Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov of Russia attends a press conference in Moscow, November 30, 2021. (Photo via AFP)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has denounced the United States’ plan to hold a so-called democracy summit, describing the initiative as one of the most odious projects.

US President Joe Biden has planned a virtual ‘Summit for Democracy’ on December 9-10. His administration published a list of about 110 invited countries last week. Russia and China were not on the list.

Lavrov said in a statement on Wednesday that the Biden administration decided at its sole discretion who is to be invited to this get-together and who is not to be invited. He said the initiative is one of the most odious projects that has emerged under the trademark of this world order.

It is obvious that Washington has set course towards drawing new division lines in international affairs, this time, in the context of a group of countries that fancy themselves the rulers of humanity’s destiny, Lavrov said.

He said the Western countries systematically ruin the international UN-centric architecture, established on the basis of the results of World War II and try to replace it with some rules-based order that benefits only them.

Russia and China jointly condemned the move on Saturday describing it as a product of Washington’s Cold War mentality that will create new rifts in the international community.

The invitees to the virtual gathering include Brazil, India and Pakistan but not NATO member Turkey.