
(Image Credit: WikiMedia Commons)
Over the past months, Sergey Lavrov, long time Foreign Minister of Russia and Putin’s close ally missed important Kremlin meetings and international events very carefully. He is noticed to have skipped a recent UN Security Council meeting, which was focused on nuclear tests, and he was not part of the Russian delegation for the G20 summit, a position he has held for twenty years and has been usual for him. The lack of public events and his non participation in large occasions have resulted in a considerable amount of media speculation that Lavrov might have been sidelined by the Kremlin, particularly after he did not succeed in bringing about a meeting between Putin and the president of the USA.
The rumors about Lavrov’s decreased power have been intensified by the above mentioned situation and some observers think that his hard, intransigent, and sometimes rude approach to diplomacy, in particular, with US relationships, might have made the wrath of the Kremlin. Still, others point at a shift of power along into the ranks of the Russian elite where the new figures are getting stronger, and Lavrov’s still being around for so long might even be viewed as an obstacle in the new political environment. The speculation varies from a silent demotion to a public sidelining, but no official statement has been issued that would acknowledge any disciplinary action or change in role.
Kremlin reacting to rumors, has rejected the notion that Lavrov is out of job or disfavor. A representative mentioned that Lavrov continues to be the Foreign Minister of Russia and will take part in public events when it is suitable. Nonetheless, it seems really strange that someone in such a powerful position would not attend significant conferences and not have his location revealed. The duration of the rumors about Lavrov’s internal and external Kremlin position is still unclear, and so is the time of Lavrov’s silence. However, his disappearance looks like an unavoidable cause to trigger more speculation about Kremlins inner workings and the course of Russia’s foreign policy.
Lavrov’s absence during Putin’s visit to India and it was the subject of the most attention ever. Defense, energy, and strategic cooperation were the topics of conversation between the two leaders, Vladimir Putin and India’s Prime Minister Modi. Sergey Lavrov’s competence in the South Asian region usually gives him a unique opportunity of taking part in major bilateral visits especially if the trip is to India, which is still Russia’s oldest partner among the world’s countries. His absence has drawn the speculation that there might be a power shift in the Kremlin. Experts believe that the era of economic and security cooperation in the Russia India partnership is being prolonged and Lavrov’s absence right at a moment when Moscow would usually rely on its veteran diplomat is only adding intrigue about his status and power.
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