Han Hua: Does this normal relations in your description include a new security order? Russia has repeatedly stressed that it is unhappy with the NATO dominated security order in Europe. What is a security order that Russia would like to see in Europe or around the world?

Andrei Denisov: Russia, as a country, is very modest in its aspirations. The only thing we need is safety and security for us just to develop our country, to increase the living standards of our people and to live in good relationship and friendly cooperation with neighboring countries and other countries of the world. So very modest and very normal aspirations.

That's why we are concerned with the safety and security of our people of Russia, of my country, of my nation. And if there is no threat, then there is no concern. But it's the right of my people, of my country to judge and to say whether we feel threat or not. We feel threat coming from NATO, from western countries which want to dominate, want to play the upper hand in a relationship with my country. The only thing we want is fairness and equality. If we reach fairness, equality and mutual concern regarding the threats to our safety and security, well, fine. I think then we’ll reach the goal of restoring normal relationships with other countries, with our neighbors, with whom we lived for centuries in close proximity. We will never disappear from the European geographic map, and our neighbors will never disappear. So we have to live together and we have to build up our relationship in a normal way, in a good neighborly way, without hostility and without domination.

Han Hua: Specifically, what kind of measures do you think Russia and its counterpart can take towards avoiding this NATO dominated security order?

Andrei Denisov: Well, the only thing we can do is to convince, to persuade our neighbors that their approach is unreasonable. They will never force Russia to be like the junior member of a family. No, we have the moral right to be equals, sitting around the table. And from that point of view, I think when we reach such mutual understanding, when our neighbors realize that there is no way to deal with Russia like we’re junior or subordinate, then probably we’ll reach what we want to reach.

Han Hua: Speaking of the good living of people, what will you be watching for this year's BRICS summit in Russia, and what should the world be watching for?

Andrei Denisov: BRICS is a relatively young international forum, it’s only 15 years old. Last year, the number of BRICS members doubled, from five to 10 now. Russia undertakes the presidency of BRICS in the crucial year of its development, since we have to determine how should we develop further on the new basis of an expanded membership, and how to deal with those countries who want to and have expressed their wish to join that forum; there is quite a big number, 20 if not more. So we have to build up new structures of our forum, new rules of functioning and discussing new objectives in the current 10 members framework.

Secondly, we have to discuss some practical issues, which will help all 10 members of BRICS to survive. For my country, we can say to survive, maybe for other countries it’s to live in a better world. For example, we can push for tighter economic cooperation, financial relations, which will help us not to be so highly dependent on other countries for international financial and monetary systems, to build our economies in a mutually beneficial way. So those are the key objectives for the presidency of my country in BRICS for this year, 2024.

Han Hua: You mentioned that ten BRICS member countries might have different agendas. For Russia, it might be to survive. For other countries, it might be economic development. How do you coordinate this difference?

Andrei Denisov: To my mind, basic interest matters. Yes, we have differences. BRICS countries, either 5 as it was before, or 10 as it is now, are rather different countries, but they are all big countries. They play influential roles in their respective regions of the globe. And from that point of view, they have mutual and basically identical interest in achieving peace, stability, development and mutual cooperation to provide better life for their peoples. So from that point of view, we can get together and we can deal as one team.

Han Hua: How have western sanctions affected your work as a diplomat broadly? What is your advice to new diplomat in navigating today's complex world?

Andrei Denisov: Well, it depends. When I was younger, I enjoyed a much more open world for people like me. I have had no problems in visiting other countries in Europe, in the United States. I worked in the United States for some time, 10, 20 years ago. Now, there are some limitations and obstacles, there are some unfair regulations; diplomatic life for some of my younger colleagues (because I'm a retired diplomat now) are not so easy and not so well going. The best advice to my younger colleagues both in my country and other countries as well, is to serve their nation and their country, and put that principle in the first place.