Lavrov Slams Borrell Over Accusations Of Spreading Disinformation During Africa Visit

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday harshly criticized EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell for his "racist" remarks accusing Moscow of spreading misinformation during his state tour in Africa

BAMAKO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th February, 2023) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday harshly criticized EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell for his "racist" remarks accusing Moscow of spreading misinformation during his state tour in Africa.

Earlier in the day, Borrell announced the creation of a so-called Information Sharing and Analysis Center to tackle disinformation and foreign information manipulation, adding that Brussels was planning to beef up its missions in Africa, Latin America and Asia by sending media experts there. He also accused Lavrov in particular of "trying to spread lies" during his visit to African countries, saying that Mali and Eritrea were "easy countries for them (Russians)."

"This is coming from a man who cannot hide the racist nature of his worldview.

As you may recall, he recently said publicly and unashamedly that Europe was a blooming garden, and that he was, therefore, a gardener. And Europe was threatened by the jungle, the source of the threat, and the blooming garden should be more careful with the jungle and protect its well-being from its negative influence," Lavrov said at a joint press conference after a meeting with Mali's Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop.

The minister added that Western countries still could not get rid of their "neocolonial instincts" and urged them to be "aware of the reality of the modern world and the need to be more modest."

"We have nothing to hide and nothing to be ashamed of. We (the Soviet Union) were at the origins of the liberation of Africa from the colonial yoke," Lavrov said.