The first question of the journalist touched upon the topic of relations with the United States. In the week, a note was handed over to American diplomats demanding an end to interference in Russia's internal affairs.
"What examples of intervention can you give, what technologies are used?" - asked the correspondent of our publication.
Maria Zakharova noted that various political and information technologies are used. Some of them were listed in diplomatic documents transferred to the American side.
As an example of interference, Maria Zakharova pointed to open agitation in favor of a particular political figure within the country. This applies not only to Russia, but also is the "classic" American method, when in the course of elections from the outside it is said - who is more preferable for whom.
Through closed channels, financial and resource support for political forces is also carried out. Everything happens behind the scenes under the guise of grants and subsidies for externally declared "correct projects," for example, for the environment. There is provocative political support under the guise of good intentions.
Another example is calls for the direct overthrow of power, that is, not even in support of certain political forces, but direct calls for the overthrow of power.
"What was not, it is impossible to list everything. Paid materials, support for the media under the guise that they are advocating for "democracy and pluralism," but in fact there is support for those who are now called foreign agents to influence the political situation, "the diplomat said.
EU and NATO themselves build new "curtains, curtains, screens, walls"
The second question indirectly concerned the first. The journalist recalled that Josep Borrell said that the European Union supports the media recognized in Russia as foreign agents. On the website of the EU Representative Office in Moscow there is an interview with Charles Michel Venediktov.
"Is it realistic to use the sites of our representative offices to work with a Western audience?" - the journalist asked.
The diplomat noted that the websites of diplomatic missions have many sides of directions, among which there is also information about work in specific countries where diplomats work.
One of the tasks of the diplomatic missions of the Russian Federation is precisely to inform about the foreign and domestic policy of the Russian state, about the decisions that are made in the international arena. A significant part of the materials on the websites of Russian diplomatic departments is associated with informing compatriots, but working for a foreign audience to inform them is laid down in the goals and tasks of maintaining sites and not only them.
At the same time, there should be no influence or involvement in the domestic political agenda, agitation for certain parties, in the state where the embassy operates.
The Russian Foreign Ministry is doing everything to act within the framework of obligations, and on the other hand, to be informative and interesting.
One example of unacceptable information projects is recruitment and recruitment, which was carried out through the sites of, as it were, Ukrainian diplomatic departments abroad, mercenaries for hostilities in Ukraine. The diplomat called such actions unacceptable.
The journalist of our publication clarified that there are passages on the website of the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the European Union that "much will depend on the EU's readiness for a dialogue on the conjugation of European and Eurasian integration." But is it real today?
Maria Zakharova pointed out that the EU and NATO are doing everything to try to build new dividing lines and "curtains, curtains, screens, walls" in the pan-European space. This is wildly observed in the 21st century, given that there are signs of unity in the digital environment.
The lessons of the "Cold War" should have been learned, despite this, the Russian Federation sees new attempts to the endless fragmentation of the European continent. The most surprising thing is that Europe does not notice integration processes on other continents - in Asia and Africa.
The EU contrasts its alleged civility with what they see as the alleged underdevelopment of other continents and regions of the world. At the same time, other regions of the world themselves have long overtaken Europe not only in a number of economic indicators, show the true spirit of solidarity, cooperation and mutual respect. What Europe is now losing before our eyes, being in the area of responsibility of the United States and NATO.
"What kind of integration spirit can we talk about?!," - asked the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
After all, it all started not a couple of years ago, but about a decade. Attempts were made to reincarnate the spirit of the Cold War with elevation to a new level.
Three stages were obvious - 2014, the introduction of unilateral sanctions, which outlined the contours of politics that NATO and the EU are pursuing now.
The second wave fell on a pandemic, when, using the situation for political purposes, dividing lines in Europe were again fixed. They were not related to the desire to help the population, were not related to bringing cooperation to a new level. They were part of fixing the contours more relief. This is not the admission of the Russian vaccine, not the admission of the citizens of our country to the EU without their vaccinations, the impossibility of conducting normal economic and trade ties.
After the pandemic, everything was consolidated during the next round of confrontation unleashed by the West.
Norway has no interest in truth about Nord Stream bombings
The Moscow Post correspondent could not help but ask about the sensational article by American journalist Seymuo Hersh about the involvement of the United States and Norway in sabotage on Russian Nord Stream gas pipelines.
"Could it be in the conditions of sanctions to withdraw from the agreement on cod fishing quotas of October 2022 and from the Mixed Russian-Norwegian Fisheries Commission? After all, the work of the Arctic Council is paralyzed, and nothing, Norway agrees with this "- the question was asked.
Maria Zakharova pointed out the need to use legal and pragmatic considerations in this matter. The dialogue with Norway in the field of fisheries as a whole meets the interests of Russia, and many years of interaction is carried out within the framework of the mixed Russian-Norwegian commission on fisheries, in October 2022 the 52nd session of the commission took place.
Following its results, agreements were adopted on the total permissible volume of catch of aquatic biological resources, including cod for Russian and Norwegian operators in the Norwegian and Barents Seas, including the Svalbard archipelago.
Russia assumes that the mixed commission retains all stated goals and significance as an effective tool for managing the main fish reserves of the Barents and Norwegian Seas. The decisions made within its framework allow for more rational use and preservation of total reserves, which corresponds to the interests of the Russian fishing industry.
At the same time, it should be indicated that the Norwegian side is contributing to concealing the truth about sabotage on the lines of the Russian gas pipeline.
The Norwegian Foreign Ministry did not allow the Russian side to provide data and equipment for inspections on damaged sections of gas pipelines. This confirms that Oslo is not interested in establishing the real circumstances and culprits of the explosion.
As for the Arctic Council, its full-scale activities are frozen due to the fault of Western countries, but Russia continues to implement activities within the framework of its chairmanship and will seek to respect rights and take into account interests within the Arctic Council.
"Attempts to isolate Russia in the Arctic are simply ridiculous," the diplomat summed up.
The West has lost an adequate perception of reality
Finally, the journalist asked for comment on the hysterical reaction of the West to the trip of the country's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to Africa.
Maria Zakharova pointed out that the hysteria was real and stupid. All this indicates an absolutely inadequate perception of reality, about unwillingness and inability to reject and abandon colonial ideas about the world, about oneself as a metropolis, and about the rest as a colony.
"The confused statements of Borrell, where he confused everything, including the countries where Lavrov came. Inadequate assessment of the actions of the Russian Federation and African countries, supplemented by endless imposed recommendations as the African continent as a whole how to deal with Russia. They beat on their own, surprisingly, but this is so, "the diplomat said.