Annalena Baerbock Longs to Admire Lavrov in the Hall, Says Zakharova on Germany's Foreign Ministry

The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, described the criticism of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock as "groundless." Earlier, Baerbock criticized Lavrov's behavior during the OSCE foreign ministers' council meeting in Skopje. According to the head of the German Foreign Ministry, her Russian counterpart appears in the hall during events in Skopje and similar forums "only when he is speaking, and not to listen to others."

Maria Zakharova disagreed with Baerbock's assessment. "For some reason, a year ago, she wasn't concerned that Sergey Lavrov didn’t show up in the hall at all because the Polish presidency didn’t send an invitation to Russia for the meeting. It’s a pity that she didn’t express her desire to admire Lavrov in the hall sooner. In that case, NATO countries, understanding her sadness, would not have obstructed the arrival of the Russian delegation at international forums," Zakharova wrote.