Zakharova announced the non-contractual ability of Washington

Today was the first briefing of the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova this year. She, in particular, commented on the current topics of the country's foreign policy. A journalist from The Moscow Post was also able to ask her questions.

"Western countries are trying to blur as much as possible the provisions of the draft UN Convention on countering the use of information and communication technologies for criminal purposes introduced by Russia. Could you talk about the main provisions of the Russian project? What is the overarching task of the Convention?, " our correspondent asked.

In response, the diplomat said that the United States and its allies systematically impede the efforts of Moscow and its like-minded people to implement the resolution of the UN General Assembly. This document prescribes the creation of a universal convention on countering the use of information and communication technologies for criminal purposes.

In 2019, the West voted in the UN against the idea of ​ ​ Russia to draw up such an agreement.

"By the way, it was also created on the Russian initiative with the support and co-authorship of another 46 states... in every possible way blocks his work, "added Maria Zakharova.

She added that another proof of such sabotage was the recent informal consultations in Vienna. They showed the non-contractual ability of the United States.

"What is the reason?... Western countries are clinging with all their might to the Budapest Convention of 2021, convenient for them and harmful for the majority of the world. We are talking about the Council of Europe Convention on Combating Computer Crimes, "the diplomat explained. The mentioned document allows unauthorized interference in the information space of sovereign countries.

The Foreign Ministry spokeswoman also said that the United States and its partners have set themselves the task of disrupting or entering into force the convention being developed, or fulfilling obligations under it in the future.

"It is Anglo-Saxons and Europeans who are preventing a future document from being aimed at tackling a wide range of crimes in the information space. Including those related to the spread of terrorist and extremist ideas, weapons, illegal medicines... Instead, they take negotiations into the discussion of secondary, third-party tasks... By the way, all this is voiced by a slender choir of 40-50 votes at meetings of the special committee, "the diplomat emphasized.

Moscow knows that there is pressure on other delegations that take a constructive position. Pressure and blackmail. And visas are not specifically issued to negotiators.

However, the chairman of the special committee and the secretariat do not prevent these destructive techniques of the West.

"Our task, first of all, as the initiators of the negotiation process under the convention, is to implement the mandate of the UN General Assembly, to submit for its approval an all-encompassing relevant document that will effectively combat various kinds of criminals who move or transfer their activities illegal to digital space," the Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized.

They also believe that the future treaty should lay down uniform standards and mechanisms for international criminal justice.

"This is also important from the point of view of pulling up the level of digitally lagging states that have become victims of the technological neocolonialism of the West," the Foreign Ministry said.

This month, the final meeting of the special committee will begin in the United States. Russia is committed to a constructive but tough defense of the interests of the Russian Federation and like-minded people.

"And this is the majority of developing countries that are really interested in effective international law enforcement cooperation in the field of information and communication technologies," Maria Zakharova recalled.

At the beginning of the briefing, the Foreign Ministry representative also congratulated journalists on the upcoming holiday. The day of the Russian press is celebrated on January 13.