The Daily Morning Voice Online Desk: Russia has said it is “invariably committed” to its principle of not interfering in the domestic affairs of other countries, including that of Bangladesh. “States like Bangladesh, which shape their foreign and internal policy to serve their own national interests instead of following the lead of external powers, take the similar approach,” the Russian Embassy in Dhaka said in a statement on Tuesday. The embassy said Russia fully supports the aspiration of countries to independently determine the ways of their further development and constitute a system not subject to neo-colonial methods.

According to the UN Declaration on the Inadmissibility of Intervention in the Domestic Affairs of States and the Protection of their Independence and Sovereignty, dated 1965: “No State has the right to intervene, directly or indirectly, for any reason whatever, in the internal or external affairs of any other state.” Unfortunately, the statement said, in recent years (especially, after the Cold War ended), the issue of violating the principle of non-interference has become particularly relevant – as many believe that they can infringe on said principle for the sake of their own interests.

“The hegemonic ambitions are most vividly displayed by the countries, which identify themselves as developed democracies,” said the Russian embassy. Not only they indulge in intervening in internal affairs of sovereign UN member states, but also resort to blatant blackmailing, illegal restrictions, etc., reads the statement.

The sovereignty of many countries is exposed to unprecedented risk, the Russian embassy said, adding: “There are various ways of interfering in domestic affairs, as evidenced by the Ad Hoc Commission on Protecting State Sovereignty of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation in its 2017 report.” Such measures are manifold and include establishing or supporting controlled non-commercial organizations, working with educational institutions, use of media and social networks to shape public opinion, inciting protests and meddling in federal or regional elections, according to the statement. There are other instruments, which come in handy to counter the countries maintaining strategic independence and sovereign vision of a fair world order, it reads. Under the pretext of protecting “democratic values”, work is underway to interfere in the internal affairs of those who are out of favour with the states that consider themselves “rulers of the world,” said the Russian Embassy. “Such policy evidently results in undermining sustainability of the world order, brings chaos and havoc. The incomplete list includes Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan,” the statement reads.