Ethiopia: Lavrov meets govt leaders in Addis, attacks global reliance on US dollar

Russia's Foreign Minister on Wednesday criticized the reliance of the global economy on the US dollar.

Speaking during a visit to Ethiopia, Sergey Lavrov said the reliance on the American currency in supporting the world economy was "not so very promising" and claimed countries were shifting to using alternative currencies "more and more".

"This process will be gaining momentum," Russia's top diplomat said during a press conference in Addis Ababa.

Lavrov also said the globe was living through an "important historical period" and people would have to choose what type of world they wanted to live in.

"A universe, which is based on the United Nations charter, which says that the United Nations is founded on the principle of sovereign equality of states, or we will have the world where the right of force, the right of the strongest dominates," he said.

During his visit to the Ethiopian capital Lavrov held meetings with the country's President, Sahle-Work Zewde, and Foreign Minister, Demeke Mekonnen.

Lavrov is seeking to convince African leaders and, to a much lesser extent, ordinary people that Moscow cannot be blamed either for the conflict or the food crisis. Russia has blamed the blockade on Ukrainian mines.