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Old March 17th, 2019 #32
Alex Him
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Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions at a joint news conference following talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the State of Qatar Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Doha, March 4, 2019



4 March 2019 - 12:56







Ladies and gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to express gratitude to our hosts for their hospitality and warm welcome.

Today we held substantive talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the State of Qatar Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Before that, in the morning, I met with Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to whom I brought the warmest greetings and best regards from President of Russia Vladimir Putin.

Our talks have confirmed our mutual interest in maintaining a regular political dialogue based on trust and mutual benefit and in expanding practical Russian-Qatari interaction in a variety of fields.

We agree with our Qatari friends that we should continue to increase our trade and economic cooperation and promote bilateral trade.

We expressed our appreciation for the efforts taken by the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic and Technical Cooperation, which will convene for its next meeting in Moscow on April 10, when Moscow will also host the 4th International Exhibition Arabia EXPO and the 12th session of the Russian-Arab Business Council.

We also praised the high level of interaction between the Russian Direct Investment Fund and the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), as well as QIA’s shareholding in Rosneft.

We pointed out that Russian oil and gas companies LUKoil, Zarubezhneft, Gazprom and Novatek are interested in launching joint projects with Qatari partners.

We agreed to continue to coordinate our efforts on the global energy market, including at the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), which is headquartered in Doha. I hope to be able to visit the GECF headquarters after we complete our talks and to meet with GECF Secretary General Yury Sentyurin.

We noted that our countries also launched cooperation in sport after the FIFA World Cup was held successfully in Russia. The next World Cup will be held in Qatar in 2022. We pointed out that our concerned agencies maintain close contacts. We are ready to share our experience and to recommend to our Qatari friends the best way to hold this global tournament in light of the decisions that were taken and proved worthwhile during preparations for the World Cup in Russia.

Naturally, our discussions on international matters focused on the Middle East and North Africa, primarily Syria, Libya and Somalia. We agree with our Qatari partners that the situation there should be stabilised without delay based on international law and an inclusive political process, from which the extremists, no matter how fine their slogans may sound, must be excluded.

We also talked at length about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. We believe that this conflict should be settled on the basis of universally recognised international law and that all-round assistance should be provided for the restoration of Palestinian unity as a key prerequisite for the resumption of effective direct talks with Israel.

We discussed the situation in the Persian Gulf. It is Russia’s wholehearted desire to see all aspects of this situation settled, including with due regard for the ideas which Russia has advanced in the past few years within the framework of a collective security concept for the Persian Gulf as a strategic part of the world.

I would like to once again express gratitude to our Qatari friends for their hospitality and to invite my colleague to visit Russia at his convenience.







Question:

Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu has visited Russia at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin. Did they discuss a settlement solution for the Palestinian territory?



Sergey Lavrov:

The visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Russia included discussions on the Palestinian-Israeli settlement. We reaffirmed our long-standing interest in overcoming the stalemate in this matter as soon as possible. We also confirmed our readiness to host a meeting between Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in Russia, so that they will be able to resume direct dialogue without any preconditions. Our Israeli colleagues, including Mr Netanyahu, asked us about this. Mr Abbas expressed his agreement on this matter. Our proposal is still on the table. We believe that such a meeting would mark a major move towards the revival of trust, at the least. Any progress in the Palestinian-Israeli settlement would be impossible without this.



Question:

Russia’s Ambassador to Qatar said Vladimir Putin may pay a visit to the region, in particular, to Qatar. Have the dates been set for this visit?



Sergey Lavrov:

President of Russia Vladimir Putin was invited by His Royal Highness, the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to visit your country. He accepted this invitation, as well as invitations to visit a number of neighbouring countries. The protocol services of the heads of state will decide when this visit will take place.



Question:

Mr Lavrov, during your talks with the Qatar side did you touch upon the idea of establishing a working group for normalising the situation in Syria? What are the prospects for launching the work of this group in the context of continued provocations by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham coalition of groups, which controls most of Idlib, Latakia and also northern districts of Hama? What role will Doha play if this group starts working in the near future?



Sergey Lavrov:

We did not discuss this subject during our talks. I don’t think there is any need to establish such groups for Syria. There is the generally accepted Astana process, where the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic and the armed opposition are conducting a sufficiently successful dialogue with the mediation of Russia, Turkey and Iran. We have already attained tangible results. UN and Jordanian representatives are involved as observers in this process. Earlier, the United States also took part in this process but later decided not to attend the meetings in Astana. Quite possibly, additional observers may join this process. There is also the institution of the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Syria, as well as regional countries interested in resolving the crisis as soon as possible.

We maintain contacts with all our regional partners, and we work not only in line with the Astana format but also with all countries of this important region that can influence the Syrian peace process one way or another, and we will continue these efforts. We are in contact with representatives of the so-called small group on Syria, namely, its Western participants. Together with our Turkish colleagues, we have worked with French and German representatives. On October 27, 2018, Istanbul hosted this four-sided summit. We also discuss the situation in Syria with our US colleagues, including service personnel and foreign policy agencies, via another channel.

Therefore this ramified network of contacts can and must eventually yield results. And it hardly makes any sense to set up some new group. Bear in mind that the International Syria Support Group, established by Russia and the United States with UN support, still formally exists. Members of this group have not gathered in the plenary format for a long time. But members of two specialised groups (for maintaining the ceasefire regime and for humanitarian issues) meet regularly, two to three times a month, in Geneva. These groups involve representatives of over 20 countries, including countries of the Middle East, Western countries, the Russian Federation, the People’s Republic of China, Iran and others. So, there is no shortage of mechanisms. It is only important that everyone is guided by UN Security Council Resolution 2254, just like we are doing in the Astana format, so that the people of Syria themselves address matters of the Syrian peace process, so that no one hampers their efforts, like some of our Western partners tried to do in December 2018, when they saw to it that the establishment of the Constitutional Committee was called off. We perceive this calmly and rationally, and we intend to complete the work launched in the Astana format. I am confident that our UN colleagues comprehend their responsibility for convening this mechanism as soon as possible.



Question:

According to the media, last year, Qatar was planning to buy the S-400 air defence system from Russia, which prompted a negative reaction from Saudi Arabia. What is the status of this deal and are new ones being planned?



Sergey Lavrov:

I can only reiterate what my colleague and friend said regarding our military-technical cooperation. It is regulated within a bilateral format. Eighteen months ago, we signed an intergovernmental agreement on military-technical cooperation and we have renewed our commitment to abide by this document today. We will consider our Qatari partners’ requests for Russian military equipment as they come in.



Question:

Currently, talks with the Taliban are underway in Doha. Prior to that, meetings with the participation of the Afghan opposition groups were held in Russia. Do you count on these talks bringing favourable outcomes, on both tracks?



Sergey Lavrov:

We are following the Doha talks between the Americans and the Taliban.

The Taliban also came to Moscow as part of our efforts to mobilise the international community, primarily, Afghanistan’s neighbours, to give the Afghans a hand as they are about to begin a meaningful political process.. It’s a good thing that no one is looking askance at these efforts now. At the beginning of this process, our US colleagues tried to accuse us, more or less, of violating UN Security Council resolutions, although everyone was well aware that at that time the Americans themselves had regular meetings with the Taliban.

Now, this nervousness in Washington is subsiding. Washington’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad periodically meets with my Deputy, Igor Morgulov, and Special Presidential Envoy for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov. They maintain close contacts. I believe that it is a good thing to avoid trying to compete artificially, but instead to unite efforts, because Russia, the United States, Afghanistan’s neighbours and other countries can help the Afghans start a national dialogue to end this conflict.



Question:

US National Security Advisor John Bolton said that Washington is not afraid to use the word Monroe Doctrine regarding Venezuela. Do you believe that it is legitimate to evoke this 19th century doctrine?



Sergey Lavrov:

Since the UN was established in 1945, international law has been governed by the Charter of this universal and most legitimate Organisation. The "backyard" theory and practice is, by and large, offensive. I assume that Latin American countries will respond to this arrogant statement by Mr Bolton. He referred to the applicability of the Monroe Doctrine to Venezuela, but insulted the whole of Latin America. Several days ago, Washington followed up with an official threat that Venezuela was not the end of the story, and Cuba and Nicaragua were next. So, it’s up to the countries of that region to think about this philosophy and politics.

John Bolton has made a name for himself with his statements. We’ve known each other for quite a while now. He recently tweeted that President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro lied when he said that Russia had sent him a batch of medical supplies. I’m not sure where he gets his information from, but some time ago we did supply 7.5 tonnes of medications to the Venezuelan state, the people of Venezuela, through the World Health Organisation and the Pan American Health Organisation. So, no one misled anyone. It appears that Mr Bolton got incorrect information from someone and chose to immediately spread it across the world.

I would still stick to the need to monitor specific actions. In this sense, we are concerned about what the United States is planning to do in Venezuela. I pointed this out clearly to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo when he called me 36 hours ago to express his concern that the Venezuelan leadership was threatening Juan Guaido. I said that no one should be threatening anyone to begin with, because the Americans are actually threatening the entire Venezuelan nation as they demand that the army break the oath and incite it to stage an insurrection. If there’s anyone who should be concerned about not resorting to a policy of threats, it is the United States itself.




The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/3555141






Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions at a joint news conference following talks with Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Adel al-Jubeir, Riyadh, March 4, 2019



4 March 2019 - 20:25







Ladies and gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to thank my colleague and friend, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom Adel al-Jubeir for his hospitality and all our Saudi friends for close cooperation and determination to develop bilateral relations in full accordance with the agreements reached in October 2017 during King Salman’s state visit to Moscow for talks with President Vladimir Putin and also the agreements reached between the Russian leadership and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his numerous meetings with the Russian President.

We positively assessed the development of our trade and investment cooperation. Trade is growing but we would like to step up its pace. Today we discussed a number of specific steps in this direction, including in the context of preparing for the next meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Russian-Saudi Commission for Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation, which is to be held in Moscow in the near future.

We discussed the steps that our respective departments are taking to coordinate large new projects in various fields, including the energy industry, the peaceful use of nuclear energy, industry, agriculture and transport infrastructure.

We agreed to continue coordinating steps in the world oil market in the OPEC + format, which has developed and is operating successfully in many ways thanks to the initiatives of Russia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

We have a shared interest in expanding humanitarian contacts and cultural exchanges and establishing more active and large-scale cooperation in education.

We are grateful to our Saudi friends for their unfailing attention to Russian pilgrims during the Hajj. The number of reservations for pilgrims has grown to 22,500. The attention paid to providing their security undoubtedly deserves our gratitude.

We came to an agreement that Saudi Arabia will take an active part in the work of the Russia – Islamic World Strategic Vision Group, established between Russia and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. This Group holds regular meetings every year. We will welcome Saudi Arabia’s more active involvement in its work.

We also talked about regional matters, of course. We focused on the Middle East and North Africa in light of the priority goals of combating terrorism and the proliferation of the extremist ideology.

We discussed the settlement in Syria, Yemen and other areas in this important region.

We highlighted the need to ensure progress in the Palestinian-Israeli settlement. The situation has reached a stalemate. We believe that it can only be overcome on the basis of UN-approved principles of a peaceful settlement based on a two-state solution. We will do our best to ensure that any steps taken in this sphere are based on UN Security Council resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, which was initiated by the late King of Saudi Arabia Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

I am sure that our talks will move relations between Russia and Saudi Arabia forward and will help us achieve the goals set by President of Russia Vladimir Putin and His Majesty the King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.







Question:

How long will it take to finalise the list of members of the Syrian Constitutional Committee?



Sergey Lavrov:

Regarding our efforts to help the Syrian sides finalise the list of members of the Constitutional Committee, I will point out the obvious: the final say belongs to the Syrian sides – the Government and the opposition. We nearly completed the work we were doing together with our Turkish and Iranian partners to encourage the Syrian Government and opposition to coordinate the list when obstacles that had nothing to do with the task at hand were created by some of our Western colleagues, hindering the approval of the agreements reached by the Syrian Government and opposition at the UN. We take this in our stride, and we will stay on course to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and to help launch the talks that will be conducted by the Syrians themselves.

I am not sure about the timeframe, but work is proceeding apace. I hope we will see its completion very soon.

I would like to use this occasion to express our gratitude to our Saudi friends. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia Adel al-Jubeir has today confirmed the resolve to encourage the Syrian opposition in Saudi Arabia to act constructively to facilitate the political process.



Question:

What do you think about the French initiative on amending the Syrian Constitution and holding early elections there?



Sergey Lavrov:

It is our understanding, which has been supported by all the main players that can influence the Syrian settlement in any way, that the key priority is establishing the Constitutional Committee. If the countries that tried to slow or hinder this process now have alternative ideas, it is on them. I do not think this will promote the interests of the Syrian people or help launch an inclusive UN-led political process.



Question:

Russia has proposed holding Palestinian-Israeli talks in Moscow without any preconditions. Is there any progress towards this or other changes in the Palestinian-Israeli settlement?



Sergey Lavrov:

Acting at the request of Israeli authorities we received several years ago, we have come to an agreement with Palestinian authorities on holding a meeting of the Israeli and Palestinian leaders in Russia without any preliminary conditions. Palestinian leaders are ready for this meeting. Israel has confirmed its interest in such a meeting but is not sure about the timeframe. We are ready to implement this initiative, which is not our initiative but has been proposed by our Israeli colleagues, as soon as both sides coordinate the date.

As for the new elements in the Palestinian-Israeli settlement you have asked about, I regret to say that any new elements can only be described as negative developments. An attempt has been made to invalidate everything we have achieved in this sphere, such as UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, the accords reached in Madrid and Oslo, and, last but not the least, the Arab Peace Initiative.

The Arab Peace Initiative stipulates the settlement of the Palestinian problem through the establishment of two states, Palestine and Israel, living safely and at peace with each other and cooperating with their neighbours. Following that the Arab League countries and member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said they would be ready to fully normalise relations with Israel.

I view this as a principled approach. We actively supported the Arab Peace Initiative, which was proposed by the late King of Saudi Arabia Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Today attempts are being made to turn this initiative upside down by first insisting on the normalisation of relations between the Arab countries and Israel and only then looking at what can be done for the Palestinians.

We have noticed that our American colleagues, who are preparing the widely publicised “deal of the century” that is taking too long, reply to direct questions on the matter by saying that they are not trying to undermine the two-state solution. We would like to see the practical implementation of these statements. We’ll see what kind of initiative will eventually be advanced.

We believe – we talked about this with our Saudi friends today – that the Arab Peace Initiative must be preserved in its initial form. Playing fast and loose with the Palestinian problem is unacceptable and contrary to all the agreements reached at the UN and during the previous direct contacts between the sides. A fair settlement of the Palestinian problem is also needed to prevent the growth of radical trends in the Arab street, as they say. It is a very serious matter. I hope that those who are trying to deal with this matter directly are aware of their responsibility for the solution they propose and its potential consequences.



Question:

You have said that you discussed Russian-Saudi cooperation in the sphere of nuclear power. Can you speak about it in more detail? Have you reached any agreements?



Sergey Lavrov:

Saudi Arabia has a programme for the peaceful use of nuclear energy and has announced tenders for the construction of such facilities. Russian state corporation Rosatom is taking part in these tenders. It acted successfully at the first stage and has been shortlisted for the second stage. I hope that our Saudi friends will appreciate the Russian nuclear companies’ experience and the safety standards of nuclear facilities built by Rosatom around the world.




The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/3557170






Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks during a meeting with Syrian High Negotiations Committee Head Nasr al-Hariri, Riyadh, March 5, 2019



5 March 2019 - 13:29







Mr Nasr al-Hariri,

I am glad to welcome you and your colleagues.

This meeting is an opportunity for another contact in the interest of finding a solution to the Syrian conflict as soon as possible.







We are determined to search for settlement options. We hope that you and other representatives of the Syrian opposition will contribute to the early formation of the Constitutional Committee. We will probably discuss this in more detail today. And we certainly hope that the responsible opposition members will stand up for rendering assistance to the Syrians from the international community, not only in terms of humanitarian aid, but also in creating the most basic conditions for heat and electricity supply to people’s homes, provision of educational and medical services, which would allow refugees and displaced persons to return to their homes.

We discussed these issues in detail with our Saudi colleagues both yesterday and today, and found mutual understanding on all major topics.




The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/3559592






Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks at a meeting with Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Kuwait City, March 6, 2019



6 March 2019 - 11:31







Your Majesty, thank you for your hospitality.

I am delighted to convey cordial greetings and best regards from President of Russia Vladimir Putin. He has warm recollections of the talks you held in Sochi three years ago. Everything you agreed on that day is being implemented.







Russia values the high level of bilateral relations between our countries, as well as Kuwait’s balanced and constructive position on regional issues and our close cooperation at the UN Security Council.




The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/3560481






Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statement and answers to media questions during a joint news conference following talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the State of Kuwait Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah, Kuwait City, March 6, 2019



6 March 2019 - 14:08






Minister, my dear friend, ladies and gentlemen,

This morning, there was an audience with His Highness the Emir of the State of Kuwait Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, during which we touched upon bilateral cooperation and regional issues.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the State of Kuwait Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah and I had very good and extensive talks, and reviewed in more detail the implementation of the agreements in principle reached during the visit of His Highness Emir Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to the Russian Federation in 2015.

We reiterated our mutual commitment to strengthen our friendly relations across all areas. We focused particularly on upcoming contacts between our economic departments. Today, the sixth meeting of the Intergovernmental Russia-Kuwait Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation is taking place in Kuwait, the participants of which will review ways to ​​expand trade and investment.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund and the Kuwaiti Investment Agency are developing joint projects, of which there are already several dozen, totaling nearly $200 million. Russian companies, such as Gazprom, Novatek, Zarubezhneft and Inter RAO-Engineering have specific plans, some of which are already being implemented in cooperation with our Kuwaiti partners. We strongly support such relations.

It is gratifying to know that our military relations are strong as well. Kuwait participates in the annual international Army-2018 defence industry forums. Kuwait is a traditional participant in the Tank Biathlon event hosted by the Russian Defence Ministry. This improves contacts between our militaries, including in such sporting "battles."

Cultural and educational contacts, performance group tours and film festivals are quite popular. We will continue to cooperate in these areas. Last year, Russian Cinema Week took place here in Kuwait. An art exhibition will open here next month. Both countries are interested in enriching our relations with such formats.

We support the promotion of interaction between our parliaments. Soon, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Kuwait, Marzouq Al-Ghanim, will visit Russia at the invitation of the Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Valentina Matviyenko.

With regard to contacts between our respective foreign ministries, they have traditionally been extensive and trust-based and remain so, and cover the entire range of matters that are important for the region and international relations. We pay special attention to interaction with the State of Kuwait in the UN Security Council, where it is now a non-permanent member. We agreed to conduct additional expert consultations on the UNSC agenda.

We enjoy overlapping or very close views on current international issues. We paid special attention to the situation in the Middle East and North Africa, including Syria, Yemen, Libya and Iraq. We see eye to eye on the need to settle all conflicts exclusively by political and peaceful means in strict accordance with the norms of international law through inclusive national dialogue.

We stressed the need to resume as soon as possible direct Palestinian-Israeli talks as part of the existing international legal framework, which includes resolutions of the UN Security Council, the UNGA and the Arab Peace Initiative. We are committed to these principles. We believe it is extremely important to uphold them in our further efforts to achieve a Palestinian-Israeli settlement.

We also agreed on the need to help the Palestinians restore unity in their ranks, which, we hope, we did by hosting the third intra-Palestinian meeting with the participation of the 12 most prominent Palestinian groups held in Moscow last month.

We touched upon the situation in the Persian Gulf in view of the long-standing Russian proposal to establish dialogue, strengthen trust and increase security with the participation of all littoral countries. This includes the GCC countries and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Of course, we are interested in promoting a constructive and unifying agenda in this region that would involve all countries of the region in joint efforts.

In closing, I would like to thank our Kuwaiti friends for the atmosphere of geniality and hospitality that we felt immediately upon our arrival in this beautiful country.







Question:

At yesterday’s meeting with representatives of Syria's High Negotiations Committee (HNC) you said that Moscow and Riyadh have reached an understanding on all the main issues of Syrian settlement. Does that mean there has been progress on disputed issues? How far is the Syrian opposition that took part in yesterday’s meeting from starting direct negotiations with Damascus?



Sergey Lavrov:

In Riyadh I had a very detailed discussion on Syria with Saudi representatives, primarily Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Adel Al-Jubeir. This issue was also covered at an audience with His Majesty King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

When we say that our positions on Syrian settlement coincide, we mean the following. First, Saudi Arabia, like the Russian Federation and many other responsible countries, is working rigorously for the eradication of the terrorist threat on Syrian territory and regards this task a priority. Second, like Russia, Saudi Arabia considers it important not only to send humanitarian relief to Syria but also to provide assistance by creating conditions for the return of refugees. I’m referring to elementary living conditions, electricity and water supply and basic social and educational services. Many countries, above all in the West, believe that this assistance is excessive and insist on making it conditional on the progress in political talks. We are convinced that the aim of creating these basic conditions for the return of refugees is strictly humanitarian. We heard the same opinion in Riyadh yesterday. Third, like Russia, Saudi Arabia deems it necessary to establish a Constitutional Committee as soon as possible and stop looking for excuses for artificially dragging out this work.

As for the Syrian opposition with which we held talks at the airport before our departure for Kuwait, conversation with its leader Nasr al-Hariri, who heads the HNC, was fairly constructive. We urged their representatives to act in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which determines intra-Syrian dialogue as the main road to settlement.

As for the question of how far the Syrian opposition is from starting direct talks with Damascus, I can say the following. The Constitutional Committee, the formation of which is being completed, includes 50 representatives of the Syrian Government and the same number of members of the Syrian opposition. Our interlocutors yesterday took a direct part in forming the Committee’s opposition bloc. So their interests will be duly represented.



Question:

During your visits to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, will you propose any Russian initiatives for overcoming the crisis in the Gulf considering that Kuwait is a mediator there? Do you know any details of the US “deal of the century” on the Middle East? We would like to hear more details about it.



Sergey Lavrov:

We would also like to hear more details about this deal because the rumours and speculations circulating at the moment sound very alarming. If what we hear from our friends who heard something from the Americans is the truth, the deal is about erasing everything that was done to build the foundations of Palestinian-Israeli settlement and for the formation of the state of Palestine that would have territorial integrity and sovereignty and would safely live side by side with Israel and all other neighbours. Another source of concern are attacks on the Arab Peace Initiative, which was set forth by Saudi Arabia and supported by all members of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. It envisaged the normalisation of relations between the Arab world and the State of Israel after a two-state approach to the Palestinian issue is carried out. It is rumoured that this pattern is about to be abandoned. It will be possible to judge about this deal only after Washington makes its proposal public. I hope that US representatives who are involved in drafting this initiative will listen to the signals send to them by the region’s countries, Security Council members and all UN member states.

As for the current visits to the region’s countries – we started in Qatar, then went to Saudi Arabia, now we are in Kuwait and will fly to the UAE in the evening – this is a regular cycle of our consultations. We visit each other in turn and exchange our views, assessments and forecasts on the developments in the region that worry the countries located there and affect the general international situation, including the work of the UN.

Naturally, we discussed the situation in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Russia does not have any initiatives as regards this issue. We support long-term efforts of Kuwait and other countries that favour the unity of the Council. This is in the interests of each of these countries, the Council itself, as well as the Russian Federation because we have a stable format of ministerial dialogue with that organisation. We have not met in this lineup for a fairly long time. Today the Minister and I discussed the expediency of holding such a ministerial forum in the foreseeable future.



Question:

Did you raise the question at the talks about Russian citizen Maria Lazareva who was detained in Kuwait?



Sergey Lavrov:

Yes, we discussed this question. Naturally, we are worried about the fate of any Russian citizen who is in a predicament. We expressed the hope that during the review of her case under the legislation of Kuwait, all her legal rights will be guaranteed, including those stemming from international conventions signed by Kuwait. I voiced this request and it seemed to me that it was heard.



Question:

Could you comment on the statement by the Russian Defence Ministry that residents of the Rukban camp are being prevented from returning home by tough resistence from the US? Has Russia-US cooperation on the Syrian file stopped and has there been any progress in ending the crisis in Syria?



Sergey Lavrov:

We still have contacts with the US on Syria. Contact through the military, that is, the deconfliction channel is fairly useful. We also communicate on broader issues, which is also useful considering that the US is illegally but still de facto present in Syria and is implementing some of its plans there that are not always transparent. So when we have an opportunity to ask them direct questions on their real goals, this is always important for our own understanding of what is going on.

As for the Rukban camp, it is located within the 55-kilometre Al-Tanf security zone that the Americans established illegally and unilaterally. Certain things are taking place there: the American special forces are consolidating their positions in the area while extremist militants are taking a break and replenishing their supplies nearby, under their cover. The Rukban refugee camp is located on the same territory.

We have long supported the Syrian government’s appeals for this camp to be disbanded, allowing the refugees and internally displaced persons to return home. In response, we were told that this is a complicated task for the time being and that first, it is necessary to provide them with food and water and all essentials in the Rukban camp. For this reason, with our support, the Syrian government organised a humanitarian convoy but the militants did not let it pass into the Al-Tanf zone, saying that they themselves would give humanitarian aid to the refugees in need. It is impossible to take their word for it. When Western countries and UN officials asked us to send a second convoy via the Syrian government we demanded that it be accompanied by UN officials and representatives of the Syrian Red Crescent Society. We wanted them to monitor how this aid is distributed and to whom. Following the second humanitarian convoy, a poll of the refugees was held and 95 percent of them said they wanted to return home on their own free will. The Syrian government announced that it is actively facilitating the construction of facilities for the returning refugees. The Russian military who work in Syria arranged, alongside the Syrian government, the creation of two humanitarian corridors to enable refugees to leave this horrible camp on specially-provided buses. The camp is notorious for its anti-sanitary conditions and lack of food. Now the US has started declaring that it won’t let the refugees leave the camp.

When they insisted on the humanitarian convoy we asked them: “And who provides all the necessities for your military who are on the same territory?” It turned out that they were supplied from abroad – Iraq and Jordan. If they are so concerned about the civilians who are in a very difficult situation in the Rukban camp, they could no doubt supply them with basic necessities from abroad, bypassing the bandits that control a large part of the Al-Tanf zone. The Americans were reluctant to do this though, and they insisted on humanitarian convoys from Damascus alone and kept the refugees in the camp as hostages. This gives rise to the unpleasant thought that the Americans need this camp in order to justify their illegal presence there. This, and other matters, confirm the suspicion of many experts that the Americans are going to establish a quasi-state on the Eastern Bank of the Euphrates River and do not want these territories to go back under the control of the legitimate Syrian authorities.

We will, as the Russian Defence Ministry firmly put it, insist that people should no longer be kept in this camp against their will.




The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/3560767






Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks at a meeting with UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi, March 6, 2019



6 March 2019 - 19:30







My friend,







Indeed it is a pleasure to keep very close relations and to promote the strategic partnership which was proclaimed when the Crown Prince visited last June to promote it in the atmosphere which is also very friendly and human.




The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/3561197






Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions at a joint news conference following talks with UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi, March 6, 2019



6 March 2019 - 20:43







Mr Minister, my dear friend,

Ladies and gentlemen,

We have had very productive talks.

We highly value the current level of Russia-UAE interaction, which is marked by intensive contacts at every level, including between our governments and parliaments. Of course, the tone for our cooperation has been set by our leaders, President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

When the Crown Prince visited Russia in June last year, we signed a seminal document – the Declaration of Strategic Partnership between Russia and the United Arab Emirates, which provided a solid basis for the further development of our cooperation in all spheres without exception.

We held in-depth discussions on current trade, economic and investment issues and the possibility of implementing joint projects in the future, including in the fields of hydrocarbons, nuclear energy and the peaceful use of outer space.

We noted the efficient work of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and the UAE Mubadala Investment Company, which have implemented some 40 projects worth $2 billion in total. We have agreed to increase investments in new projects.

Our trade is growing, as my colleague Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan has said. The Russia-UAE Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic and Technical Cooperation, which is co-chaired by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed and Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov, is playing a major role in promoting our trade and economic ties.

Military ties and military-technical cooperation are developing dynamically. Last month, this country hosted the IDEX 2019 International Defence Exhibition and Conference, and a large Russian delegation took part in the event. During the talks, we discussed numerous applied and highly promising projects which, as I hope, will be implemented.

As has just been said, we are satisfied that tourist, cultural, humanitarian and education exchanges have received powerful support since the inter-governmental agreement on lifting visa requirements for the citizens of both countries came into effect on February 17, 2019. The rapid influx of tourists from Russia to the United Arab Emirates confirms the fact that the people of Russia have duly appreciated this decision of both governments. In turn, we hope that the citizens of the United Arab Emirates will visit the Russian Federation more frequently, all the more so as they had a very good impression of the country while attending the FIFA World Cup in the summer of 2018. We also had time to discuss this matter today.

We reaffirmed our invitation for our UAE partners to take part in the 5th ministerial meeting of the Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum, the 4th International Exhibition Arabia EXPO 2019, as well as a meeting of the Russian-Arab Business Council, which are scheduled to be held in April 2019 in Moscow.

With regard to the international agenda, we traditionally focus on the situation in the Middle East and North Africa. We agree that it is necessary to continue an uncompromising struggle against terrorism, illegal drug trafficking, illegal arms sales and all forms of organised crime. We also voiced a common approach towards resolving numerous conflicts in this region. We are confident that it will be impossible to restore and strengthen security unless these conflicts and crises are overcome solely through political and diplomatic efforts and in line with international law. This is how our countries view the situation in Syria, Yemen and Libya. Regarding Libya, we noted the special positive role of the UAE in our common efforts to create optimal conditions for the people of Libya to overcome this protracted crisis.

Of course, I must also mention a serious concern in connection with the current impasse in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process. We agree that it is necessary to continue efforts to overcome this impasse, with complete respect for the international legal framework that was coordinated for the purpose of conducting talks and resolving the oldest crisis in the region.

Russia is also interested in normalising the situation in the Gulf region. We have drafted our own initiative on this score, which we have offered to our partners and friends. This initiative stipulates confidence-building measures and aims to establish cooperation in this highly important region with the participation of all states.

We will continue to closely coordinate our foreign policy actions.

I am very grateful to our friends for their hospitality. Today, I have invited my colleague and friend to pay another visit to the Russian Federation.







Question:

US rhetoric against Russia is becoming increasingly aggressive. The US European Command has recently proposed increasing the European contingent of forces, on the pretext of safeguarding against the “Russian threat.” Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov said that in such circumstances, Russia would position its missiles to cover the entire territory of Europe. Will Russia really do this, considering Moscow’s statements on preventing a new arms race?



Sergey Lavrov:

I don’t think you have quoted Ambassador Antonov correctly. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly outlined how we will respond to the threats to our security, in which the US plays the leading role. He has said that we will not be involved in a new arms race. Over the past few years, we have been implementing the State Armament Programme to modernise all the arms and services of the national armed forces. We have created new types of weapons, as you and our Western partners know.

We have never refused to hold consultations and talks on strengthening strategic stability in the new conditions. We are not to blame that all our numerous initiatives, including those we submitted in writing, have been disregarded. President Putin has said that all these proposals remain on the table but we will not bother our Western partners any more. They know what we have proposed. We will wait until our partners are ready.

As for the missiles that, as you said, will cover the entire territory of Europe, I suggest that you pay more heed to what President Putin has said on this issue. When the United States announced its decision to suspend its obligations under the INF Treaty and launched the official procedure of withdrawal from it, Vladimir Putin said that we would respond in kind, that we would suspend our obligations under the INF Treaty as well. When the process of withdrawing from the INF Treaty is completed in six months, the treaty will disappear from the international legal framework. President Putin has pointed out that if the United States, breaking free from the treaty’s obligations, started deploying missiles that are currently prohibited by the treaty in this or that part of the world, we reserve the right to act likewise by deploying our missiles in the given part of the world.

It is not our choice. It is the choice of the United States, which probably feels uncomfortable about the objective trends of world development, such as the rise of a new non-colonial, non-imperial system of international relations where diktat and ultimatums are not acceptable instruments, where new economic growth centres are emerging and where all the main countries involved should seek for a balance of interests, without disregarding the other members of the international community.

This process will take a long time, but we must launch it anyway. We have started doing this within the framework of the SCO, BRICS and other formats that are based on mutual respect and consideration for one another’s interests, not on the diktat that currently constitutes the basis of Washington’s foreign policy.



Question:

At your meeting yesterday with the Syrian opposition, did you discuss disengagement of armed groups in Idlib? If so, is there any progress?



Sergey Lavrov:

We did not discuss disengagement between the armed opposition and Jabhat al-Nusra at the meeting with representatives of the High Negotiations Committee. We consider this issue solely within the framework of our interaction with the Syrian Government and the Republic of Turkey, which has pledged to organise this disengagement. Our military, jointly with colleagues from Syria and Turkey, are engaged in the practical steps that would make it possible to implement this decision.



Question:

President of Syria Bashar al-Assad said that he regarded the sending of Turkish troops to Syria as an act of aggression. What is the Russian and Arab position on foreign armed presence, specifically Turkish presence, in Syria? What do you think about Turkey’s interference in Syrian affairs, given that Turkey is penetrating more deeply into certain Syrian provinces and consolidating its positions there?



Sergey Lavrov:

We approach the presence of foreign troops in any state strictly from the standpoint of international law, which allows this solely with the consent of the government of the relevant country. In this case, we understand Turkey’s security concerns, given the historical and other circumstances. As pragmatists and stakeholders seeking to find concrete ways of exiting from the Syrian crisis with an eye to complete restoration of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, we have launched the Astana process jointly with Iran and Turkey. To date, this is the only process that has brought real results in terms of the cessation of hostilities, the expansion of humanitarian aid deliveries, to no small degree, confidence-building, exchange of prisoners, joint search for those missing in action, and last but not least, creating conditions for the start of a clear political process in full conformity with UN Security Council Resolution 2254, under which the Syrians themselves would decide their country’s future.

The Syrian Government has supported the Astana process. SAR government representatives are actively involved in it, as is the armed opposition. For the first time, it became possible to bring to the negotiating table both the government and the opposition, who represent armed people opposing each other on the ground. The Syrian Government and Bashar al-Assad supported the outcome of the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi, which had also been organised at the initiative of the Astana Three and led to significant results by approving the UN’s 12 principles for the Syrian settlement and the idea of setting up a Constitutional Committee.

Together with Iran and Turkey, we are working with both the Syrian Government and the opposition, as well as with our UN colleagues, to finalise the formation of the Committee and allow the Syrians to launch this body’s activities in Geneva, as stipulated by the relevant agreements. The final goal – and the Turkish colleagues have repeatedly confirmed as much – is the full restoration of the Syrian Arab Republic’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Given the multiplicity of factors that affect the Syrian crisis and the great number of outside players that have some or other interests in this situation, the process will certainly take time. But we have no doubt that this is the direction we should be moving in. Our Turkish friends, too, share this approach. And the SAR leaders know this.



Question:

Yesterday, the US declared that it was ready to use sanctions against any country supporting the Nicolas Maduro regime. What is Russia’s attitude to such threats?



Sergey Lavrov:

To be honest, I have not heard about this. Even on a tour of the Gulf region, I do my best to follow what is going on in the world, but I lack both the time and the desire to monitor all of Washington’s arrogant and unlawful statements. If it was announced that all those supporting the legitimate president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, will face sanctions, it confirms yet again that US diplomacy is rapidly losing the taste for diplomatic methods and tools, losing its ability to use them and switching over to a language that was never typical of diplomacy.

I hope that this example will not be contagious.




The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/3561107
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Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
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