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Old July 15th, 2017 #181
Alex Him
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Excepts from Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, July 14, 2017



14 July 2017 - 14:48





The situation in Syria

The situation in Syria remains tense. We continue to monitor the positive trends that give hope for reversing the Syrian crisis and achieving a lasting political settlement and restoring peace and order throughout the country. Currently, work is underway to improve the mechanisms of functioning and controlling the de-escalation zones designed to reduce the level of violence in Syria, and to improve the humanitarian situation of the affected Syrian population.

The seventh round of intra-Syrian talks under the auspices of the UN takes place in Geneva this week. Russia, urging its regional and international partners to do the same, is assisting the Syrian parties in seeking for compromise solutions to resolve existing contradictions and to initiate the process of restoring stability and the country’s economic recovery.

As you may be aware, as a follow-up to the Astana process, experts from Russia, Jordan and the United States reached an agreement on the Memorandum on Creating De-Escalation Zones in Southwestern Syria – the regions of Deraa, Quneitra and Suwayda – in the Jordanian capital of Amman on July 7. The ceasefire came into effect there on July 9 starting noon Damascus time. Moscow and Washington committed themselves to ensuring compliance with the ceasefire by all groups present in the area, and to provide humanitarian access and establish contacts between the oppositionists in this region and the Russia-US-Jordan monitoring centre, which will be created in Amman.

The ceasefire in southwestern Syria is of paramount importance. Creating a de-escalation zone there should be an example for other areas in Idlib province, in the areas north of Homs and Eastern Ghouta. Work on their functioning and control mechanisms continues. At present, the situation in the above areas is assessed as steady.

In the east of Homs province, the Syrian army took control over a larger part of the al-Hail oilfield, having dislodged ISIS fighters from the main heights. The government forces are now within 15 km of a large jihadi outpost in the town of al-Sukhnah.

In Eastern Ghouta, fierce clashes between Jaysh al-Islam and Faylaq Ar-Rahman and Hayyat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra) continued outside the towns of Beit Sawa, Mesraba and al-Asha’ari. The rival groups lost dozens of militants in the hostilities.

This continued infighting among the terrorists persists in other Syrian provinces. Thus, a mine explosion in Ahrar ash-Sham’s headquarters in Idlib, the village of Binnish, killed two and wounded 10 militants. Reportedly, the al-Akhrar members believe that Nusra is behind this terrorist attack. On another occasion, also in Idlib, two suicide bombers attacked the headquarters of the Hayyat Tahrir al-Sham group in Sarmin. At least 12 militants were killed.

Social media cite official representatives of Akhrar ash-Sham saying they are aware of the Nusra plans to carry out a large-scale attack against a number of groups in Idlib and Aleppo provinces. Notably, jihadists from Ahrar ash-Sham are preparing to rebuff their “brothers in terror.”

The Syrian armed forces continue the Great Dawn operation, which began in May. During its first stage, they managed to dislodge the jihadists from a number of key strongholds in the Syrian desert, and to liberate dozens of settlements in Homs and Palmyra. Plans are in place to drive out the militants from the southwestern regions of the desert during the second stage of the operation, which began in the Damascus province.

The Kurdish-Arab self-defence units are engaged in fierce fighting in eastern Raqqa districts. They are gradually moving deeper into the city. Syrian government forces have taken control of over 50 square km in the province of Raqqa.



The White Helmets’ activities in Syria

I would like to ask myself again about the nature of activities pursued by the pseudo-humanitarian organisation known as the White Helmets. This group has access to areas controlled by Hayyat Tahrir al-Sham and other jihadist groups. Let me stress that these areas are off-limits even to Western, let alone Syrian or Russian journalists. This rules out any objective verification of data that the White Helmets supposedly collect where the government forces and the Russian Aerospace Forces have delivered strikes.

The White Helmets are funded through a human rights group, Syria Campaign, coordinated by one Anna Nolan, a US citizen. This group is within the focus of various, primarily Western, media and operates in a highly coordinated and well-orchestrated manner.

There are a growing number of questions about the White Helmets. We know full well that many chemical attacks on civilians in Syria were targeted by the media thanks to the White Helmets’ efforts because the group frequently “warned” them in advance about an upcoming chlorine bomb attack. And the footage portraying the resuscitation of alleged child victims of poisonous agents cannot but take one by surprise as displaying clear disdain for, if not ignorance of, the basics of rendering first aid. We still have fresh memories of another internet video showing these sham humanitarian activists videotaping preparations for yet another staged episode involving a man rescued from under a whole lot of house debris. We remember well how that organisation was nominated for various, quite prestigious, international prizes, such as an Oscar.

During the hostilities in Aleppo, the White Helmets ran stories, on a daily basis, about “numerous victims,” as they alleged, due to Syrian and Russian air attacks. But none of the videos showed the actual shelling or air strikes. Let me remind you again that their materials serve as the basis for media reporting, with the media borrowing it without any verification because it is impossible to prove any of this data. Therefore, this is an example of yet another media merry-go-round.

Generally speaking, we regard the White Helmets as a part of a large-scale information campaign to besmirch the Syrian Government. For our part, we believe that currently efforts should be made to support the so far fragile military and political stabilisation processes in Syria, to create conditions for the restoration of peace there, and to crush the terrorist threat emanating from ISIS, Hayyat Tahrir al-Sham, and similar groups.



Status of Russian-US relations

Honestly, we were surprised by the tone of comments we have heard at recent briefings in the US Department of State. They probably think we cannot speak in such a tone or comment on bilateral relations – the Americans spoke about some rushing around or Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov running ahead. They have displayed incomprehensible audacity in dealing with information. Such rhetoric is not our choice but we can use it too, and now I will show you how.

Recently we received many questions about consultations of Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon regarding diplomatic property. There were many leaks; some things were a far cry from the truth, whereas other statements were based on some facts. This is why I would like to comment on this issue.

Indeed, a regular round of Russian-US consultations on bilateral relations was scheduled for July 17 in Washington to be held by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon.

Initially, this round was scheduled for June 23 but it had to be postponed because the United States was not ready for a meaningful discussion.

We hope that after the Hamburg summit on July 7, the US side will display a more constructive approach. As we all understand, the previous US administration left for the current one numerous problems and irritants it had created in relations with Russia, up to and including the abduction of Russian citizens in third countries and the acquittal of Americans who were guilty of the death of their adopted Russian children. There were many problems. Naturally, if such practices are not discontinued it will be hard to develop fruitful cooperation.

This also applies to the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats half a year ago (you remember how this was done) and the illegal seizure of Russian property that is protected by diplomatic immunity. Indicatively, as distinct from public statements made in Washington at the time, the notes of the US Department of State that announced on December 29 the decision to block our property, have no references to “Russia’s interference in the US election” or some invented cyber break-ins. There is no direct or indirect mention of them. The reasons for the decision were not stated. Apparently, our colleagues from the Department of State were afraid to put down an obvious lie on an official document for fear of having to answer for it.

Regrettably, neither problem has been resolved. The seized property has not been returned. Far from reversing the decision to expel our diplomats, Washington is refusing to issue visas to those who are supposed to replace them. Moreover, they are trying to make absolutely unacceptable linkages that have nothing to do with these problems and are quite a different matter. There is a great deal of rambling on. If there is no progress we will really have to take reciprocal measures, as we have warned more than once through bilateral channels and on the record.

We have something to say in response. The numerical strength of the US Embassy in Moscow far exceeds the number of our employees in the Russian Embassy in Washington, DC. Hence one of the easy options is to even out the personnel, apart from a symmetrical expulsion of Americans. This is all the more urgent since there are too many employees of the CIA and the Pentagon’s Defence Intelligence Agency under the cover of the US diplomatic mission, whose activities are glaringly at variance with their status. You have heard and seen what they were doing – there is open access to their adventures with wigs, changes of clothes and other installations and performances. We can refresh everyone’s memory.

We are ready to take reciprocal measures regarding property. By blocking our access to Russian facilities in the United States, its authorities crudely violated not only the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations but also our 1979 bilateral agreement under which we granted the US Embassy in Moscow two plots of land – for a summer house and a storage facility.

Let me repeat (we have said this and explained this many times) that we would not like to go to extremes. We never rush on such matters. As you know, there was a very long pause that has obviously lasted for too long. If our American partners do not understand it in a different way, at some point we will have to take steps in this direction.



Political situation in Venezuela

We are monitoring the developments in Venezuela. Russia’s position on a settlement of the political crisis there is well known and has not changed. We stand exclusively for a peaceful dialogue held within the framework of the Constitution to reach compromises between the conflicting sides without any destructive external influence.

However, the events of the past few days and even hours have shown that the authorities’ hope for a downturn in the radicals’ aggressiveness has not materialised. We regret to say that both sides have opted for the logic of head-on confrontation with elements of violence, which has provoked fresh clashes that have led to bloodshed and fatalities, including among minors.

We strongly condemn the absolutely unacceptable, barbarous and inhuman practices of the radical opposition forces, which have used children as live shields. In this connection, we would like to highlight a recent statement made by UNICEF, which is Russia’s important partner in promoting international development. We want to draw the attention of the international community, and above its overzealous members who call for an early change of government in Venezuela, to the unacceptability of using such methods for self-seeking political purposes.

We point to the danger of the radical anti-governmental forces’ attempts to push the political struggle towards an armed confrontation. We are concerned about the radical opposition scenarios of destabilising the situation by holding the so-called never-ending protests designed to paralyse the economy and disorganise life in the country.

The political opposition interprets the Venezuelan Constitution very loosely, which contradicts the position of the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice, in a bid to justify their protests against the legitimate government and also the planned establishment of parallel government agencies following the legally questionable plebiscite that will be held by the opposition on July 16. We consider it very dangerous that some members of the opposition have publicly appealed to military personnel to disobey their commanders and to join the protest movement against the government.

It is also alarming that the fighters the radical opposition has been attracting are rapidly expanding the arsenal of military methods. Not long ago seven members of the Venezuelan National Guard have been severely injured in a roadside explosion in the protest zone in Caracas. It is shocking that some journalists, who knew about the planted bomb, did not notify the police but instead arranged to be at the site, at a safe distance from the bomb, to film the explosion. You can watch the footage on the internet. It appears that the protest organisers are doing their utmost so as to be able to collect effective, if biased, footage for the foreign media. This is something happening not just in Venezuela.

We call for the early resumption of responsible talks between the government and the opposition aimed at reaching a compromise, ending the violence and preventing the country from sliding into an armed conflict.

We welcome the decision of the Venezuelan authorities to release opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez from prison and to put him under house arrest. This clear signal of the authorities’ readiness for compromise should have been reciprocated by the opposition. Unfortunately though, it was not.

As for international mediation, a framework can only be created at the proposal or with the agreement from both sides. Any attempts to enforce settlement formulas or put pressure on either side, let alone meddle in Venezuela’s domestic affairs, are unacceptable.

I would like to remind you again that Russia does not want the internal developments in Venezuela to deteriorate into an uncontrollable conflict. We see no alternative to a peaceful dialogue as a way to stabilise the situation. We believe that the efforts taken by some external forces to apply colour revolution scenarios and formulas in Venezuela will not help settle the crisis but will further undermine the constitutional order and increase the suffering of the people.



Transnistria settlement update

The situation regarding the Transnistria settlement continues to deteriorate.

The positive potential created by two meetings between Moldovan President Igor Dodon and Transnistrian leader Vadim Krasnoselsky last January and last March is basically being wasted.

Talks in the international format are stagnating. The work of the only internationally recognised negotiations platform, the Permanent Conference [for Political Questions in the Framework of the Negotiating Process] on the Transnistrian Settlement (the 5+2 format), is basically stalled. The Permanent Conference’s resumption after a two-year break, with active support of international mediators, mainly Russia and the German Chairmanship of the OSCE, which was a serious recent achievement, unfortunately, never went any further.

The OSCE Austrian Chairmanship’s proposition that every 5+2 meeting must bring a tangible result such as the signing of specific agreements is unjustified. If the parties to the conflict could agree between each other, international mediation would not be necessary. Unfortunately, the opposite is true.

We hope that during the remainder of its mandate, the Austrian Chairmanship will review its approach to the Permanent Conference.

We also expect that sectoral working groups of representatives from Chisinau and Tiraspol will intensify their efforts to find a solution to the issues agreed during the meetings between the leaders of Moldova and Transnistria which, it seems to us, are not gaining the necessary momentum.



Hacking attack on the Foreign Ministry’s email

Recently, the Foreign Ministry email was subjected to a massive hack with major consequences.

The investigation into the circumstances of the attack on the information resources of the Foreign Ministry headquarters, its representative offices in Russia and missions abroad revealed that in the morning of June 29, around 138 fabricated emails were sent to mid.ru accounts via an earlier compromised account of the Russian Embassy in Iran. The attack was tracked back to an IP address registered in Hungary. The emails contained a link to a downloadable information bulletin while the Foreign Ministry Press Service email appeared to be the sender. The link would open the Foreign Ministry’s account authorisation page. Using a number of manipulated steps, hackers would gain access to the emails of the users who opened the link as well as some other Foreign Ministry’s information resources.

Action was taken to eliminate the consequences of the attack. All compromised accounts were blocked. Between June 30 and July 3, access to the mid.ru accounts and the ministry’s internal portal was temporarily closed for maintenance. According to the rules of information security cooperation between the Foreign Ministry and the Federal Security Service, the latter received evidence and the necessary data to assist with the investigation.

We are developing additional measures to enhance security of the ministry’s accounts.



NATO video on “forest brothers”

We have noted that NATO’s official account on Twitter and other social media published a video with different comments on “the guerrilla struggle of ‘forest brothers’ against the Soviet regime.” Regrettably, this is not the first time we are witnessing Western attempts to revise historical realities linked with events of World War II. In the past, these attempts were masked and made through political scientists, historians or the publication of books, whereas now they are made directly by international organisations via official resources.

It would appropriate to recall in this context that the hands of “the freedom fighters” as they are called by NATO, are up to their elbows in blood. They are to blame for tens of thousands of civilians. In the last years of the war “forest brothers,” many of which were Nazi accomplices, offered fierce resistance to the Red Army – a component of the armed forces of the anti-Hitler coalition, thereby impeding Europe’s liberation from Nazism.

Heads of NATO declared on the record more than once that their bloc is not just a military-political alliance but also a “community of values.” This cynical concoction of NATO propagandists illustrates what these values are.

NATO posted this eight-minute video online to show how actively it is fighting against so-called Russian propaganda. This video is propaganda pure and simple. It does not amount just to selective presentation of materials. It would be possible to understand NATO to some extent if it launched a discussion or started debates with users by publishing documents. But this is not the case – this is pure propaganda. There are no documents and no debates. This is not even a scholarly conference but the artistic execution of a relevant political order. It is vital to point out (and NATO knows this better than others) that this is a mechanism for exerting influence on public opinion by artistic means. This amounts to the development of a machine for producing fake news and creating artistic images of pseudo-history. And they say they are fighting Russian propaganda! Pure fantasy!



US Embassy representative’s visit to the Russian-Serbian Humanitarian Centre

On July 12, Assistant United States Defence Attaché in Serbia Hyrum Lowell Garvin, a representative of the US Embassy, visited the Russian-Serbian Humanitarian Centre in Nis.

The Russian-Serbian Humanitarian Centre’s Co-Director Vyacheslav Vlasenko and its Serbian employees informed the guests about its history, structure and the legal framework of its operations.

They discussed the Russian-Serbian Humanitarian Centre’s substantial contribution to disaster prevention and relief in Serbia and other Balkan countries over the past few years, providing emergency humanitarian relief aid, boosting the efficiency of Serbia’s emergency response system, including by training Serbian experts at educational institutions of Russia’s Emergencies Ministry and the Centre’s training grounds, conducting various exercises and training sessions and by delivering modern firefighting and rescue equipment to Serbia.

The US Embassy’s representative received exhaustive answers on all questions of interest to him, including those regarding the draft Russian-Serbian intergovernmental agreement on the terms of the Russian-Serbian Humanitarian Centre’s deployment, privileges and immunities of its personnel. He was able to conduct an onsite check of the Centre’s equipment and technology. He was particularly interested in how its crisis management facility makes it possible to quickly obtain updates on the regional climatic and industrial situation and to predict its development. This allows local authorities to take the required effective action.

The US Embassy representative’s visit once again highlights the Centre’s absolutely transparent activities. Its employees only respond to emergencies and provide humanitarian relief in Serbia and other Balkan countries. The US visitor voiced no remarks in this respect.

The US visitor was also told that the Russian-Serbian Humanitarian Centre’s humanitarian mine disposal unit would start removing explosive devices on Serbian territory this July, and that the first batch of Russian equipment and technology would be delivered for replenishing the Centre’s reserves and for expanding its personnel training capacity.

Delegations from some other foreign embassies in Belgrade are to visit the Centre next week. On July 18, representatives of Austrian, Swiss and Polish embassies are set to arrive at the Centre.

I would like to repeat that, if someone is making any comments and voicing concerns with the actions of Russian agencies or those created with Russian assistance, then we are ready to answer all questions. This is a specific example. The same concerns hackers and all the other nonsense that they are saying about us all the time without providing any evidence. It would be our pleasure to discuss any facts or any unconfirmed reports and to provide the required information, to conduct checks and investigations.





Answers to media questions:



Question:

Could you provide more details on the US terms for returning Russian diplomatic property?



Maria Zakharova:

This is why we need consultations. This meeting should be more than just a protocol meeting. We have already had a lot of them, and there were also contacts between the embassies. We need a specific discussion. We are expecting the United States to come up with detailed proposals and a deep rather than superficial discussion on how to move past this situation.

I will not speculate on possible solutions. Let's first the experts do their work. I can say with complete confidence that the experts on the Russian side are high-level professionals, people who have engaged in bilateral relations in all their aspects for many years, and they know how things work first-hand. Consultations come first, followed by comments and possible solutions.



Question:

Has Russia received a new draft UN Security Council resolution on the DPRK for study and approval? Word is out that the new resolution may include sanctions, including a ban on oil supplies to North Korea and a ban on using North Korean labour. Will Russia support this draft resolution?



Maria Zakharova:

As far as I know, at least yesterday, taking into account the time difference between us and New York, we did not have such a draft resolution yet.



Question:

The prominent human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Liu Xiaobo died in China yesterday. I would like to hear your comments, as a specialist on China, on his life and death.



Maria Zakharova:

I do not have any comment.



Question:

Turkish media have spread a story that Russia and Turkey reached an agreement on transferring the town of Afrin to the Syrian Free Army controlled by Turkey. Is there really such an arrangement?



Maria Zakharova:

This question should be addressed to our military specialists, who deal directly with the situation on the ground. I think you should ask them. For my part, I will try to clarify the information as well.



Question:

How does Russia assess progress of the operation to liberate Mosul? There is still the unresolved Sunni question, in which many see the origins of the ISIS problem. Iraqi Kurdistan announced plans to hold a referendum on independence on September 25. Will this lead to a resolution of the Iraqi crisis? What is Russia’s perspective on the future of Iraq?



Maria Zakharova:

We have repeatedly commented on the referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan.

With regard to liberating Mosul, literally this week as well as last week, Minister Lavrov made detailed comments on this matter. The Foreign Ministry’s Press Service has also made statements. We have repeatedly said that we welcome the fight against international terrorism in every possible way, but we also urged our partners to think about the price paid for these victories, especially since we were regularly reminded of the operation in Aleppo. We do not really understand why the people who reproached Russia for the methods it used to conduct the operation in Aleppo totally ignore the methods used to liberate Mosul. It just doesn’t work that way. Either everyone provides an objective assessment of ongoing operations and sticks to uniform standards, or, again, unfortunately, we will be forced to attribute all this to propaganda and disinformation campaigns. So, in this regard, we clearly, regularly and unambiguously made our point of view known at various levels, including publicly.



Question:

Sergey Lavrov and you spoke of possible reciprocal measures in retaliation for the expulsion of Russian diplomats and the seizure of Russian diplomatic property. When should we expect a decision on those reciprocal measures?



Maria Zakharova:

I have spoken at great length on the issue today. I can repeat that at the time we did not come up with reciprocal measures straight away, being aware that it a was a “cache”, using a military term, made by the outgoing administration and intended to disrupt the normalisation of bilateral relations under the new government. That was obvious and clear. Speaking in plainer language, it was a provocation. We were all perfectly aware of that and we gave the new administration time to sort out this disgusting “legacy” and start building our bilateral relations on a normal and mutually respectful basis to our mutual benefit and with due regard for the interests of both sides. More than half a year has passed. We see no concrete steps, although nothing is preventing the new administration from showing its independence and doing this. We have repeatedly brought up this issue during our bilateral contacts and were ready for consultations, talks and the exchange of possible scenarios, some proposals, in written form. That was not the case either. Therefore, at a certain point, we started saying that more than enough time has passed for the matter to be looked into and addressed.

At present, we have a date for consultations on the issue and our clear-cut position is that time is running out.

Anyway, nothing at all has been done to unblock the situation. During all this time, one might at least have allowed Russian diplomats into the area, started issuing visas to persons who are to replace those expelled, done things that would have not been so categorical in terms of undoing the “legacy” inherited from Barack Obama, but would have made it possible to start acting on a working level, or in other words, simply start unblocking the situation. Nothing of the sort happened either.

So, there is no exact timing. Everything depends on how the American side will react, its concrete moves and the results of consultations that are due to be held in Washington now.



Question:

I would like to return to the death of Chinese human rights campaigner Liu Xiaobo.



Maria Zakharova:

I have already commented on this. I see no reason why we should return to it as I cannot add anything new on the matter.



Question:

This week, there has been much speculation about the creation of a Russian-US commission on cyber security. Sergey Lavrov said it will happen. When will it happen? Who will represent Russia in the commission? How is it supposed to work?



Maria Zakharova:

I can assure you, when we have the relevant information we’ll share it with you. So far, there is a framework decision in the form of our intention to work towards this objective. Experience has shown the necessity and importance of this move. Hacks happen everywhere. We’ve been recording the increasing number of hacking attacks in the last three years.

Today, the United States is exploiting the issue of cyber threats. We aren’t exploiting it – unfortunately, we have been living with this threat since 2014 when the number of hacking attacks, in particular, on the Foreign Ministry’s resources, increased dozens of times and, maybe, even hundreds of times. At a briefing a couple of months ago, I cited statistics that showed what pressure Russian information resources had to deal with in cyberspace. I can repeat them. Unfortunately for us, and fortunately for the hackers, some of their attacks led to our resources being compromised. We believe that this issue is very important. We can exchange information, build relations, make proposals and write them down on paper, instead of just constantly leaking information to the media without providing any facts whatsoever to prove it. Most importantly, not a single person is held responsible for the leaks. It’s all just empty talk. This commission is an invitation to engage in concrete work. We had similar structures under the presidential commission that were involved in addressing roughly similar issues. You know what happened to it – on the Americans’ initiative, its work was terminated and the commission was disbanded. As soon as we have something we can share with you, we’ll do it.



Question:

Could you provide more details about cooperation between the foreign ministers of the United States and Russia on the problem of the Korean Peninsula, given the upcoming top-level talks?



Maria Zakharova:

We see dialogue with our American colleagues, which is being held not just between the embassies and representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry and the US State Department, but, certainly, at the UN Security Council, where this issue is being actively debated. As you know, we have both differences and points of convergence. At least, we are currently engaged in dialogue.

We believe that it is necessary to work out political solutions that could lead to a settlement or at least prevent the situation in that region from worsening any further.



Question:

If Russian-American relations ultimately cannot be restored, does the Russian Foreign Ministry have any scenario, should this negative possibility occur?



Maria Zakharova:

You are too pessimistic. Let us think about good things.



Question:

Yesterday, commenting on the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia does not have any special communications channels with Pyongyang, though it is a close neighbour of Russia. Given the traditions established under the new leader of North Korea, does not Mr Lavrov think that someone already has stable channels of influence? We would like to have a more detailed commentary on the issue, if possible.



Maria Zakharova:

And what is unclear here? What else can be added? What exactly has not been covered, in your view? It seems to me that the matter has been fully covered.



Question:

Can Russia, as one of the parties to the six-party talks and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, influence North Korea?



Maria Zakharova:

We have international law, which stipulates in what way countries can use political influence and participate in regulating both internal and international processes in a particular region.

Within the framework of international law, we are using all available opportunities. There are bilateral contacts and multilateral formats that we are trying to reanimate and engage. There are also international organisations, above all, the UN Security Council, as this is precisely where the issue is being discussed. And of course, there is our cooperation, established on a legal basis, with countries in the region, which are equally concerned about the situation on the peninsula. These are the opportunities we are talking about. There has been more progress on some points and less on others, and something, unfortunately, remains blocked.

We believe that the six-party talks are a very important tool. This is normal international practice, which, let me repeat, is based on the UN Charter and international law and is, on the whole, mutually respectful and offers a large number of tools and ways for solving complicated international issues.



Question:

Was your personal user account affected during the attack by hackers against the Foreign Ministry’s resources?



Maria Zakharova:

I said clearly that the hackers attacked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in particular, the information resources linked with the ministry’s server and named this server – mid.ru. This is what it was about. My user accounts are not on the ministry’s server. I have an active account on the social network site Facebook. This site stated more than once that it is very meticulous about cyber security. As you know, its headquarters is located on US territory, and this is where the relevant information is stored. Draw your own conclusions.



Question:

The Sakhalin authorities have again asked Japan to allow Russian citizens to stay in Japan without visas for up to three days. Are there any talks on this issue?



Maria Zakharova:

All Russian regions coordinate their foreign policy activities with the relevant federal agencies. The Foreign Ministry is playing a coordinating role in this respect. So, all such issues are discussed with the ministry. Our ministry and our foreign mission in Tokyo know about this issue. As for Japan’s response or a specific stage of the relevant talks, I will clarify this information and present it next time.



Question:

Quoting a Turkish official, Russian media reported about the signing of an agreement with Ankara on the delivery of S-400 missile systems. I think the sum of about $2.5 billion was mentioned. Could you comment on this?



Maria Zakharova:

S-400 contracts fall within the competence of the Defence Ministry and relevant military experts.



Question:

You said Russian diplomats that are supposed to replace those that were expelled from the United States have encountered some problems with receiving visas. Are there any problems with the approval of a candidate for the new Russian ambassador?



Maria Zakharova:

You know well that we do not comment on the ambassador’s appointment until the President’s executive order on the replacement of an ambassador in a country is issued. The order deals with either recalling the ambassador, or terminating his functions or sending a new one. Commenting on the decisions of the President of Russia, if they deem it necessary, is the prerogative of the Presidential Executive Office. We comment on the appointment and present relevant information after the executive order is published. We also organise an interview of newly appointed ambassadors and a news conference. Incidentally, this is our new practice. Newly appointed ambassador to Turkey Alexey Yerkhov met with the press not so long ago. We will do the same with respect to other ambassadors, but first the executive order, the President’s decision on the appointment of an ambassador must be published. We simply have our own traditions that are based on our regulations.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2815668
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Old July 21st, 2017 #182
Alex Him
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Press release on the attack against foreign tourists in Hurghada



17 July 2017 - 10:42



On July 14, a criminal armed with a knife attacked tourists at a hotel in Hurghada, Egypt, killing two German nationals and injuring several other foreigners, including Russian national Yelena Mikhaylenko born in 1973. She and other injured victims were immediately hospitalised at a Hurghada hospital, where they received emergency help.

The Russian Consul General in Hurghada visited Ms Mikhaylenko. She is reported to have minor wounds and her life is not in danger. The Consulate General continues to provide Ms Mikhaylenko with the necessary help.

The attacker was detained. He is a citizen of Egypt. The Hurghada Prosecutor’s Office is conducting an investigation.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2816038






Press release on Foreign Minister’s Special Representative for Middle East Settlement and Director of the Ministry’s Middle East and North Africa Department Sergey Vershinin’s visit to Israel and Palestine



17 July 2017 - 11:30



On July 13-15, Sergey Vershinin, the Foreign Minister’s Special Representative for Middle East Settlement and Director of the Ministry’s Middle East and North Africa Department, visited Israel and Palestine.

In Israel he met with the Prime Minister’s advisor, Yitzhak Molcho, Senior Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel Alon Ushpiz, and Orna Mizrahi, Deputy Chairman of the National Security Council.

In Palestine, Sergey Vershinin was received by President of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas. He also spoke to Head of the Palestinian Intelligence Service Majid Faraj.

The meetings focused on Palestinian-Israeli settlement.

In Jerusalem, Sergey Vershinin participated in a meeting of special representatives of the Middle East Quartet of international mediators (Russia, the United States, the EU, the UN), following which the parties issued the following message.

“On July 13, special representatives of the Middle East Quartet held a meeting in Jerusalem to discuss the current efforts to promote a Middle Eastern settlement, as well as escalation in the Gaza Stip.

The special representatives expressed serious concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and discussed current measures for crisis resolution.

The special representatives from Russia, the US, the EU and the UN agreed to meet again and to continue regular interaction with the Israelis and the Palestinians as well as with key regional players.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2816074






Press release on attempted shelling of Russian Embassy in Syria



17 July 2017 - 13:07



On July 16, there was an attempted mortar attack on the Russian Embassy in Damascus. Two mortar shells launched supposedly from the district of Jobar in Damascus controlled by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (former Jabhat al-Nusra) and Faylaq Al-Rahman exploded not far from the external perimeter of the embassy. Fortunately, there were no casualties or damage.

We strongly condemn terrorist raids against the Russian diplomatic mission and the peaceful neighbourhoods of Damascus. Russia’s principled approach to the determined and uncompromising combat with the terrorists in Syria will continue. Once again, we urge the international community to consolidate efforts, based on the international legal framework, to more quickly eradicate the dangerous terrorist hotbed in Syria and the region overall.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2816142
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Old July 21st, 2017 #183
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Press release on results of CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting



17 July 2017 - 14:27



On July 17, Minsk hosted a meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation’s Council of Foreign Ministers. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko received the ministers and the CSTO Secretary General.

Republic of Belarus Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei chaired the meeting. The parties held a productive and engaged exchange of opinions on topical issues on the regional and international agendas, including the situation along the perimeter of the CSTO’s zone of responsibility. They focused on CSTO member state cooperation in global affairs.

Acting on the initiative of the Russian party, the participants passed a joint statement denouncing the “war on monuments” and attempts to glorify Nazism. The statement included a principled evaluation of the ongoing campaign in some countries, including at legislative levels, to eradicate the memory of those who liberated the European countries from Nazi aggression and occupation during World War II at great sacrifice.

The parties passed a statement on maintaining information security and voiced concern over rising online criminal activity.

The ministers approved a schedule for consultations between representatives of CSTO member states on foreign policy, security and defence issues for the next six months of this year and the first six months of 2018, as well as a list of subjects for joint statements, to be made at various international venues in 2017. They approved a protocol on amending the Agreement on the Basic Principles of Military Technical Cooperation, a decision to institute an emblem for the collective security system’s military units and a decision to amend the regulations of the Working Group on Afghanistan at the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2816185






Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks and answers to media questions at a news conference following the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting, Minsk, July 17, 2017



17 July 2017 - 15:23





The CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Minsk is over. Now the Republic of Belarus holds the Presidency of the CSTO.

We reviewed a number of questions that allowed us to discuss a broad range of topics, primarily linked with international and European security, including the military-political situation in Europe, relations with NATO and our goals in the CSTO and other agencies that are thinking of ways to overcome the current abnormal relations in Europe and resume cooperation.

We informed our colleagues in detail about the developments in the Russia-NATO Council. We were told about the contacts that our partners and NATO are developing. Everyone affirmed that contacts with NATO are maintained on the basis of our allied commitment under the Collective Security Treaty. All partners affirmed it. It could not have been otherwise.

Joint statements were adopted following the discussion of some other issues. The first highly important statement reflects our attitude to the unacceptable desecration of the memory of the liberator warriors of World War II. Attempts to do this are being made in some European countries. The second statement concerns one more urgent issue – international information security. It reaffirms our striving to consolidate security in the cyber space. We also agreed to speed up the drafting of the intergovernmental agreement on enhancing information security. We believe this will be a contribution to our universal efforts in the UN that is considering the proposals we have submitted with our partners to coordinate the rules of responsible conduct in the cyber space.

As for other decisions, I would like to mention the list of topics of our joint statement that we will make in the UN and other international organisations, including the OSCE. The list includes 15 topics and is not exhaustive. We may add other topics to it depending on the development of the situation in various areas of international relations. The list covers a very broad range of issues, including the situation in Syria and the Middle East in general, current problems in Afghanistan and related issues, counterterrorism, the fight against drug trafficking, tasks of peaceful space exploration, including the promotion in the UN of the initiative encouraging all countries to commit not to deploy weapons in outer space. The elaboration of a common position on consolidating the Convention on the Prohibition and Elimination of Chemical Weapons with a view to its public presentation is a separate subject. These several issues I have mentioned show that the agreement on the topics of our common statements next year appears to be all-embracing.

One more document is the plan of consultations between the foreign ministries on foreign policy and international security issues. We have adopted a decision to invigorate the activities of the CSTO working group on Afghanistan and a number of other issues, including the upgrading of our military-technical cooperation.

I think the meeting was productive and will help us prepare well for the regular CSTO summit next autumn.



Question:

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov is to meet with US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas A. Shannon, in Washington today to discuss the diplomatic property issue. Earlier, a source in the White House said the United States did not plan to give back the diplomatic property to the Russian Federation without getting anything in return. How can you comment on this position? How soon should we expect Moscow to respond if Mr Ryabkov and Mr Shannon fail to reach agreement at today’s meeting?



Sergey Lavrov:

The source is anonymous, and this means they realise that they have a guilty conscience.

As for the gist of what you have cited, if this is so, then this amounts to robbery in broad daylight, simply highway robbery. How is it possible to take away property formalised by a ratified inter-governmental document? And what kind of principle is it to say “What’s mine is mine, and we’ll divide what’s yours” while discussing its return? Decent and well brought up people don’t behave this way. I am confident that the Trump administration has some reasonable people who realise that the Obama administration had made a decision to seize diplomatic real estate and to evict Russian diplomats and their families when the administration was in its death throes, when its members had no idea how to wreck Russia’s relations with Washington in such a way that the Trump administration would be unable to restore them.

To my great regret, everyone realises that this zealous desire to find some hidden channels of Russia’s influence on developments in the US is not subsiding and it does not give confidence that we will be able to establish normal cooperation in international relations at a time when all countries without exception are interested in this. I hope that the anti-Russia sentiments now plaguing the US Congress will subside only because not a single fact has been produced by the many months of work of various commissions and investigators.



Question:

Today the Israeli media, citing high-ranking sources, said that during the meeting with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came out against the Russian-US ceasefire plan for the south of Syria, because it would allow Iran to strengthen its presence in the region.



Sergey Lavrov:

I don’t know what exactly Mr Netanyahu said, but as we have already said – for instance when announcing the establishment of a de-escalation zone following the Russian-American-Jordanian meeting, and President Vladimir Putin also spoke about it in Hamburg – we did preparatory work with all interested parties, Israel included. So we proceed from the fact that our Israeli counterparts were fully aware what was agreed. I can guarantee that we and our American colleagues have done everything so that the security interests of Israel were taken into account in the framework of this arrangement.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2817639
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Old July 21st, 2017 #184
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Comment by the Information and Press Department on the approval by the Polish authorities of amendments to the law banning propaganda of Communism or any other totalitarian system



18 July 2017 - 16:05



Polish President Andrzej Duda signed the law of June 22, 2017, on amendments to the law of April 1, 2016, banning Communism or any other totalitarian system propaganda, which specifically provide for the removal of monuments and memorial plaques to the Soviet soldiers who liberated Poland from Nazi occupation in 1944-1945.

Russia has repeatedly drawn Warsaw’s attention to the fact that these actions are a direct violation of the international legal obligations in bilateral treaties and agreements that Russia and Poland signed between 1992 and 1994, under which Polish authorities have a duty to maintain and defend these facilities.

Apart from the international legal aspect, this issue has a crucial moral dimension. The monuments of gratitude to the Red Army and the Soviet liberator soldiers are a reminder that it was owing to the Victory over Nazism, to which the Soviet Union made a decisive contribution, that Poland could survive as a state and the Polish people were not destroyed or banished and were left to live on their own land. The USSR paid an immense price for the liberation of Poland, losing over 600,000 Soviet soldiers and officers, who died in engagements with the enemy in the territory of Poland and were buried there. Hundreds of thousands of Soviet prisoners of war were kept in German concentration camps and also rest in peace in Polish soil.

The Polish authorities are certainly aware of the flagrant insult they are throwing at the Russian people and the peoples of countries that were once part of the USSR, whose sons and daughters were fighting against a common enemy and for the life and liberty of the European peoples, including the Poles. Nevertheless, Warsaw has consciously decided to go ahead with this outrageous provocation. Needless to say, it will not be left without a response.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2818127






Press release on the memorial ceremony at Novodevichy Cemetery for Soviet personnel killed during a humanitarian mission to Peru



18 July 2017 - 18:20



On July 18, a wreath was laid at the memorial obelisk installed in Novodevichy Cemetery in honour of the Soviet pilots and medical workers killed on July 18, 1970, when an Antonov An-22 aircraft carrying humanitarian aid for the victims of a catastrophic earthquake in Huaraz and Yungay crashed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Peruvian Ambassador to Russia Luis Benjamin Chimoy Arteaga expressed his appreciation to our country for the gesture of solidarity with Peru during the ordeal, which was an important milestone in the friendship and cooperation between the two nations.

The ceremony was attended by employees of the Embassy of Peru, Director of the Latin American Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexander Shchetinin and families of the plane crash victims.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2818242






Press release on the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers statement on the unacceptable desecration of the memory of WWII liberator warriors



19 July 2017 - 18:43



On July 17, 2017, at Russia’s initiative, the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation adopted a joint statement denouncing the “war against monuments” and attempts to glorify Nazism. The statement gives a principled assessment of the ongoing campaign in several countries, including at the legislative and executive level, to eradicate the memory of those who liberated European countries from Nazi aggression and occupation at great sacrifice during World War II.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2818438






Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks at a meeting with participants in the Fourth Forum of Young Diplomats, Moscow, July 20, 2017



20 July 2017 - 11:29





Good afternoon,

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to this forum. I would like to begin by expressing gratitude to the organisers of these meetings. It is the fourth such meeting held since April 2014, when the Foreign Ministry’s Council of Young Diplomats advanced the idea of a forum for young foreign ministry employees from former Soviet republics. Today, I am happy to welcome all of you here, especially young diplomats from Moldova and Uzbekistan, who are attending this forum for the first time, as far as I know. I am sure that you will find it interesting.

We monitor such forums, where discussions are held in a trust-based and informal atmosphere without any news conferences. Your main task is to understand each other better and to gain an insight into your partners’ foreign policy in order to improve your professional skills. Although your discussions are held behind closed doors, we can see how they develop and what results they bring. In the past few years, your forum usually concludes with the signing of joint documents, which is directly connected with the improvement of your professional skills. We have a favourable view on this.

I have been told that one result of our joint negotiations was the idea of holding more than a regional forum of young diplomats. The Russian Foreign Ministry’s Council of Young Diplomats not only holds meeting with peers from the post-Soviet countries but also forums that are attended by delegates from the BRICS countries and other regions. They are planning to further expand the horizons. It has been proposed to create an international association of young diplomats and to hold the first international forum in connection with the upcoming World Festival of Youth and Students, which will take place in Sochi in October. I believe it is a very interesting idea. We will provide the necessary logistics and organisational support. We hope to see all of you at the planned international event. The meeting you are holding today can be described as a regional event, while the proposed forum will be the first of its kind to be held in the global format.

I wish you productive discussions, successful work at your departments, good luck and happiness.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2818515
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Old July 25th, 2017 #185
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Excepts from Briefing by Deputy Director of the Information and Press Department Artyom Kozhin, Moscow, July 20, 2017



20 July 2017 - 15:16





Developments in Syria

We are following developments in Syria. Our experts, together with our partners, continue to coordinate issues related to bringing into operation the de-escalation zones in Syria. We assess the situation in these zones as stable. There have been isolated violations of the ceasefire regime. They are not systemic in nature and are on the decrease.

At the same time, however, military observers note growing tension between the terrorist groups Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (the former Jabhat al-Nusra) and Ahrar al-Sham in the north of Idlib Province. On July 14, Jabhat al-Nusra accused Suquor al-Sham, which operates under the umbrella of Ahrar al-Sham, of the murder of two arms dealers close to Jabhat al-Nusra. In revenge, Ahrar al-Sham detained two Jabhat al-Nusra commanders. After this, the two groups, which had concluded a fragile truce, renewed fierce clashes. These terrorists accuse each other of deliberately provoking violence and preparing and carrying out combat operations against each other.

Meanwhile, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham reached an agreement with ISIS in Arsal, on Lebanese soil, to fight together against the Lebanese army and Hezbollah.

In the east of Homs Province, Syrian government forces fought back a large-scale counterattack launched by ISIS around the oil and gas fields of Kheyl and Arak, which were liberated last week. Simultaneously, government forces also advanced in the Syrian Desert region in the south of Raqqa Province and in the west of Deir ez-Zor Province.

At the same time, Jabhat al-Nusra attempted to break through government defences in the northwest of Aleppo. ISIS fighters attempted the same on the outskirts of ancient Palmyra. The government forces succeeded in stopping the jihadist advances.

Antiterrorist operations continue in the region around Damascus. Clashes are taking place around the town of Douma in Eastern Ghouta and in the Damascus suburb of Jobar, from where terrorists have repeatedly shelled the Russian Embassy compound in Damascus.

The seventh round of intra-Syrian talks that took place on July 10-14 in Geneva under the aegis of the UN showed that there is real headway in the Syrian settlement process. During the talks between the Syrian parties, progress was made in two areas: discussing constitutional and legal issues, and consolidating opposition ranks. Some assessments suggest that the Riyadh, Cairo and Moscow groups of opposition have come substantially closer together in their positions and now hold a more realistic view of possible solutions to the Syrian crisis. We hope that the urgent need to normalise the situation and return peace to Syria will encourage the opposition forces to take a constructive and more responsible approach at the next round of talks with the Syrian government.



Political developments in Venezuela

The political face-off in Venezuela escalated after the opposition conducted a so-called national referendum on July 16 focusing on the convocation of the Constituent Assembly, the support by the armed forces of the decisions taken by the parliament, which is in the opposition to the government, and holding elections to the supreme bodies of power.

According to its organisers, about one-third of registered voters took part in the voting. Almost all of them supported the demands of the opposition. However, these data are largely unverifiable: the international community has to trust (or not) the word of the initiators of the process (which, of course, “coincided” with their pre-announced preferences). There are photos distributed in electronic media showing that the final protocols were simply burned before the final results were announced by the counting commission of the “referendum”. How are the confirmed cases of repeat voting by the same persons at different polling stations supposed to be handled? Or the absence of truly independent observers, except for a number of former presidents of Latin American countries who are known for their criticism of the Bolivarian government?

Clearly, the “referendum”, which was conducted outside the framework of current law and is therefore legally void, has split Venezuelan society even deeper. Even stranger are the statements made by the leaders and foreign ministries of a number of countries, including US President Donald Trump, who spoke of the vote as an expression of the will of the entire Venezuelan people, and urged the government, in the form of an ultimatum and threat of sanctions, to cancel the elections to the Constituent Assembly scheduled for July 30, which incidentally are conducted in accordance with the country's Constitution by duly authorised electoral bodies.

Without a doubt, there are many people in Venezuela who see the future of the country differently than the opposition. It is unacceptable to deny them the right to speak. As far as we understand, they are going to do so during the elections to the Constituent Assembly on July 30.

We maintain a dialogue with various political and public figures in and outside Venezuela, including about the causes of the current difficulties. The people of Venezuela want a better life for themselves, which they deserve. However, Venezuelan society is uncertain about how to achieve this. All constructive opinions must be heard.

However, this is impossible to do amid the clamour of street demonstrations, armed provocations and pogroms that cost lives. Wreaking havoc just to please radicals and extremists will take the country nowhere.

We believe that the steps taken by the opposition to force the creation of parallel authorities, in particular, introducing a procedure whereby the parliament will appoint new Supreme Court judges, are extremely dangerous.

It is impossible to reach accord when there is destructive outside interference, pressure, and threat of sanctions. Responsible members of the international community should help, rather than provoke, and unite rather than divide. We remain convinced that there can be no winner in a head-on clash between two major social groups. The entire country stands to lose in this scenario.

Venezuela and its politicians need the wisdom of statesmen and the ability to remain above personal ambitions. They cannot succumb to the desire to overthrow their opponents at any cost without thinking about tomorrow, as this will lead to the brutal self-destruction of the state.

So, we are in favour of resuming intra-Venezuelan dialogue, serious and responsible talks aimed at achieving a compromise, ensuring peace and calm in the country. We are also in favour of settling the internal conflict by political means, within the legal framework, and without outside interference.



Opening of the Kuchurgan Moldovan-Ukrainian checkpoint

The official opening of the Kuchurgan Moldovan-Ukrainian border and customs checkpoint, located in Ukraine, on July 17 evokes regret. It shows that by taking this step without consultations with Tiraspol, Chisinau and Kiev ignored Transnistria’s obvious concerns over it.

Transnistria justifiably notes that this action (13 such checkpoints are expected to be opened in the region) contradicts the agreements reached as part of the Trasnistrian settlement to the effect that all disputable issues should be settled exclusively at the negotiating table and actions of one side should not inflict damage on the interests of the other side. Tiraspol believes that creating a belt of joint Moldovan-Ukrainian checkpoints is aimed at total monitoring of exports and imports from the left bank of the Dniester and carries the potential to escalate into the resumption of full blockade of the region. In the estimate of the Transnistrian side, direct economic damage to the left bank of the Dniester may run into tens of millions of dollars a year.

The “added value” of the new checkpoint established on the funds of the EU (six million euros) is a source of major questions, considering the operation of the EU Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM) for many years. And this is happening to the accompaniment of the EU’s statements to the effect that joining the Moldova-EU Association Agreement is the only option for Transnistria. Isn’t this an element of external pressure?

As a guarantor and mediator of the Transnistrian settlement, Russia is against the emergence of new irritants in relations between Chisinau and Tiraspol. We are convinced that open and involved discussion of the economic component of the Kuchurgan issue in the 5+2 format could reduce the urgency of the problem. We stand for convening an official meeting in this format as soon as possible.



Arbitration ruling in the Arctic Sunrise lawsuit

On July 18, the Permanent Court of Arbitration released its ruling on compensation to the plaintiff in the Arctic Sunrise lawsuit, which was brought by the Kingdom of the Netherlands against the Russian Federation in 2013.

The Russian Federation did not participate in the arbitration hearings as it continues to maintain that the arbitration court has no jurisdiction in this case.

The tribunal’s latest ruling imparts a financial dimension to an earlier decision, issued two years ago, on August 14, 2015, which says that by curbing Greenpeace actions with respect to the Prirazlomnaya oil rig, Russia violated its obligations under the 1982 UN Convention of the Law of the Sea. The ruling ignores the fact that the actions by the Greenpeace activists posed a direct threat to the safety of the oil platform and its staff and were provocative, thereby forcing competent Russian bodies to take legal steps to curb that dangerous behaviour.

We pointed out that the aforementioned ruling is not comprehensive and ignores the widespread international practice of countering irresponsible actions at sea, including with regard to potentially dangerous and sophisticated technological facilities (this practice and Russia’s position are spelled out in the Russian Foreign Ministry’s official statement released on August 5, 2015). It is hard to add anything to this assessment with respect to the latest ruling on damages.

Regrettably, by its rulings, the Court of Arbitration actually encourages purposeful illegal actions in exclusive economic areas of countries and on their continental shelf, justifying them as so-called “peaceful protest.”



Viktor Bout

We are verifying the news recently reported by the media that Russian citizen Viktor Bout convicted in the United States had his sentence extended by several weeks for violating prison rules. We have already filed a request with the US officials to provide clarifications.

We are closely following the fate of our compatriot given the gross arbitrariness which has characterised, from day one when he was secretly arrested in Bangkok in 2008, the actions of the US special services, and the investigative and judicial bodies against him. They handed down a tough and unfair sentence of 25 years in prison, turned down all the appeals, kept him in solitary confinement for many years, and used other cruelties with regard to Mr Bout in order to exert psychological pressure on him and to break his spirit. As we can see, such attempts continue unabated.

In our contacts with Washington, we repeatedly stressed that it is unacceptable to abduct Russian citizens in third countries, Viktor Bout being a case in point. However, the Americans still refuse to release our abducted fellow citizens, and turned this practice into another tool to exert pressure on Russia. Similarly, the US authorities are taking it out on Konstantin Yaroshenko for his refusal to falsely admit guilt.

Despite the biased attitude towards Russia, which has long been typical of many in the United States, and has now become a genuine Russophobic hysteria, we continue to seek the release of all our citizens convicted there on fabricated and politicised charges.



Russian citizen Stanislav Lisov detained in Barcelona at the request of the United States

Russian citizen Stanislav Lisov, detained in Barcelona on January 13 at the request of the United States in connection with the alleged use of malware to break into a US banking institution, remains in custody in a penitentiary institution in Spain. The Russian Embassy in Madrid is in contact with the detainee and his lawyer. Our diplomats are taking all necessary steps to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the Russian citizen. In particular, the necessary consular assistance is being provided.

The extradition hearing will take place on July 20.

The embassy employees are closely cooperating with the Spanish authorities.



Attacks by Lithuanian internet users on the official accounts of the Russian Foreign Ministry

Perhaps you noticed spam messages recently on the Foreign Ministry’s official Facebook account. In this regard, I would like to emphasise that, given the continuing activity of Lithuanian internet users, where they keep leaving the same negative comments on the official pages in the social media of the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Russian Embassy in Lithuania, and other Russian foreign-based institutions, we will continue to defend historical truth and objectively discuss our common history.

We consider the attempts to thwart our explanatory work in social media or to obstruct the ministry’s work through telephone harassment (on July 19, a number of Foreign Ministry units received phone calls from Lithuania asking the ministry to remove materials about the atrocities of the Forest Brothers in Soviet Lithuania) as a manifestation of a bruised national ego.





Answers to media questions:



Question:

Could you please comment on the situation on the Korean Peninsula? Literally a couple of days ago, South Korea offered to hold military talks with North Korea and resume Red Cross dialogue. This is taking place against the backdrop of the UN Security Council hearings on additional sanctions, but South Korea is making a friendly gesture and offering to start the process of peaceful settlement. What is Russia’s attitude to this step?



Artyom Kozhin:

We support any peace initiatives that are based on international law.

I’d like to recall some nuances of our position on this issue. We are closely following the developments on the Korean Peninsula and around it. We are opposed to Pyongyang’s nuclear-missile ambitions and consider absolutely unacceptable the threats of nuclear strikes on other countries, especially preventive ones. We are also opposed to the actions of other countries that are escalating the military confrontation on the Korean Peninsula. We believe the settlement of its problems should be part of a general military-political détente in the region. Relying on the nuclear-missile “stick” as well as a bloc approach alone are increasingly driving the crisis situation into a deadlock.



Question:

The armed forces of four regional countries – Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and Pakistan – are taking part in US command-post manoeuvres in Tajikistan named Regional Cooperation 2017. The US Ambassador in Dushanbe has said that these exercises are focusing on border security and regional stability. Will you comment on this? Can the exercises help stop the movement of terrorists and extremists from Afghanistan into Central Asia? Can they really be effective?



Artyom Kozhin:

We know that the United States regularly holds various kinds of joint events in Tajikistan, including exercises and drills aimed at training security forces in combatting terrorism and illegal drug trafficking.

We believe that stronger regional security and stability, primarily in the vulnerable area of the Afghan-Tajik border, meet the international requirements in the fight against terrorism as well as narcotics.



Question:

Russian-US talks at foreign ministry-level ended just the other day. Can you tell us about their main results? Will Russia get its diplomatic property back? What decision has been taken concerning this subject?



Artyom Kozhin:

As I see it, you are referring to the talks between Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon. First of all, numerous comments have already been made on this matter, including by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Sergey Ryabkov took part in a television show only yesterday, where he covered this particular issue in great detail.

I also suggest that you read one of the comments that has been posted on the Foreign Ministry website. Overall, the key conclusion is that although there is not much to be proud about right now, we will continue working on this. We will also continue negotiating. I would like to stress that we have requested the unconditional return of our property in the United States. We have said this more than once, and I would like to use this occasion to say this once again.



Question:

Have any conditions been made to Russia for the return of this property?



Artyom Kozhin:

Once again, please, read the comment on the Foreign Ministry website.



Question:

Unlike the comments made by our American colleagues, the official Foreign Ministry comment on the talks between Mr Ryabkov and Mr Shannon does not mention the topic of strategic arms reduction talks. What plans do Russia and the United States have on this matter?



Artyom Kozhin:

Sergey Ryabkov and Thomas Shannon discussed some current strategic stability issues. As for the rest, please read the Foreign Ministry’s comment.



Question:

But the comment made does not mention this, which is why we are asking you for this particular information.



Artyom Kozhin:

If you read the comment carefully, you will really see that they did discuss a number of current issues related to strategic stability.



Question:

Have you anything to say about the extension of the visa application form for UK citizens?



Artyom Kozhin:

A comparison of the UK visa application form, including for Russian citizens, and the Russian visa application form for UK citizens has revealed a major disparity in the number and nature of questions to the disfavour of Russian citizens. In light of this, and based on the principle of reciprocity, we have prepared an extended variant of the Russian visa application form for UK citizens. It became obligatory as of July 17.



Question:

What does Moscow think about the decision made by the Trump administration to end the programme to provide arms to the Syrian opposition? Can you describe this as a positive result of the recent Putin-Trump meeting in Hamburg? Has it brought any major results on the subject of the Syrian crisis?



Artyom Kozhin:

We will provide our reaction to this a little bit later. Today I can say that we welcome any steps that are aimed at easing the tension and strengthening security in the Middle East.



Question:

Donetsk has declared the establishment of a new country – Malorossiya. Will you comment on this decision? Does it contradict the provisions of the Minsk Agreements? Can this decision become a subject of realpolitik?



Artyom Kozhin:

We have already commented on this matter. In particular, you can read a comment made by Deputy Chief of the Presidential Executive Office and Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov.



Question:

Are you considering expelling 35 US diplomats as a response measure to the expulsion of Russian diplomats from the United States? What is the probability of this?



Artyom Kozhin:

Many comments have been made on this issue. We retain the right for reciprocal action. We are monitoring this issue.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2818579
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old July 25th, 2017 #186
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Deputy Director of the Information and Press Department Artyom Kozhin’s reply to a question from Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen media network regarding the Trump administration’s decision to stop arming the Syrian opposition



21 July 2017 - 12:16





Question:

What does Moscow think about the decision that’s been made by the Trump administration to end the programme to provide arms to the Syrian opposition? Can you describe this as a positive result of the recent Putin-Trump meeting in Hamburg? Has it brought any major results on the subject of the Syrian crisis?



Artyom Kozhin:

You are probably referring to an article published in The Washington Post on July 19. It writes that Donald Trump “has decided to halt the CIA’s covert programme to arm and train moderate Syrian rebels” and that this decision “reflects Trump’s interest in finding ways to work with Russia.”

We have not heard anything regarding this decision from the official sources. Neither do we know about the status of other similar programmes that could be implemented by other US agencies. The US intelligence does not report to us. Moreover, the newspaper writes that the White House made the decision nearly a month ago.

Speaking to the point, we have expressed how we feel when it comes to the US flirting with militants in Syria more than once. We have forewarned that this flirtation could have unpredictable military and political consequences. We repeatedly pointed to the Americans’ unscrupulous actions taken in Syria in the pursuit of their self-seeking geopolitical interests. We insisted that Washington separate the so-called moderate opposition from die-hard terrorists, including Jabhat al-Nusra, the local al-Qaeda branch which the Pentagon has been protecting for some reason.

It is an open secret that a substantial number of militants who have been trained under the US Train and Equip programme ultimately joined ISIS and al-Nusra. We regard this as a repetition of the tragic story of Afghanistan and Libya. The potential consequences of this should be obvious to everyone.

As for the meetings in Hamburg, President Putin said that the exchange of opinions on Syria has shown that President Trump is aware of the importance of working together towards a settlement in Syria. One practical result of this mutual understanding is the July 7 agreement reached between Russia, the United States and Jordan on a ceasefire in southern Syria. We do hope that it will provide the basis for moving forward in other areas as well.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2818871






Deputy Director of the Information and Press Department Artyom Kozhin’s answer to a Russian media question regarding the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry’s allegations of Soviet collaboration with Nazi Germany



21 July 2017 - 17:56





Question:

Could you comment on the infographics that appeared on the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry’s official accounts on social media alleging collaboration between the USSR and the Third Reich?



Artyom Kozhin:

As is known, Lithuania and our other Baltic neighbours are pursuing a course of falsifying the Soviet period of history and whitewashing and glorifying the Nazis and their local collaborators.

The stories published by the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry reiterate Vilnius’s wish to distort at any cost the decisive role played by the Soviet Union in freeing Europe from Hitler’s slavery. The manipulation of historical facts and outright lies are plain to see. Regarding the form in which this material is presented, to put it bluntly, it is aimed at some halfwits.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2821739
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Last edited by Alex Him; July 25th, 2017 at 01:18 PM.
 
Old July 25th, 2017 #187
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Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the OSCE Alexander Lukashevich’s remarks at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council, Vienna, July 20, 2017



21 July 2017 - 12:18



Following reports by Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine Ertugrul Apakan and

Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office to the Trilateral Contact Group Martin Sajdik






Mr Chairperson,

We are grateful to Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office to the Trilateral Contact Group Martin Sajdik and Chief Monitor of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine Ertugrul Apakan for their assessment.

The conflict in Ukraine has continued for over three years now. We have a clear roadmap for settling this conflict – the Minsk Package of Measures, which has been approved by the heads of the Normandy format states and supported by the UN Security Council. A direct dialogue is ongoing between Kiev, Donetsk and Lugansk within the framework of the Contact Group. However, the efforts to settle the conflict have stalled. No progress has been made either in the area of security or in the field of politics.

The results of the Contact Group’s meeting in Minsk yesterday have once again demonstrated Kiev’s unwillingness to seriously look for solutions and to talk with representatives of certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions about matters that are of special concern to them. The Kiev delegates in the Contact Group’s political subgroup are not prepared to formalise the so-called Steinmeier Formula, which sets a connection between local elections and the law on the special status for Donbass. The Ukrainian delegation has been trying to revise or dilute the essence of the agreements that have been reached at the top level.

We need to coordinate both political and military measures so as to be able to settle this conflict. An agreement to this effect was reached at the Normandy format summit meetings in Paris in 2015 and in Berlin in 2016. The people of Donbass need constitutionally sealed guarantees of their safety, including the special status, the amnesty and local elections that will be monitored by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

We regret to say that no progress has been made in the security subgroup either. The Kiev delegation’s stand at the July 19 meeting prevented an agreement on a new timeframe for the disengagement of forces in Stanitsa Luganskaya. The discussion of new disengagement areas has been blocked as well. In light of this, we support the initiative advanced by Ambassador Apakan regarding the use of SMM observers to monitor critically important infrastructure facilities – the Donetsk water filtration station and the power line in Vasilyevka.

Work in the economic subgroup remains stalled. It has not managed to ensure that Kiev resumes social payment, including pensions, to those who live in certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions. There is also an acute problem concerning water pollution from hazardous Ukrainian facilities. There should be a broad-based discussion of environmental challenges in the region with the participation of local and international experts.

Minor progress has been reported in the efforts of the humanitarian subgroup to secure the release of forcibly held persons. But this process is taking time and has been hindered by many things getting in the way. We point to the importance of coordinating the ICRC proposal to repair the footbridge near Stanitsa Luganskaya.

Mr Chairperson,

The stalled talks within the framework of the Contact Group have had a negative impact on the security in Donbass. Another planned disengagement was prevented in Stanitsa Luganskaya on July 8. The SMM observers witnessed the Ukrainian armed forces’ disinclination in response to the self-defence forces’ signals for the start of disengagement. The SMM camera there again recorded shooting. The opponents’ forces at the contact line remain dangerously close to each other, which heightens tension.

The situation has again deteriorated after a short period of tranquillity at the start of the “harvest ceasefire.” According to the SMM, as a result of shooting from the government-controlled areas reported in the past three weeks, five civilians have been killed in Kominternovo, Staromikhailovka, Trudovskoye and Yasinovataya, four civilians have been wounded in Donetsk, Dokuchayevsk and Stakhanov, over a dozen buildings have been destroyed or damaged in Donetsk, Dokuchayevsk, Veselaya Gora, Zaichenko, Zolotoye-4, Kirovsk, Kominternovo, Leninskoye, Sakhanka and Trudovskoye. The SMM observers have reported the concentration of Ukrainian weapons near Mirolyubovka. There is a persistent threat of the resumption of hostilities.

In this situation, the SMM observers must be able to maintain a permanent presence in flashpoints, make equal and consistent observations on both sides of the contact line, act promptly and ensure objectivity and full disclosure of SMM reports. We hope that the provision that confines SMM patrolling to hard surface roads will be lifted soon. So far, we see a certain imbalance due to the fact that there are considerably fewer hard surface roads in the government-controlled area than on the other side of the contact line. We point out that the mine threat is being used to keep SMM observers away from the government-controlled parts of Stanitsa Luganskaya, Schastye, Popasnaya, Zolotoye, Bogdanovka and Katerinovka. We strongly condemn all and any attempts to intimidate or threaten SMM observers, no matter who makes them. We point to the practical expediency of returning representatives from the self-defence forces to the Russian-Ukrainian Joint Centre for Control and Coordination (JCCC). This would greatly simplify the coordination of security matters. We urge the SMM to more closely cooperate with local authorities and to promote a dialogue between the sides.

We support the observers’ efforts to facilitate the establishment of local ceasefires for repair purposes. We appreciate the SMM’s contribution to repairing the power line in Mikhailovka.

We urge the SMM to more closely monitor the situation in the western and central regions of Ukraine and to report manifestations of radicalism and aggressive nationalism, infringements on the rights of ethnic and language minorities, as well as persecution against the Church. The SMM reports about unrest during the July 7 march of teenagers who were dressed in fatigues in Kiev and the July 13 attack by radicals on a Greek Catholic Monastery in the Lvov Region, as well as NBC reports about the Azov nationalist military summer camp for children, are evidence of growing radicalism and ethnic strife in Ukraine. The international community must keep a watchful eye on this problem and react to it.

In conclusion, I would like to express our gratitude to Ambassadors Sajdik and Apakan once again and to convey our appreciation and support to the SMM observers.

Thank you.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2818881
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Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
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Old July 25th, 2017 #188
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Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s answers to media questions at a joint news conference following talks with Sierra Leone's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Samura Kamara, Moscow, July 21, 2017



21 July 2017 - 15:42





Question:

CIA Director Mike Pompeo claimed that Russia has been interfering in the US elections for more than eight years now. At a security conference held in Colorado on Thursday, answering a question about Russia’s interference in the 2016 elections, he said that he had already said a thousand times that Russia had interfered with US elections before.



Sergey Lavrov:

If this statement means that we interfered in the US elections in 2008 and 2012, then President Obama owes his victories to us. I’ll leave that without comment. I believe this is already beyond the boundaries of what’s reasonable.

It's good that you mentioned the interview by Mr Pompeo. He (at least that’s what I read) said that the United States and Russia pursue different goals in Syria. His answer to a follow-up question was that Russia’s goal is to obtain a warm-water port in the Mediterranean. First, it's good that they reminded everyone that this is a warm-water port. Second, at about the same time I read that the United States was operating 10 bases in Syria. In the grand scheme of things, Mr Pompeo wants the same thing in Syria as we want, only several times over. Another big difference is the fact that we do not hide our two bases from anyone. They were built there and operate under intergovernmental agreements. Their purpose is to provide assistance in the fight against terrorists, of which there are many. The United States does not publicise its bases, and the fact that these bases are illegal is also clear, I believe, to everyone.

Nonetheless, I have always believed that not only do we share goals with the United States with regard to what I just said, but also with regard to the key tasks facing the international community as they relate to the Syria crisis. This includes fighting terrorism, eradicating ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra and their offshoots in Syria, the implementation of political settlement agreements based on UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which clearly states that only the Syrian people can decide their own future. It would be sad if these goals, for some reason, no longer sit well with Mr Pompeo. I would rather prefer that all the participants in the settlement process and efforts to fight terror in Syria, including diplomats, military, special services and intelligence agencies, concentrate on the tasks approved by consensus by the UN Security Council.



Question:

What is the status of Russia-US talks delineating the borders of the southern de-escalation zone in Syria today? Are there plans to expand this zone or increase their number?



Sergey Lavrov:

The experience of creating the southern de-escalation zone with the participation of Russia, the United States and Jordan, which is being implemented literally before our eyes, is, I believe, the best corroboration of the fact that when we engage in concrete action, rather than speculation, we can achieve good results. The process of creating this zone continues, and the main parameters have already been discussed. We are now discussing the specifics of its functioning to ensure monitoring of compliance with the cessation of hostilities between government forces and the armed opposition in order to ensure unfettered humanitarian access and, in general, the movement of civilians in and out of this zone.

I think this work will be finished in the near future.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2821611
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old July 25th, 2017 #189
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Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with NBC, Moscow, July 21, 2017



21 July 2017 - 20:08





Question:

Minister, thank you very much for your time. There is a lot to talk about. There is Syria, North Korea, China, Ukraine, and there is ISIS. But inevitably, I’d like to begin by talking to you about Russian-US relations. There are pictures of you with the Obama administration in which you do not look particularly happy. There are pictures of you with President Trump in which you look like you are having fun.



Sergey Lavrov:

So what?



Question:

Is that the way it is?



Sergey Lavrov:

I haven’t seen any pictures of me that could be described as me being happy or unhappy. If I’m laughing, then the other person might have made a joke. If I am not laughing, the other person might be boring or he/she might be asking for some serious issue to be considered, and then I am not laughing.

But with John Kerry for example – we laughed a lot. He had… he still has, I hope, a good sense of humor. We enjoyed our private relations as much as we concentrated on business – on Syria, etc.



Question:

If there is a warmer relationship now with the Trump administration than there has been with previous American administrations, there are also messages that Moscow is unhappy with things, particularly the Russian property that was seized by the Americans. What is the real feeling towards Washington as you would describe it right now? Are there particular people within the administration that you think are more constructive dealing with Russia than others? Do you, for example, think President Trump has a more positive attitude towards Russia than Secretary Tillerson?



Sergey Lavrov:

Look, we can only judge by what people say and do. And it’s obvious that during the Obama administration an irritation started building up in Washington against us many years ago, for whatever reason, long before the Ukrainian crisis, long before anything else which is now cited as the problem in Russian-American relations. The first time I think it was publicly shown was when Edward Snowden made it to Russia in the expectation that he would be able to take a flight to Latin America, and Russia was just a stopover. As he was flying from China to Russia his passport was declared invalid, and this information was circulated to airports all over the world, including the Moscow airport he landed at, and he could not make a transfer because of the information about his passport. And then President Obama called President Putin, John Kerry called me, John Brennan called his counterpart in Moscow – they kept calling, saying, “You must extradite him, you must extradite him.” And according to our laws, we cannot extradite people who are being persecuted for something they did in order to protect and promote human rights. And then President Obama, I would say in a very unpresidential way, was frustrated to the point that he cancelled his visit to Moscow, which was scheduled on the eve of the St Petersburg G20 summit. He did attend the summit in St Petersburg, but he canceled the visit which was supposed to be considering an important agenda. I believe that those who occupy any position of influence and importance in today’s world cannot get offended like children by issues which are absolutely incomparable to the issues which had to be discussed, which were to be discussed at the Russian-American summit. And then of course the Magnitsky Law, which as we now see was very much orchestrated, but I hope the ongoing investigation, including in the United States, will get to the truth. All this was long before Ukraine. And all these irritants were building up by the Obama administration, to be used later under some personal agendas.

Maybe President Obama was personally offended by something he saw in Russia. And during the last days of his administration he seized the diplomatic property that is supposed to be protected by bilateral agreements between our countries and is supposed to have diplomatic immunity. I believe it was an act of desperation and a desire to leave something to his successor, which would be unrepairable as far as Russian-American relations are concerned. So it was not this administration’s act, it was an act designed, among other things to make the life of this administration difficult. And we have always known, of course, from the history of America, from the many wars that have been fought on that land that seizure of property, seizure of land was one of the ways America was actually created. But I never suspected that this would be done by a party which now represents quite a different philosophy. By the way, when people say that the property was seized and the diplomats were expelled to punish Russia for meddling with the American election, don’t believe this crap, because the official note that we received from the State Department said nothing about the reasons the property was seized. So it’s just straight robbery, and international law is entirely on our side, and we will act in accordance with international law to get it back.



Question:

You’re threatening to expel US diplomats from Russia. What message should the US take from this? Do you see US President Trump as a friend? Could your public declarations that you might still expel US diplomats be considered posturing?



Sergey Lavrov:

We consider what President Trump says publicly, expressing his position regarding Russia, saying that the two biggest nuclear powers must do everything in order to cooperate to resolve the matters that can only be resolved through cooperation. And this was confirmed not only during his campaign in his public statements, but also during three phone conversations and the direct meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hamburg on July 7. And we have no reason to doubt his desire to promote the interests of the United States and the interests of making the world safer together with Russia, based on cooperation, on the balancing of interests.

As for the situation in which he found himself, I don’t think he is being attacked because of what happened between him and Russia, how this is seen in the media. I believe it was a shock for the establishment in the United States after the results of the election were announced, and somebody who was not part of the system of government (he was part of the business system of the United States, but not part of the system of government) got elected unexpectedly. And this entire avalanche of attacks, of accusations, is absolutely groundless, at least as far as the Russian angle of this anti-Trump campaign is concerned. We haven’t seen any single fact during many, many months of accusations. Some facts are being hidden under the pretext that they are classified, but I cannot imagine that with the experience of the CIA, National Security Agency, FBI and many other intelligence agencies and special services in the United States, that there are no experts who can present to the public the facts in a way that would not compromise the sources. If this is the case, then there is not a single professional in all 17 of these organisations. I just cannot believe this. So the fight goes on. They want to make life for this administration miserable. People try to talk about impeachment, we read about it. But frankly, I read the news from the United States less and less.



Question:

Does Trump has to fight against this, you think?



Sergey Lavrov:

Absolutely it’s a fight, but as I said I…



Question:

And Russia is on Trump’s side?



Sergey Lavrov:

No, we are on the side of justice. Even regarding the two vacation facilities, we want international law to be respected. Be it the internal development of any country, including the United States, we want the constitution of that particular country to be respected, as well as the international obligations of that country.



Question:

We know Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Trump met three times at the G20. They had, obviously, a bilateral meeting, they met at dinner, and then they met…



Sergey Lavrov:

Who knows, maybe they went to the gents together, and that was the fourth time.



Question:

They met also when they were photographed shaking hands. That’s my question. Did they meet other times in the hallways? Were there other occasions when they might have met?



Sergey Lavrov:

I thought that by know adult people got it right, but I keep hearing from reputable media outlets that they met secretly. When? At a dinner that was attended by hundreds of people, not to mention waiters, assistants who could not sit at the table, but who were right there in the same room, as it always happens.



Question:

So, it is possible that they had another meeting?



Sergey Lavrov:

Why doesn’t anybody get suspicious when Mr Putin sits next to Ms Trump, the first lady? Because our German hosts arranged the table that way? And then after the dinner (I was not there) President Trump apparently went over to pick up his wife and spent a few minutes with President Putin. So what? And they shook hands, which was then listed as the third meeting, and I don’t know about the gents as I told you before.



Question:

Did they meet in the corridors; did they have other conversations that you are aware of?



Sergey Lavrov:

Look, foreign ministers are not invited to G20 sessions. We were only at the bilateral meetings which the President of Russia had with many of his colleagues – the leaders attending the G20 summit. When your parents first took you to kindergarten, did you mix with the other children before going into the classroom? I remember when I was there; I spent five to ten minutes with the other children before they took us into the classroom to start explaining how animals were different or whatever.



Question:

This is the G20 summit though, not a kindergarten.



Sergey Lavrov:

Yes, but there is also a room where they gather before an event starts; they cannot all arrive at the same time in a bus. They arrive in their own motorcades, and then they are ushered into the room, a waiting room. So, technically, they might have met more than just those three times.



Question:

It is an important point though, which is why I think it might be an important point for you, that is, when important leaders like President Trump and President Putin (the most important leaders in the world) meet, they reach agreements, which then must be implemented by their people. Let me give you an example. In terms of the working group on cybersecurity, Russia’s envoy on cybersecurity says that there are now discussions underway with President Trump who has tweeted that this actually can’t happen. This appears to have been something that was agreed to at the bilateral meeting; but it’s not clear, because we don’t seem to have any official transcript of what was said. So is the working group on cybersecurity happening? And I guess my wider question is – does it actually make it more difficult for you? Russia is said to have asked for a transcriber at that meeting, and the White House is said to have refused that. Is that not true?



Sergey Lavrov:

There were two interpreters – one on each side.



Question:

Ok, does it make it more difficult for you if there isn’t a clear formal agreement on what was agreed to at each meeting? And what about that cyber working group?



Sergey Lavrov:

Well, it’s very simple, you know, the way you put this question, unfortunately. When leaders discuss, they don’t draft documents, they don’t draft papers. They discuss subjects they believe the two countries can cooperate on for the benefit of their own people, for the benefit of security in the region and in the world. And they did discuss cybersecurity. President Trump raised the issue; he said he clearly remembered what President Putin said publicly, answering the questions about whether Russia meddled in US elections and the answer was “no.” But he also reminded those present, like he did in Hamburg, that the Russian Federation many times, many years ago, still under the Obama administration, proposed establishing an effective mechanism that will allow us to concentrate on the apprehensions of any of us and maybe others, because that could have been open to other countries to join, any apprehensions that anyone might have had regarding any problem in cyberspace.

It was the Russian Federation along with China, with other members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization who several years ago proposed a draft document called Rules of Behavior in Cyberspace, and this is available in the United Nations. It was the Obama administration that was not very eager about starting to discuss it, and we just recalled all this when these accusations started being thrown at the Trump administration and at Russia that we were working behind the scenes, secretly, to defeat the Democrats. We reiterated our approach, we said that we wanted cyberspace to be an area where we could discuss our concerns, be it interference in domestic affairs of a sovereign state, or the use of cyberspace for terrorist purposes, or for the purposes of drug trafficking, pedophilia, or other violations of international law. And the President of the United States clearly showed interest in having these issues discussed.



Question:

And those talks with the US on cybersecurity are underway now, aren’t they?



Sergey Lavrov:

Well, I cannot know each and every aspect of our experts’ contacts.



Question:

Russia’s envoy on cybersecurity says there are talks underway between the US and Russia.



Sergey Lavrov:

That’s what he said yesterday.



Question:

Yes, is that correct?



Sergey Lavrov:

Well, you are asking me to say whether I trust somebody who is an official in charge of cybersecurity? If you don’t trust him, double check with somebody else. He is my subordinate, I don’t have any reason not to trust him.



Question:

Right. On those conversations, initially you said that President Trump mentioned the allegations that Russia interfered in the US elections, and then later President Putin said that President Trump asked him the question directly, and it wasn’t a single question, there were many questions, and that Trump had paid a lot of attention to the subject. Did Moscow change the wording from the way you characterised it in order to help President Trump? Did Moscow exaggerated when it said that they paid a lot of attention to the allegations of Russian intervention in the US elections?



Sergey Lavrov:

I feel like I’m at a Senate hearing on an investigation into Trump betraying the interests of the United States of America, but no. President Trump actually answered the allegations himself, that he trusted Mr Putin, as President Putin said. He clearly reminded all those who have nothing better to do than engage in this dirty business, that what President Putin said about this part of their discussion at the press conference, that President Trump raised the issue, President Putin confirmed that we never did anything to interfere in the American elections, and that he, President Putin, got the impression that President Trump accepted this explanation. Mr Putin never said that Mr Trump was happy about anything related to this. I read President Trump’s tweet, and I believe the courage with which he withstands these unbelievable attacks really does deserve respect. Anything else on cybersecurity?



Question:

I’ve got a broader question, actually, because you are a diplomat with many, many years of experience, one of the most experienced diplomats in the world, and yet in recent months, you have witnessed some historic events. What goes through your mind when you’re there, in the room, as President Putin meets with President Trump? What goes through your mind, when you are in the Oval Office with President Trump, and he talks about having great intelligence data and allegedly shares some of that with you or describes James Comey as a nut-job? These things are something that even you do not see every day.



Sergey Lavrov:

You mean what I felt when I was in the Oval Office? Basically, the feeling was the same as when I was in the Oval Office with President Obama and President Bush before him: respect for a president who was legitimately elected, the leader of the United States based on the US constitution, and respect for anything they choose to tell me, to present the American position and to present their views on what they believe should be the substance of Russian-American relations.



Question:

And at the G20, when the two presidents are meeting? Apparently, President Trump’s wife even came into the room to say “we need to wrap this up,” but it was going so well they wanted to continue.



Sergey Lavrov:

Look, our political and human culture does not provide for somebody else’s family matters to be discussed in public.



Question:

But my question is really more about...



Sergey Lavrov:

I understand, you’re British, you’re too eager to get more details than Russians can provide you on this human rights subject.



Question:

You don’t want to share more about what happened. It was a two-hour meeting, and we know very little about it, really.



Sergey Lavrov:

You asked about the first lady coming in, and I answered you.



Question:

Right, right.



Sergey Lavrov:

And I think, the 30 minutes or so that we have been talking, we have been discussing mostly the meeting in Hamburg. What is your specific...?



Question:

I’m just interested in your reflections on that meeting.



Sergey Lavrov:

It was a meeting between the two leaders, and actually I did make a statement after that meeting, but before President Putin’s press conference. That was a meeting between two leaders who certainly defend the interests of their countries, who understand the interests of their countries from a long-term perspective, not just thinking of, you know, what comes in a year and a half, the mid-term elections they have to maneuver. No, they are clearly guided by the long-term interests of the United States and of the Russian Federation, and they were both very much aware that the best interests of our countries require – or rather, would be much, much better ensured − if we cooperate, and if we also cooperate on issues that are important to the entire world and that can be much more effectively resolved if Russia and the United States work together, as is happening in some parts of Syria now.

By the way, you said that President Trump revealed some information when I was in the Oval Office; I missed that part of your question. Did you say that?



Question:

There is an allegation that he did, which you, I am sure, know about.



Sergey Lavrov:

But he was accused of telling me something classified about something which was discovered by the special services and which related to the ability of terrorists to control some events with smartphones, notebooks, a way that would allow an explosive to be placed in those devices. He just mentioned that terrorists have become very inventive and creative. But this very information was made public, either by the FBI or the CIA, about a month before I was in the Oval Office. And it was not just announced publicly, it was the reason passengers from some Middle Eastern countries were officially prohibited from carrying these kinds of devices aboard planes, exactly because of that. So when this was cited as a secret, a top secret revealed to me by President Trump, I really could not believe that serious people could make this kind of allegation.



Question:

On Syria. Do you view the reports that the CIA programme to back Syrian rebels in Russia has been stopped, that the programme will no longer go forward? Do you view that as a concession to what Russia is asking for in Syria from the Americans?



Sergey Lavrov:

This decision was taken, as far as the American media is concerned (if you can still believe the American media, but I still try to): it was made a few weeks before the G20 meeting. I read, I think yesterday, that this was the result of a meeting between US President Trump, US National Security Adviser General McMaster and Secretary of Defense Mattis. I can only proceed from this news.



Question:

Do you welcome it?



Sergey Lavrov:

I don’t know, because we have to calculate everyone’s overall approach to resolving the Syrian crisis. We have certainly concentrated on the de-escalation zones that are established to stop the fighting between the government and the armed opposition, for them not to attack each other and hopefully for them to concentrate entirely on fighting ISIS. Therefore, we would support any agreement which lead to the opposition and the government signing a ceasefire and entering into a formal cessation of hostilities.

And I understand that the United States supports many more groups not just the ones that were announced as being left without American weapons and instructors. It was recently stated that some ten American bases had been created in Syria. At least, a Turkish newspaper wrote about this, and the Americans criticized Turkey for allowing this news to become public. Ten bases. I am only quoting what I read in the news.



Question:

Do you object to the American bases in Syria?



Sergey Lavrov:

No, I don’t object to American bases in Syria as long as the Americans recognises that their presence in the Syrian Arab Republic is illegal, because unlike us, they were not invited by the government...



Question:

Ilegal?



Sergey Lavrov:

Of course it is illegal. As long as this illegal presence in Syria is executed the way they say it is, that is with full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic, with the sole purpose of fighting ISIS and other terrorist organizations. That means that after the country has been liberated, after a settlement has been reached to the satisfaction of all the Syrian ethnic, confessional and political groups, that the presence of foreign troops or foreign bases on Syrian soil will only be legitimate with the consent of the Syrians themselves.

But it was interesting to read, about their presence and the bases, to read the statement (I think this morning) of the CIA Director Mr Pompeo. He was asked what Russia was doing in Syria, and he said, “We don’t like what Russia is doing in Syria; we don’t share the goals of Russia’s presence in Syria. The main purpose of Russian presence there is to hold their two bases on the Mediterranean coast.” And that was presented in a way that we don’t deserve. So if a man who represents a country that has illegally created ten bases in Syria is really concerned about two bases which were established under an intergovernmental agreement, with a UN member, then something is wrong and there are double standards. Not to mention the fact that the hundreds and hundreds of US military bases that are all over the world and all around Russia seemingly do not cause any concern to Mr Pompeo or to anybody else.



Question:

To be clear, the principle that the only forces that should be allowed to intervene in Syria are those that have been sanctioned by Syrian President Assad would suggest that only Russia, Iran and perhaps Hezbollah should be allowed to intervene in Syria.



Sergey Lavrov:

Well, strictly speaking, yes, but in practical terms we have been trying to be flexible in order to remove the key barrier to a Syrian settlement – the terrorist threat in Syria. And through our dealings with Iran and Turkey, by the way, and through our dealings with Jordan and the United States and with the armed opposition, we have tried to achieve this goal through a cessation of hostilities between the government and the patriotic opposition, so that all forces can be free to fight the terrorists. And the processes that we are engaged in, have, of course, included talks with the Syrian government. And the Syrian government does not mind us moving in the direction we are moving in, in the context of the overall understanding that the number one priority is the fight against ISIS. And we hope very much that this de-escalation zone agreement will resolve the problem, which killed the deal between us and former US President Obama, namely the problem of Jabhat al-Nusra and all its incarnations, because from the very beginning the United States coalition, while fighting ISIS more or less actively (sometimes more, sometimes less), has been looking the other way with Jabhat al-Nusra. The facts point to this.

And by the way, this was the reason the deal between myself and US Secretary of State John Kerry, which was endorsed by President Obama and President Putin, failed in September last year, because the deal was that the Syrian air force would not fly at all, and that the Russian Aerospace Forces and the American coalition could fly and hit only those targets which would be mutually agreed to. It was an important agreement, but the deal should have entered into force on the seventh day, and by the seventh day the Obama administration had committed to separating the patriotic opposition from Jabhat al-Nusra. But they failed and they admitted it, which only confirmed our suspicion that they were protecting Jabhat al-Nusra all along.



Question:

I don’t want to leave without asking you a question about North Korea. Just before the G20, Russia built an alliance, an agreement with the Chinese concerning your positions on North Korea. Why would you not consider North Korea a threat when they fired a missile which came close to Russian territory?



Sergey Lavrov:

I cannot say that we do not conside what is happening on the Korean Peninsula a threat, because what they are doing is a gross violation of Security Council resolutions. There are less than noble attempts to present us as appeasing North Korea, as acquiescing to what they are doing. I don’t know the purpose of this, maybe to score some political points. Our position is very straight-forward. We have consistently supported the resolutions of the Security Council which were designed to stop the prohibited nuclear and missile programmes of North Korea. And it was agreed from the very beginning that all these sanctions would be targeted to make it impossible to continue with these programmes. These UNSC sanctions must be directed against the people who have been engaged in these programmes and who provide financing for these programmes, and these links must be clearly identified.

The proposals that have been put on the table are basically designed to completely suppress the North Korean economy, prohibiting any imports to North Korea, any exports from North Korea, any transportation links with North Korea, prohibiting any contact with anybody of any importance in the leadership of North Korea – we cannot, obviously, support this kind of approach, because it contradicts the basic premise, the basic premise being that we have to stop their nuclear and missile programmes, but we cannot do this at the expense of hundreds of thousands of people in North Korea.



Question:

And your basic premise excludes a regime change? Is this the position of Russia?



Sergey Lavrov:

We don’t believe in regime change anywhere. I hear very enthusiastic voices in the United States, including in some parts of this administration, that the time for patience is over, and that they must do something because the threat is growing, and an intercontinental ballistic missile has been launched.

By the way, on that very day when the presidents met in Hamburg, our military provided the Pentagon with objective data that we received from our radar units located just on the border with North Korea. And according to that data, it was not an intercontinental missile, but the Americans say that they have their own surveillance. We suggest sitting down without any politicising to professionally review and exchange information. But a month ago, I think, a month and a half maybe, Secretary of Defense Mattis, answering the question, bluntly stated that the use of force against the North Korean regime would mean disaster, a humanitarian disaster in the region. And our American colleagues accept, in private discussion, that this implies risking hundreds of thousands of people, not just in North Korea but in South Korea and the neighboring countries. And I believe that those who keep those scenarios in their minds are not responsible politicians.

Therefore, not in place of, but parallel to continuing pressure on North Korea, Russia and China have proposed a parallel political track. The idea is to ensure a double freeze – North Korea suspends all their launches and tests, and in response, the US and South Korea reduce the scale of their war maneuvers in the region, but not cancel completely, which we believe could help diffuse the situation and start a professional discussion to build confidence, starting with very simple things, such as adopting a statement that no one is going to attack the other side, that the security of each of the participants in this process will be mutually guaranteed, etc., and then build upon these universal principles, and try to agree on some details that will translate these guarantees into practical measures. It will take time, but we believe that it is the only way to save us from the disaster which is looming.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2821758
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Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
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Old July 25th, 2017 #190
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Press release on a meeting of the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action overseeing the implementation of the nuclear deal with Iran



21 July 2017 - 22:11



The Joint Commission consisting of the E3+3 (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States) and Iran under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) held a regular meeting on July 21 in Vienna. The meeting was timed for the second anniversary of the JCPOA and was held to discuss the implementation of JCPOA commitments by all parties based on the principle of reciprocity.

The parties welcomed Iran’s strict compliance with its voluntary commitments under the JCPOA and the high level of cooperation with the IAEA, as confirmed by the agency’s reports. The parties also pointed out that this has helped create a solid foundation for the implementation of general agreements.

They also reviewed the status of the sanctions-lifting and Tehran’s access to international trade, economic and financial cooperation. The Russian delegation stressed the importance of strict compliance by all parties with the letter and spirit of the JCPOA and UN Security Council Resolution 2231, including as regards the lifting of unilateral sanctions against Iran. Any actions that run contrary to this principle undermine JCPOA’s stability and can damage international economic cooperation.

The Russian delegation also reaffirmed Russia’s support for the JCPOA and highlighted its willingness to take the necessary measures towards the effective implementation of the agreements in the interests of the international community.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2821837
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Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
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Old July 28th, 2017 #191
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Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s opening remarks at a meeting with Vice President of Iraq Nouri al-Maliki, Moscow, July 24, 2017



24 July 2017 - 11:36





Mr Vice President,

Friends,

It is a pleasure to see you again. We value greatly our relations with you. Iraq is one of our most important partners. We support the Iraqi government’s efforts to normalise the situation in the country, and above all, to eradicate the terrorist threat. The Iraqi armed forces and security forces are making a concrete contribution to these efforts, of course, as is the four-party information centre opened last year in Baghdad by Russia, Iraq, Syria and Iran.

What matters most is that this fight must not be conducted in isolation, but in the context of common global international efforts to eradicate the terrorist threat throughout the entire region, including in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen and other countries. At this difficult period of time, the Russian Federation is supporting the Iraqi government’s efforts to rebuild the economy and improve the security forces’ combat capability. Our companies are working more actively together with their Iraqi partners, and we are developing our military-technical cooperation, which supports you in your fight against the extremists. We will continue to develop and build up this cooperation and partnership, the foundations of which we laid during the second half of the 20th century.

Mr Vice President, we value greatly your personal contribution and consistent effort to developing cooperation with the Russian Federation today. This visit to Russia, which is not your first, will certainly help to advance us further on this road.

Once again, welcome.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2822088






Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s interview with Kurdish television channel Rudaw, Moscow, July 24, 2017



24 July 2017 - 19:06





Question:

Good afternoon, Mr Lavrov. Based on the recent visit by Prime Minister of Iraqi Kurdistan Nechirvan Barzani to St Petersburg and his meeting with President Putin and you, how would you describe relations between Russia and Iraqi Kurdistan at this stage?



Sergey Lavrov:

We have traditionally good relations with the Kurds, including Iraqi, which date back to the 1940s and the 1950s when, along with his associates, the great son of the Kurdish people Mustafa Barzani stayed in our country.

Today, we have very good relations with the Iraqi Kurds. The General Consulate of Russia has been functioning in Erbil since 2007. The representatives of the Kurdish Autonomous Region of Iraq visit Moscow. We maintain contacts with all the political movements of Iraqi Kurdistan, and do so in ways that are not detrimental to our relations with Iraq as a state.

We expand our cultural and educational contacts. Each year, scholarships are assigned within the quota for Iraq. A separate quota is allocated to Iraqi Kurdistan. For three and a half years now, an office of Russia Today media group has been operating in Erbil to make sure the information reaches our viewers in Iraq and other countries directly. So, our relationship is good and constructive.



Question:

Is it possible to say that Mr Barzani's visit was important for taking relations between Russia and Kurdistan to a new level?



Sergey Lavrov:

I wouldn’t say we reached a new level. To reiterate, we have traditionally maintained contacts for many years now, including with the Prime Minister and other representatives of the Kurdistan Region’s leadership. The recent developments come as a continuation of this trend, which I mentioned, which meets the interests of the Russian Federation and Iraqi Kurdistan.

Notably, the Kurdish expat community in Russia plays a major role in promoting our relations. It continues to contribute to strengthening our ties, once again, without damaging our relations with Iraq.



Question:

I have heard Russian President Vladimir Putin speak very positively of the Kurds. To what extent is Russia ready to assist the Kurds in solving the Kurdish issue in the Middle East and helping them gain their rights?



Sergey Lavrov:

We definitely have a very positive attitude towards the Kurds. We have long-established links; and we know each other very well. We take an interest in the Kurds - just like any other ethnic group on the planet - to achieve their legitimate aspirations and intentions, of course, with due account of the history of Iraq, including its recent history, following the events of 2003, when there was illegal aggression and US-led external forces actually destroyed the state, which is now being restored with great effort. All this, of course, affected the relations between Baghdad and Erbil. We know that many constitutional issues are still being resolved, including those related to the territorial aspects and distribution of budget funds and oil revenues. We steadily and consistently advocate that these and other issues be solved by Baghdad and Erbil on the basis of compromise and mutually acceptable agreements through a political dialogue.

We proceed from the assumption that the legitimate aspirations of the Kurds - just as those of other people - have to be pursued in accordance with international law. This also applies to the decision on holding the referendum, which, as we understand, has been finally taken in Erbil.



Question:

What does Russia think about the forthcoming referendum on the independence of Iraqi Kurdistan?



Sergey Lavrov:

As I have already said, we see it as a manifestation of the aspirations of the Kurdish people. We understand that the overwhelming majority of the people in the KAR support the referendum. We expect that the final decision will be made with due account of all the political, geopolitical, demographic and economic consequences of this step, including the fact that the Kurdish issue has implications beyond the borders of present-day Iraq and has an impact on the situation in a number of neighbouring states. The Kurdish issue plays a big role and is in the forefront of the processes of crisis settlement now unfolding in the region.

We hope that the will of the Kurdish people will be expressed peacefully and the final forms of implementing the referendum results will be formulated in a way that would take into account all the factors I have mentioned, including the situation in the region and the positions of Iraq's neighbours. As far as I know the KAR leadership is in contact with Iraq's neighbour countries, with their capitals. We will be ready, should Baghdad and Erbil so decide, to contribute to the normal and mutually respectful advancement of this process.

History shows that all too often the holding of a poll does not mean that all the issues will be resolved overnight. These are processes which, I repeat, should be handled in a responsible manner considering the great significance of the Kurdish issue for the whole region.



Question:

If after the referendum Iraqi Kurdistan decides to become an independent region, like Abkhazia and South Ossetia, will Russia be willing to continue maintaining relations with Iraqi Kurdistan?



Sergey Lavrov:

I would rather not comment on hypothetical questions. I have already made clear our view of what is happening inside Iraq, specifically in the Kurdish Autonomous Region. We would not like to engage in guesswork as to how it would be put into practice. The situation in South Ossetia was of course somewhat different. South Ossetia was attacked by the Saakashvili regime. There is irrefutable evidence that Abkhazia was to become the next target of attack. In that event it was about protecting human lives. We had no choice.



Question:

How do you see the future development of economic relations between Russia and Iraqi Kurdistan in light of the fact that the volume of negotiations and contracts between Russian companies and Iraqi Kurdistan has grown?



Sergey Lavrov:

We note the mutual interest in developing trade, economic and investment relations. We encourage these processes. As I have said, our relations with Iraqi Kurdistan in the economic and investment spheres do not cause any damage to the relations with the central government in Baghdad.

One of our major economic operators, Gazpromneft, has been working in Iraqi Kurdistan for some time. If I am not mistaken two fields are being developed in partnership in Iraqi Kurdistan. Another major Russian economic operator, Rosneft, signed agreements with partners in Erbil in February. Additional documents were signed during the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. I think we are in a stage of fairly intensive economic interaction. We hope all the parties involved will benefit from the results.



Question:

The ongoing conflict in Syria undermines the situation in the Middle East. Russia is taking an active part in settling the conflict. How do you see subsequent developments in that country? What else can the Russian leadership do to normalise the situation in Syria and to fight terrorism in the region?



Sergey Lavrov:

First of all, we should speak of what the Syrian sides can and must undertake, because the final settlement depends only on them. This has been recognised by UN Security Council decisions which clearly state that only the Syrian people can decide the fate of their country whereas the international community, external actors and neighbouring countries are to do everything to root out terrorist threats and to create the most favourable conditions possible for Syrians themselves to agree at the negotiating table on what kind of a country they are going to live in. There are unavoidable and inescapable criteria in such negotiations, and this is also stated in the UN Security Council resolutions – the country should be democratic and secular. This is very important since a number of opposition figures, albeit pretending to be democrats, flatly refuse to admit the necessity of ensuring the secular status of the future state. And this should certainly be a country where all ethnic, religious and political groups enjoy equal rights, they should all be guaranteed security and proper participation in the political structure of the society. This is a general framework agreed on by everyone that should be the grounds for searching through particular forms of political settlement.

We make our own contribution, alongside other nations, to creating such conditions, starting with the fight against ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra in all its reincarnations, and other terrorist organisations which are recognised as such by the UNSC. We are also contributing to establishing conditions to secure the ceasefire between the Syrian Government troops and the armed opposition groups which do not want to have anything in common with terrorists. This is the key condition for an armed group to join the ceasefire and be recognised as a party to it. The third area of our activities is definitely humanitarian assistance to the people in distress. This is the goal of setting up the de-escalation zones we negotiated with Turkey and Iran within the Astana process, and we have already engaged the USA and Jordan to implement the zones.

On July 7, Russia, the USA and Jordan agreed on setting up the first such zone in Syria’s southwest. Literally in recent days the final details have been worked on how to coordinate the functioning of the zone in terms of arranging the monitoring of compliance with the cessation of hostilities regime and in terms of securing unimpeded access of humanitarian cargoes and border crossing by civilians in either direction. This approach which was affirmed in Astana and is now being put into practice (three more zones will be set up besides the southern zone) seeks to defuse the situation by combining both a cessation of hostilities and assisting in resolving humanitarian issues. Admittedly, the activity and effectiveness of the Astana process has significantly helped to resuscitate the Geneva process which had been frozen for nine months, and only was revived last January, which we welcome.

We are actively cooperating with UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and all the participants in the settlement process represented by the region’s countries and the nations who are willing to help us find a solution, they are the European Union nations, the USA, a number of Islamic states from outside the region. Clearly, the key is to set up direct dialogue between the Syrian Government and the moderate armed opposition, that is, between those who have been parties to the armed conflict in Syria.

We do not oppose political opposition, including émigrés, joining the Geneva process. But the decisive role should belong to those who are on their land, bearing arms, who are standing up for the principles they follow yet remain loyal to the Syrian state.



Question:

What are the results of the discussion of a new draft Syrian Constitution?



Sergey Lavrov:

The process has just started. At one time we disseminated an approximate text of the Constitution as we saw it but not as something to be imposed on the sides from the outside. It was a kind of provocation, if you will. By that time (end of last year) not many people wanted to talk about the Constitution, and some of them proceeded from narrow self-serving considerations. Working for a settlement, each side pursued its own goals, and the introduction of a tentative draft by us was a trigger to step up activities in this area.

Why is it important? Those who said they will first replace Bashar al-Assad’s regime and then resolve all other issues, certainly did not think about their country but simply wanted power. Those who said there will be no political talks until a complete ceasefire all over the country was instituted were not being entirely honest either, because this was somehow not meant to include stopping the fight against terrorists.

Incidentally, for a long time our American partners under the Barack Obama administration were unable to distinguish terrorists from the normal opposition. We are achieving results in this area only now via the concept of de-escalation zones. Those who said that without complete victory over terrorism they were not prepared to do anything did not facilitate the normal functioning of the Geneva process and international efforts as a whole.

We are absolutely convinced that the work on Syria’s new Constitution will bring about the guarantees I mentioned for all Syrian groups. All ethnic, religious and political groups in Syria should feel protected by Syria’s new fundamental law. When these groups learn about the guarantees they will be granted it will probably be easier for them to agree on the division of power and specific nominations for positions in executive and legislative bodies and establish a system of checks and balances.

We supported the results of the previous round in Geneva when Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Syria Staffan de Mistura suggested moving in parallel in four areas: Syria’s government with an opportunity to involve the opposition, drafting of the Constitution, preparations for elections, and fourth – the absolute need to continue to wage an uncompromising struggle against terrorism. I think that everyone understands the development of the Geneva process in this context with the exception of extreme opposition members that should be moved aside because they are proving their inability to negotiate.



Question:

How does Russia think about the role and right of Syrian Kurds in settling the Syrian crisis?



Sergey Lavrov:

As some of the groups I mentioned. I said all ethnic and religious groups should be part of these agreements and should be convinced that their rights will be insured in the Syrian state.



Question:

We see that Russian-US dialogue on foreign policy issues is rather complicated. Can Russia and the United States revise their approaches to the problems that divide them and find a basis for constructive interaction, which is necessary for settling many conflicts around the world?



Sergey Lavrov:

Russia and the United States, if they take a responsible attitude to the roles they are playing on the international stage, must search for ways to work together on the most complicated issues around the world, such as preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and strengthening strategic stability. The role of Russia and the United States is unique in these spheres, as everyone admits. No other country can take their place.

We are certainly not happy about the current state of our relations. We have inherited many problems from the Obama administration, time bombs and decisions that were taken by the outgoing administration in a fit of agony, when they were completely demoralised by the election results and decided to spend the remaining time in the White House by doing disgusting things, especially considering its desire to further undermine Russian-US relations.

We see how difficult it is for some people in Washington to show common sense amid paranoid Russophobia, which is flourishing even though many months of investigations have not produced a single piece of evidence of Russia’s alleged interference in US affairs. Being a normal person in Washington is rather difficult now.

I didn’t even suspect that US politicians could succumb to this mass psychosis. I interacted with many of them during my time in New York. I am surprised at everything that is happening there now. Many of those who have succumbed to this political movement, which is completely abnormal for America, many of them are probably aware of this abnormality and believe that it must stop one way or another. Unfortunately, they are driving themselves up a very high fence, from which it will be very difficult to get down. This campaign must be allowed to run its course. I don’t think that anyone can influence it, but it will fizzle out, if only because, as I said, there is not a single fact to prove Russia’s alleged interference. Everything the US newspapers and television shows keep talking about has been concocted out of thin air. Sorry for this unparliamentary language.

We have reciprocated to the intention, which President Trump indicated during his election campaign, to find ways to cooperate with Russia. The first meeting, which was held in Hamburg on July 7 following three telephone conversations and which produced an agreement on the de-escalation zones in south Syria, has shown that we can work together and find solutions in both regional and global interests. We have agreed to create a channel for promoting the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis and to discuss the possibility of creating a joint working group on cybersecurity. I believe that this proposal remains topical. Some US Congressmen have accused President Trump of doing a deal with the devil. This is childish. If you are a normal person and you are concerned about Russia’s allegedly illegal actions in cyber space, you should be interested in holding a direct discussion with the suspect.

We have long advocated norms of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace at the UN and have submitted a document to this effect. We cannot be accused of trying to avoid this issue. I hope that the American public will not hobble the administration on this issue or prevent it from talking with Russia.



Question:

What is Russia’s role in the settlement of the conflict between Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain?



Sergey Lavrov:

We have commented on this issue. We maintain contact with nearly all parties to this conflict. President Vladimir Putin has held several telephone conversations with King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed Bin Zayed al-Nahyan, and Emir of Qatar Tamim Al Thani. I have met with my colleagues, including Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed Al Thani in Moscow, and I also spoke by telephone with nearly all of our other partners that are in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Public comments have been made on this issue in Russia, including by President Putin. We want this crisis to be settled with due respect for mutual concerns and on the basis of solutions that will suit all parties to it. We support the mediation efforts taken by the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah. If all parties decide that Russia can do something within the framework or in addition to these efforts, we will be glad to respond to this request.

We see the efforts taken by other countries that are interested in normalisation in the Gulf region. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has toured the region on a very active mission. As far as I know, France and Britain would like to help as well. We will support all actions that can prevent this crucial part of the world from becoming an area of a never-ending crisis.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2822361
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Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
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Old July 28th, 2017 #192
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Comment by the Information and Press Department regarding growing tension in Jerusalem and Palestinian territories



24 July 2017 - 15:35



Tension between the Palestinians and the Israelis has heightened considerably since July 14, when three armed Palestinians killed two Israeli policemen in Palestinian neighbourhoods in East Jerusalem.

Following this incident, mass clashes were reported to have erupted in East Jerusalem and other West Bank areas between Israeli police and Palestinians, who were protesting about the introduction of additional Israeli security measures at the al-Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount. The Palestinians are especially worried about the metal detectors, which have been set up to check everyone who enters the complex.

Tension peaked on Friday, July 21, which the Palestinians declared to be “a day of anger.” Four Palestinians were killed in clashes and dozens were wounded. Another act of violence was reported in the fenced-in settlement of Halamish near Ramallah in the occupied Palestinian territories, where a Palestinian stabbed three Israelis to death.

The Israeli authorities have sent more security forces to the West Bank and East Jerusalem and placed them on high alert.

On July 21, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared the suspension of all contacts with the Israeli side, including on security matters, until it removes the metal detectors.

On July 22 and 23, Israel was shelled from the Gaza Strip two times. In reply, the Israeli Army attacked Hamas positions in the sector.

Moscow is deeply concerned about these extremely dangerous developments, in particular the death and suffering of innocent people, both Palestinians and Israelis. We firmly condemn any terrorist attacks. We believe that there is no justification for extremism, no matter what reason is provided. We call on both sides to show restraint so as to be able to prevent the violence from escalating Palestinian-Israeli tension.

There must be free access to the holy places in East Jerusalem, which are of crucial significance to the believers of three monotheistic religions and the entire humankind.

Coordinated actions made by Israel and Jordan, which administers the religious institution that takes care of the holy site, have a special role to play in easing tension and maintaining the status quo at the Temple Mount.

The latest developments have confirmed that the regular outbreaks of confrontation and violence are rooted in the dangerous dead-end on the way towards a lasting and fair Palestinian-Israeli settlement. We are convinced that this situation calls imperatively for urgent measures to stabilise the situation and reduce tension, as well as for setting the political horizon for the movement towards a lasting peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Moscow is resolved to continue to promote this movement both at the bilateral level and also through the Middle East quartet of international intermediaries – Russia, the United States, the EU and the UN.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2822247






Quartet Envoys' Joint Press Statement, July 22, 2017



24 July 2017 - 16:06



The Envoys of the Middle East Quartet from the Russian Federation, the United States, the European Union and the United Nations are deeply concerned by the escalating tensions and violent clashes taking place in and around the Old City of Jerusalem.

They strongly condemn acts of terror, express their regret for all loss of innocent life caused by the violence, and hope for a speedy recovery to the wounded.

Noting the particular sensitivities surrounding the holy sites in Jerusalem, and the need to ensure security, the Quartet Envoys call on all to demonstrate maximum restraint, refrain from provocative actions and work towards de-escalating the situation.

The Envoys welcome the assurances by the Prime Minister of Israel that the status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem will be upheld and respected.

They encourage Israel and Jordan to work together to uphold the status quo, noting the special role of the Hashemite Kingdom as recognized in its peace treaty with Israel.

The Quartet Envoys reiterate that violence deepens mistrust and is fundamentally incompatible with achieving a peaceful resolution of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2822257






Press release on the delivery of humanitarian aid to Yemen



25 July 2017 - 11:46



Between July 18 and 24, Russian humanitarian aid was delivered to the civilian population of Sana and Aden, respectively, in the Republic of Yemen. Aircraft belonging to the Emergency Ministry delivered over 40 tonnes of cargo, including large capacity tents plus food products.

On July 19, 62 citizens of Russia and several other countries were brought back to Moscow by a return flight from the Yemeni capital.

This humanitarian aid project was implemented upon the instructions of the Russian Government in close coordination with the authorities of Yemen, Saudi Arabia and several other countries as well within the framework of Russia’s efforts to ease the plight of the Yemeni people amid the ongoing armed conflict in the Republic of Yemen.

Moscow believes that the deteriorating humanitarian situation of civilians in Yemen is evidence of the imperative need to end the military confrontation and to promptly settle the protracted internal Yemeni conflict through negotiations and an inclusive national dialogue. Russia will continue to promote this solution.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2822550
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Old July 28th, 2017 #193
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Comment by the Information and Press Department on certain media outlets’ reporting on Viktor Ageyev’s detention in Ukraine



25 July 2017 - 18:04



We were surprised to read in some publications that Russian diplomats are allegedly not interested in the fate of Viktor Ageyev, who has been detained by Ukrainian authorities. The authors wrote that Russian representatives made just “one call to the head of the prison.” This is untrue. Russia continuously monitors the cases of all Russian citizens who have problems in Ukraine, including Mr Ageyev.

When his detention was revealed on June 27 of this year, the Russian Embassy in Ukraine sent a request to the Ukrainian side to allow a consular officer to meet with Mr Ageyev as soon as possible. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry granted the request but the department of the Ukrainian Security Service in the Lugansk Region, which the Russian Consulate-General in Kharkov contacted according to the existing procedure, replied that the requested meeting could not be arranged earlier than on July 24 of this year because of “urgent investigative activities.” However, for some reason these “urgent investigative activities” did not prevent the Ukrainian side from inviting journalists to visit the detained Russian in order to amplify Kiev’s favourite tale about “Russian aggression in Ukraine.” Apparently, in a fit of anti-Russian hysteria Kiev is completely ignoring the humanitarian aspect of the issue and is even making news out of Mr Ageyev’s grieving mother in order to portray itself in the best light.

By depriving Mr Ageyev of the right to consular defence, Kiev is violating the 1993 Consular Convention between the Russian Federation and Ukraine and the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. We urge the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry to ensure strict observance of the provisions of the said conventions by the competent Ukrainian agencies and demand immediate access of consular officers to Mr Ageyev.

Russian diplomatic missions in Ukraine are in constant contact with Mr Ageyev’s attorney and are doing everything possible to protect the rights of the detained Russian citizen.

As for our media colleagues, we would like to ask them once again, before publishing such materials, to contact the Russian Foreign Ministry, which is always ready to provide all necessary explanations.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2822807






Comment by the Information and Press Department on CNN videos about alleged Russian weapons deliveries to the Taliban



26 July 2017 - 14:22



We have taken note of the CNN videos about alleged Russian weapons deliveries to the Taliban.

It is impossible to take videos that show obsolete weapons of unidentifiable origin seriously. The weapons in question have no brand stamps or numbers. These are standard weapons that could be made anywhere. Everyone knows that these weapons were produced not only in Russia but also in other countries, including in Eastern Europe, from which the Americans transported large batches of these weapons to Afghanistan in the early 2000s.

The Taliban drove American-made Humvees in a recent attack on the base of the Afghan National Security Forces in Helmand. It is easy to imagine the conclusion that can be made from this news based on CNN’s logic.

We have said many times that the allegations regarding Russian support for the Taliban, which some Western media make and some Afghan media repeat, are absolutely groundless. So far, neither the Afghan authorities, nor the US and NATO commands in Afghanistan have presented any facts to prove these allegations.

We have to say this again: Russia is not supplying weapons to the Taliban. Russia only maintains contact with them so as to protect the security of Russian citizens in Afghanistan and to encourage the Taliban to join the national reconciliation process.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2824088






Foreign Ministry’s statement



28 July 2017 - 12:00



On July 27, the US Congress passed a new bill on tougher anti-Russia sanctions. This measure is further proof of the Unites States’ extremely hostile foreign policy. Hiding behind its sense of superiority, the United States arrogantly ignores the stances and interests of other countries.

It is common knowledge that the Russian Federation has been doing everything in its power to improve bilateral relations, to encourage ties and cooperation with the US on the most pressing issues on the international agenda including fighting terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, illegal drug trafficking, illegal migration, cybercrime, etc. Our understanding has been that we can only solve these global problems if we work together. We believe the majority of people in the world share this approach.

Meanwhile, the United States is using Russia’s alleged interference in its domestic affairs as an absolutely contrived excuse for its persevering and crude campaigns against Russia. This activity contradicts the principles of international law, the UN Charter, WTO regulations and, simply, the standards of civilised international communication.

The United States continues to pass more unlawful sanctions against Russia, to seize Russia’s diplomatic property, which is formalised in binding bilateral documents, and to deport Russian diplomats. This is clearly a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and generally recognised diplomatic practices.

The adoption of the new sanctions bill is an obvious indication that relations with Russia are being dragged down by political infighting in the United States. Moreover, the new bill uses political means to create a dishonest competitive advantage for the US in the global economy. This blackmail aimed at restricting Russia’s cooperation with its foreign partners threatens many countries and international businesses.

Despite Washington’s constant outbursts, we have adhered to responsible and reserved behaviour and have not responded to express provocations until now. However, the latest events confirm that certain circles in the US are fixated on Russophobia and open confrontation with our country.

- Therefore, we request that our American counterparts bring the number of diplomatic and technical staff at the US Embassy in Moscow, the consulates general in St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok, into strict correspondence with the number of Russian diplomats and technical staff currently working in the United States, until September 1, 2017. This means that the total number of American diplomatic and consular office employees in the Russian Federation must be reduced to 455 people. In the event of further unilateral action on behalf of US officials to reduce the Russian diplomatic mission in the US, we will respond accordingly.

- Starting August 1, the use of all the storage facilities on Dorozhnaya Street in Moscow and the country house in Serebryany Bor will be suspended from use by the US Embassy.

Russia reserves the right to resort to other measures affecting US’ interests on a retaliatory basis.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2824435






Comment by the Information and Press Department on the situation in Venezuela



28 July 2017 - 12:47



July 30 is the scheduled date for the National Constituent Assembly elections in Venezuela. Today, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro addressed the oppositional leaders again calling them to engage in a dialogue and to abandon the violent methods they use for political arguments. To ensure public order ahead of the voting on Sunday, the Venezuelan authorities prohibited manifestations and mass protests. We expect that the elections will be free of provocations, will fully comply with Venezuelan law and will contribute to stabilising the domestic political situation.

As previously, Russia supports a settlement of the Venezuelan crisis by political means, in a lawful manner and without any external interference.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2824453
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Press release on Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov’s meeting with US Ambassador to Russia John Tefft



28 July 2017 - 14:19



On July 28, the United States Ambassador to Russia John Tefft was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, where he was handed the Foreign Ministry’s statement concerning Moscow’s decision with regard to the staff and facilities of US diplomatic missions, along with the relevant diplomatic notifications.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2824496






Comment by the Information and Press Department on the Boko Haram attack in north-east Nigeria



28 July 2017 - 17:14



On July 25, terrorists of the militant Islamist group Boko Haram ambushed an oil exploration team near Lake Chad in north-east Nigeria.

There have been reports of dozens killed, including geologists from the University of Maiduguri.

The terrorist attack in Nigeria again demonstrates the necessity of waging a coordinated, united fight against international terrorism. We support the efforts of the Nigerian government and the countries of the region in countering Boko Haram.

We offer our sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed.

There were no Russian citizens among the victims of the attack, the Russian Embassy in Abuja reports.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2824538






Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson



28 July 2017 - 18:28



On July 28, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Sergey Lavrov emphasised that the decision to even out the number of employees in US and Russian diplomatic missions and to suspend the use of two properties by the US Embassy is the result of a series of hostile steps by Washington. Such actions include illegal anti-Russian sanctions and slanderous accusations against Russia, the mass expulsion of diplomats and expropriation of our diplomatic property.

The Minister emphasised that Russia did all it could to improve relations and showed restraint in response to US provocations. However, recent events demonstrated that US politics have been captured by the Russophobic forces that have been pushing Washington toward the path of confrontation. The limited and absolutely adequate measures we took are not an “eye for an eye” response but a forced step that is fully consistent with international practice and is aimed at protecting lawful Russian interests in the hope that the US side will finally reflect on the adverse consequences of its policies.

Sergey Lavrov reaffirmed that Russia still stands ready to normalise bilateral relations with the United States and cooperate on major international issues. However, this is only possible on the basis of equality, mutual respect and a balance of interests.

The officials agreed to continue contacts on all issues of Russian-US relations.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2824563






Press release on developments in Jerusalem



28 July 2017 - 18:33



Tensions remain high around Jerusalem and its holy sites. According to the local media and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, over 150 Palestinians were injured and 6 killed as a result of clashes between Israeli soldiers and young Palestinians.

At the same time, positive steps taken recently to de-escalate tensions give reason to believe that it is possible to find a solution and normalise the situation. In particular, Israeli authorities have removed additional security measures introduced in the area of the holy sites of Jerusalem, including metal detectors and security cameras. We are pleased to note that this allowed worshippers to attend the Friday prayer at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on July 28, for the first time since the terrorist attack on July 14.

We believe that the most important thing today is for the parties to abide by the earlier decisions to return to the status quo of the holy sites in East Jerusalem and to give up any unilateral actions that could predetermine the final solution of the key issues in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, including the status of Jerusalem.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2824577






Press release on the Foreign Ministry's demarche to the Romanian Charge d'Affaires ad interim in Russia



28 July 2017 - 18:59



On July 28, the Russian Foreign Ministry made a protest to the Romanian Charge d'Affaires ad interim in Russia, Viorel Cojocaru, over the Romanian authorities' blocking of a civil passenger jet of the air carrier Globus, performing a regular Moscow-Chisinau flight on July 28, from entering the country's airspace.

It was emphasised that the move endangered the safety of the over 160 passengers on board, who failed to arrive at their destination on time.

These actions prevented Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and accompanying individuals from arriving in Chisinau to meet with Moldovan President Igor Dodon and take part in events marking the 25th anniversary of the start of the peacekeeping operation in Transnistria.

Moscow views this incident as a deliberate provocation that seriously undermines Russian-Romanian relations.

We have called on the Romanian authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident and provide an explanation.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2824587
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Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
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Comment by the Information and Press Department on developments on the Korean Peninsula



31 July 2017 - 14:14



The latest developments on the Korean Peninsula have become a matter of grave concern against the backdrop of yet another launch of a ballistic missile by the DPRK on July 28 in stark violation of UN Security Council resolutions. At the same time, the United States, the Republic of Korea and Japan have stepped up their military activity, as Washington carries on with its plans to deploy elements of its global missile defence system to the sub-region by installing them in South Korea.

Russia calls on all the parties involved to refrain from any steps that could further escalate tensions. We view as groundless attempts undertaken by the US and a number of other countries to shift responsibility to Russia and China, almost blaming Moscow and Beijing for indulging the DPRK’s missile and nuclear ambitions.

In this context, it is worth remembering that it was the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China who developed the joint roadmap aimed at preventing any use or threat of force and providing for a comprehensive solution to issues related to the Korean Peninsula, including the nuclear issue, through political and diplomatic means by promoting dialogue without preconditions. Russia calls on all the stakeholders to launch meaningful talks on ways to settle the situation through collective efforts based on the ideas set forth in the roadmap.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2824945






Comment by the Information and Press Department on refusal to include Russia in the international renovation project of the Museum of the Former Sobibor Nazi Death Camp



31 July 2017 - 15:53



The Foreign Ministry is disappointed with Warsaw’s refusal to include Russia in the international renovation project of the Sobibor museum and memorial.

It should be pointed out that Russia was invited to participate in the renovation project in 2013. Under the initiative of Poland, Israel, the Netherlands and Slovakia there are plans to build a new memorial, a visitor centre, as well as to provide the necessary infrastructure. Russia responded to the invitation in the affirmative and expressed willingness to be actively involved in the commemoration of the extermination camp victims, including participants of the heroic 1943 revolt organised by Soviet prisoners of war and led by Red Army officer Alexander Pechersky. In addition to this, Moscow offered to make a significant financial contribution to the development of the memorial.

However, any further discussion of Russia’s involvement in the project with Poland was of no effect. Under various pretexts, Warsaw dragged out its final decision conditioning Russia’s participation on yet more terms which still have not been communicated to Russia. Finally, this July, Warsaw sent an official message stating that at a meeting on June 12−13, 2017, the project’s International Managing Committee decided to continue collaboration in the same composition that has existed for several years.

We see this decision as unethical in terms of the historical truth. It is hard to deny that Russia’s involvement in building a new Sobibor memorial and museum is absolutely justified. There is no rational explanation for ignoring historic facts and this must not go unnoticed by the global community. The intention to prevent Russia from participating in the project is part of Warsaw’s openly demonstrated anti-Russia sentiment and Poland’s attempts to impose its own understanding of history by belittling the Soviet Union’s and the Red Army’s role as liberators during WWII.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2824964






Comment by the Information and Press Department on the situation in Venezuela



31 July 2017 - 16:33



On July 30, the people of Venezuela elected representatives to the Constituent Assembly. According to the National Electoral Council, over eight million people or 41.5 per cent of the electorate voted. The votes are still being tabulated, and the final results are expected soon.

We regret to note that opposition forces did not respond to the call to take part in the elections, but instead tried to hamper the elections, provoking clashes that have resulted in human losses. We urge the opposing parties to stop the pointless violent confrontation.

We believe that the latest election is sending a clear message regarding the long-overdue need to overcome the current national crisis through dialogue, under the law, and based on the will of the people and without foreign interference.

We hope that those representatives of regional and international communities, who, as one can assume, do not want to recognise the results of the elections in Venezuela and who apparently want to increase economic pressure on Caracas will display restraint and abandon their destructive plans, which can only polarise society further. Now it is particularly important to prevent another round of violence and any new form of confrontation. It is necessary to normalise conditions, including externally, so that the Constituent Assembly will be able to lay the foundations for peacefully resolving the contradictions in Venezuelan society, for attaining national accord and implementing reforms for the sake of state development and prosperity and for the well-being of every Venezuelan citizen.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2824984
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Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
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Answer to a media question by Deputy Director of the Information and Press Department Anastasia Fyodorova in connection with new manifestations of glorifying Nazism in Estonia



1 August 2017 - 21:46





Question:

How would you comment on the July 29, 2017 annual convention of veterans of the 20th Estonian Waffen-SS Division’s veterans in Sinimae in northeastern Estonia, which involved former SS service personnel, including members of punitive units that had operated outside Estonia, Nazi accomplices and their modern followers?



Anastasia Fyodorova:

We can confirm that former SS service personnel who have proclaimed themselves national heroes and “freedom fighters” with the support of Estonian authorities were also honoured this year on the territory of a modern European state, that is, in Sinimae, Estonia.

Contrary to repeated calls to Tallinn to stop this ignominious practice, Estonian authorities are deliberately moving to popularise Nazism. They are distributing “patriotic” literature, and youth and even children’s organisations are being involved in such gatherings.

It is important to underscore that such gatherings run counter to the spirit of the Council of the European Union’s 2008/913/JHA Framework Decision on combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law of November 28, 2008. This document bans the inciting of violence or hatred, denying or downplaying the gravity of the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, including the Holocaust. It is particularly outrageous that such active glorification of Nazism is taking place in a country that is currently presiding in the Council of the European Union.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2826678






Comment by the Information and Press Department on the terrorist attack in Afghanistan



2 August 2017 - 11:56



More than 90 people were killed or injured in an attack against a Shiite mosque in Herat in western Afghanistan on August 1.

This is not the first terrorist attack committed against the Shiite population in Afghanistan and resulting in high civilian casualties. The organisers of such attacks clearly aim to fuel sectarian strife and further escalate the internal conflict in Afghanistan.

We strongly condemn this heinous terrorist attack and we hope the organisers will receive severe punishment. We express our profound condolences to the victims’ families and loved ones and wish the injured a speedy recovery. It is our hope that the authorities in Afghanistan will take all needed measures to maintain sectarian peace in the country.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2827208






Press release on the mortar attack on the Russian Embassy in Syria



2 August 2017 - 16:50



On August 2, the Russian Embassy complex in Damascus came under a mortar attack from the positions of militants from terrorist gangs. Two shells fell on the territory of the Russian diplomatic mission and another two exploded in the direct vicinity of its outside perimeter. By good fortune there were no victims and only minor material damage.

We resolutely denounce terrorist attacks on the Russian diplomatic mission in Damascus. We would like to recall once again that Russia has repeatedly drawn the world’s attention to the barbarous character of shelling which terrorists regularly launch on residential quarters in Damascus and other densely populated Syrian cities. Civilians, including women and children, fall victim to this shelling every day.

We hope that the moral and ethical standards of our Western colleagues in the UN Security Council will allow them to give an appropriate public assessment of this action. For our part, we confirm that Russia will continue its principled and consistent policy of an uncompromising fight against terrorists in Syria.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2827545






Comment by the Information and Press Department on the developments around Ukrainian journalist Vasily Muravitsky



2 August 2017 - 16:53



We noted the developments related to the harassment of Vasily Muravitsky, a journalist from Zhitomir, by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). He faces charges of high treason for alleged cooperation with the Russian media and dissemination of pro-Russian materials.

Regrettably, this is just another episode in the campaign on violent suppression of opposition journalists and the total cleanup of Ukraine’s information space for the needs of its ruling regime under the pretext of countering “the aggressor’s propaganda.” There are dozens of such cases, for instance, the recent harassment of Igor Guzhva, the editor of the Strana.ua website.

Incidentally, this is no surprise since quite recently SBU Head Vasily Gritsak officially announced the need to conclude a contract on information unity in countering “representatives of the fifth column of the Russian Federation” and indict them with a criminal offence. It is abundantly clear that any normal Ukrainian journalist that contradicts Kiev officials may be named “the enemy’s agent.”

Large scale total closure of Russia’s news programmes and websites in Ukraine, as well as widespread harassment and power pressure on Ukrainian journalists are flagrant violations of the basic principles of the freedom of expression that form the foundation of civilised ideas on media activity and that are fixed in the fundamental documents of the UN, OSCE, Council of Europe and other relevant international agencies.

Regrettably, we have to state that the “European way” in Ukraine’s style amounts to a return to the worst totalitarian practices of suppressing dissent.

Once again we are urging the OSCE and the Council of Europe member states to join the Russian Federation in denouncing Kiev’s barbarous and criminal policy towards the media.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2827555






Deputy Director of the Information and Press Department Anastasia Fyodorova’s answer to a media question on criticism of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project



2 August 2017 - 18:11





Question:

The Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project initiated by Gazprom and a number of major Western European energy companies has recently come under unfounded criticism both by some EU countries and the United States. It is being painted only in a negative light as damaging the energy security of the EU and undermining energy reforms in Ukraine. What could you say about this?



Anastasia Fyodorova:

We and many of our EU partners consider this project extremely important for pipeline gas supplies to the EU because European customers’ need for this gas will continue growing as its production in Europe is falling and the demand for it is stable. We have emphasised more than once that Nord Stream 2 is a strictly commercial project. Proceeding from market principles, everything should be determined by the economic appeal of various proposals for customers. Apparently, our US partners do not reason like this. Considering that their LNG is much more expensive than Russian pipeline gas, they decided to resort to non-economic methods to fight for the European gas market. This is the main reason for the zero tolerance of the Nord Stream 2 project on the part of US Congress and the American gas lobby.

The most cynical methods of unfair competition are being used when the main task is to vilify the competitor and influence the contractor. Thus, the latter may be intimidated with sanctions into buying a more expensive commodity from such critics. They do not admit the fact that a change in the market structure will change prices on gas coming to Europe. We are convinced that the opponents of the Nord Stream 2 project are worried not about Europe’s energy security but about their own advantage or simply want to harm Russia. Needless to say, this may be an attempt to kill two birds with one stone. Indicatively, attacks on the project are made for the most part by politicians from a limited number of EU countries. As far as we know, leading European energy companies have a completely different opinion.

As for Ukraine, the concept of the Nord Stream 2 construction does not imply cessation of Russian gas transit via operating pipelines. Continuation of transit would be possible only if Kiev comes up with competitive pipeline tariffs and levels risks, including renunciation of all grievances and absurd lawsuits against Gazprom.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2831657
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Press release on the Foreign Ministry’s demarche to Moldova’s Ambassador to Russia Andrei Neguta



2 August 2017 - 18:39



On August 2, Moldova’s Ambassador to Russia Andrei Neguta was invited to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. State Secretary and Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin expressed a firm protest against the Moldovan Government’s decision to declare Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin a persona non-grata.

Mr Karasin emphasised that Russia has been consistently working on the development of active relations with Moldova in the past few years. Measures taken in trade, the economy, migration and other areas of our cooperation are well known. Chisinau’s irresponsible steps aimed at deliberately undermining bilateral relations stand in contrast to this.

It was noted that not only high-ranking Russian representatives and peacekeepers but also ordinary citizens of both countries have recently become targets of provocations. It seems that Chisinau politicians are trying to get to the forefront of the hysterical and hopeless campaign that has been launched against the Russian Federation.

All this evokes lawful indignation and will receive a proper answer. Moreover, we must emphasise that such dangerous actions may have a serious destabilising influence on the general situation in the region and Europe as a whole. This is particularly topical in the context of the continued attempts of a number of Moldovan politicians to artificially exacerbate the situation around settlement in Transnistria.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2831678






Press release on a consultative expert meeting on Syria between Russia, Iran and Iraq



2 August 2017 - 19:24



A tripartite meeting on Syria with the participation of Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hossein Jaberi-Ansari and Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Iraq Nizar al-Khairalla took place at the Russian Foreign Ministry on August 2.

During the exchange of views, the participants focused on resolving the Syrian crisis, especially implementing the agreements reached as part of the Geneva and Astana processes. In this context, the sides stressed the need for joint efforts to consolidate the ceasefire in Syria, to meet the humanitarian needs of the affected population, and to restore the economic and social infrastructure of Syria.

At the same time, the participants confirmed the principled position of Moscow, Tehran and Baghdad in favour of preserving the territorial integrity of Syria, its statehood and sovereignty, eradicating the terrorist threat, and preventing the spread of extremist ideology in the Middle East region and beyond.

Following the meeting, the participants confirmed the commitment of Russia, Iran and Iraq to continuing consolidated actions in coordination with all stakeholders in the interests of maintaining regional security. At the same time, there is a common understanding that ensuring stability in the Middle East directly depends on complete and final elimination of terrorism, the prevention of splits and fragmentation of existing states and societies, and the exercise of the right of peoples to determine the future of their countries.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2831698






Comment by the Information and Press Department on the anti-Russian US law



2 August 2017 - 21:47



It is regrettable that the law on sanctions against Russia has come into effect in the United States. Its very title – “Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act” – speaks for itself. Its initiators are trying to impress on the US public a certain image of our country. This is a very short-sighted and even dangerous policy fraught with undermining stability for which Moscow and Washington bear special responsibility.

The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed the Russian position on US actions, including this bill, in its statement on July 28. We have also already demonstrated that we are not going to leave unanswered hostile actions, including the expulsion of our diplomats by the US authorities and the seizure of diplomatic property. Naturally, we also reserve the right to other countermeasures.

It is high time the American fans of sanctions, which have plunged the United States into Russophobic hysteria, got rid of their illusions and realised that no threats or attempts to exert pressure will compel Russia to change its course or sacrifice its national interests.

Trading barbs is not our choice. We are open for cooperation with the United States in the spheres where we consider it useful for ourselves and international security, including settlement of regional conflicts. However, productive cooperation is only possible if Washington politicians overcome their delusions and stop perceiving the world around them through the prism of “American exceptionalism” that is distorting reality.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2831724






State Secretary and Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin’s interview with Kommersant newspaper, published on August 2, 2017



3 August 2017 - 12:59





Question:

How did your meeting with Andrei Neguta go?



Grigory Karasin:

I asked Moldova’s Ambassador to Russia Andrei Neguta to explain this absolutely absurd decision. For my part, I told him that decisions of this kind were categorically unacceptable for Russia.

Over the recent years, the Russian government has done a great deal to step up its bilateral relations with Moldova, despite all the inconsistencies in Moldova’s politics. These efforts have yielded impressive results in trade, the economy, migration and a number of other areas.

The series of these provocative decisions, starting with the fact that the Romanian authorities refused to let into Moldova’s territory an airliner carrying Dmitry Rogozin along with more than 160 passengers, is in stark contrast with the general backdrop and appears to be unprovoked. Dmitry Rogozin was denied the opportunity to meet with President of Moldova Igor Dodon and take part in the events related to the 25th anniversary of the peacekeeping operation in Transnistria.



Question:

And today, the Government of Moldova declared Dmitry Rogozin persona non-grata.



Grigory Karasin:

There is no way to call this new decision other than perfidy. In fact, it is aimed at annihilating all the achievements of the previous years. It targets not only a high-profile Russian political figure, but is also a blow to our relations, the peacekeepers and the interests of people in both countries. This is a matter of legitimate concern for us.



Question:

What will be the consequences of this decision?



Grigory Karasin:

We believe that these actions are a blow to bilateral relations. They are aimed at destabilising the region and perhaps Europe as a whole.

This is confirmed by the reckless calls to review the existing agreements regarding the peacekeeping operation in Transnistria without taking into consideration what Transnistrians think about it and without involving international formats.

I think that this should be a matter of concern for the European capitals too, since this could result in a new hotbed of tension in Europe. This is something foreign ministries and other agencies in Europe should understand.

This is not what we wanted. Russia very much regrets and expresses its disappointment over Chisinau’s attempts to join the right flank of anti-Russia campaigns that are actively promoted a present.



Question:

Can Moscow be expected to introduce sanctions against Chisinau or Bucharest?



Grigory Karasin:

We follow a measured approach and are less emotional in our actions compared to some foreign actors. We will not be in a hurry to take any such steps. That said, there will undoubtedly be an adequate response to these actions.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2831992






Comment by the Information and Press Department on statements made by the US Vice President in Podgorica



3 August 2017 - 20:38



On August 2, US Vice President Mike Pence made another series of anti-Russian statements in Podgorica, scaring leaders of Western Balkan states with a mythic “Russian threat” and went as far as to accuse our country of attempts to redraw the borders in the region by force.

We have to state with regret that Washington is sliding more deeply into using primitive ideology-driven clichés of the Cold War era, which are totally out of touch with reality. Imposing on the Balkan countries a blatantly destructive choice of being “either with the West or with Russia” inevitably leads to rising tensions on the European continent and destabilises the situation in the region and separate states. Moreover, Washington is actively promoting the idea that there is no alternative to the accession of all South East European countries to NATO and presses ahead with projects based on unscrupulous competition and contradicting economic logic.

We would like to remind that it was the United States and its allies that blatantly violated international law in 1999 by illegally using force to separate Kosovo from Serbia. This resulted in another conflict spot in Europe. Under harsh pressure from Washington, Podgorica formalised Montenegro’s membership in NATO on June 5, 2017, despite the opinion of the majority of its citizens. The United States and the European Union did not hesitate to ignore the will of the voters in Macedonia and did not allow the party that won the December 11, 2016 elections to form the government. So who is interfering in the internal affairs and using force in the Balkans? Is it Moscow or Washington?

We urge our American colleagues to stop demonising Russia and its foreign policy, which has always been based on respect for partners, readiness for joint constructive work, and mutual consideration of interests.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2832129
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Last edited by Alex Him; August 4th, 2017 at 03:46 AM.
 
Old August 4th, 2017 #198
Ray Allan
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I searched the internet including Inessa's YouTube channel for any videos of Maria Zakharova commenting on Trump signing the new Russia sanctions bill. Maybe she hasn't made a statement yet.
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Old August 4th, 2017 #199
Alex Him
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray Allan View Post
I searched the internet including Inessa's YouTube channel for any videos of Maria Zakharova commenting on Trump signing the new Russia sanctions bill. Maybe she hasn't made a statement yet.
The last public appearance of Maria Zakharova was July 14 - https://vnnforum.com/showpost.php?p=...&postcount=181
Maybe she's on vacation now.
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln
 
Old August 6th, 2017 #200
Alex Him
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Сomment by the Information and Press Department on certain countries blocking the UN Security Council’s statement for the press denouncing attacks on Russian diplomatic mission in Damascus



4 August 2017 - 13:12



On August 2, for the third time within one month, the territory of the Russian Embassy in Damascus came under mortar fire from the positions of the terrorist groups Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra) and Faylaq al-Rahman.

The international community has unanimously qualified al-Nusra as a terrorist organisation. The UN Security Council resolutions are calling on everyone to counter this group, introduce sanctions against it, and demand criminalising any forms of cooperation with it at national level.

Seemingly, it goes without saying that al-Nusra’s terrorist attacks should meet with an unconditional and resolute condemnation and that assessments of sallies against diplomatic missions should contain no equivocation whatsoever.

At the same time, the diplomatic representatives from the United States, United Kingdom, France and Ukraine in the UN Security Council have blocked, for the third time within one month, the Russian Federation’s proposal to approve the Security Council’s standard brief draft statement for the press denouncing the terrorist attacks on the Russian diplomatic mission in the Syrian capital. Each time, they did so by varying the tone of their objections and using allegations about the lack of necessary information as a cover.

May the unwillingness to display diplomatic solidarity with us weigh on these delegations’ conscience. The most outrageous thing is that the Security Council’s inability to condemn the doings of terrorists encourages them to launch new provocations and terrorist attacks, and lets them feel impunity. We would not like these barbarians to become convinced that someone at the Security Council is at one with them.





The source of information - http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/...ent/id/2832364
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