.

Russia in principle rejects the practice of such illegal methods, which are unacceptable during a universal disaster, he said during an online lecture for students of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.

Lavrov said that all the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have yet to be acknowledged, but the crisis has clearly shown the interdependence and interconnectedness of all countries and all fields of activity.

He said he hopes that the crisis will force leading states to push aside opportunistic differences and engage in joint professional work to ensure a peaceful and prosperous future for all nations. ■