Russia will announce the next round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in the nearest future, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

1. INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SECURITY STARTING

2. RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SERGEI LAVROV SPEAKING

3. CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS

4. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, SERGEI LAVROV, SAYING:

"The direct talks on solutions of all issues has resumed on May 16 in Istanbul. We were ready for this for a long time, but Ukraine refused to do so and its masters in person of present leadership of Europe did not allow it to join this process. During this talks dated May 16 in Istanbul, when they had resumed, we insisted on cancellation of all those discriminatory laws (on alleged oppressions of Russian language, Russian orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate, etc. in Ukraine). We will continue to do so during the next round of the direct talks which we will announce in the nearest future."

5. CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS

6. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, SERGEI LAVROV, SAYING:

"Speaking about (Ukraine's) NATO membership. I will remind that the neutral, nonaligned, and nuclear free status of Ukraine has been solemnly proclaimed in this country's Declaration of independence adopted in 1991. This specific obligation, namely the proclamation of the neutral, nonaligned, and nuclear free status (OVER AUDIENCE LISTENING) forever made it possible to to recognize Ukraine as an independent state by the Russian Federation and all the other members of the international community."

7. MEMBER OF AUDIENCE LISTENING

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, SERGEI LAVROV, SAYING:

"The return to this sworn promise - which the Nazi regime tried to violate and even recorded in the constitution its commitment to violate the nuclear free status - the return to this obligations is one of the Russia's key demands. These demands must be met within the frameworks of any settlement, as agreed in April 2022 during the talks in Istanbul when this principle was put on paper. But the talks have been derailed by the Anglo-Saxons and other instigators of the war against Russia."

9. CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS