MOSCOW, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Despite expressing willingness to cooperate with Russia, Washington has not lifted any sanctions imposed on the country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.
Although the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has made various remarks on the need to end the conflict with Ukraine, bring mutually beneficial investment and embark on other cooperative projects with Russia, it has not challenged any of the laws adopted to "punish" Russia, said Lavrov.
He cited the fact that Washington imposed sanctions on Russia's two largest oil producers, Rosneft and Lukoil, late last year, and violated the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea by waging a "war" against oil tankers on the high seas, pressuring Russia's trade partners to switch to expensive U.S. liquefied natural gas.
The U.S. efforts to dominate the energy sector and restrict its competitors have become particularly open and evident, Lavrov noted.
Though Russia remains open to cooperation with all other countries, including the United States, Washington has deliberately created obstacles everywhere, he said.
New centers of rapid economic growth are emerging around the world, said Lavrov, adding that Russia has been seeking safer ways to cooperate with BRICS countries in financial, economic, logistics and other fields. ■
