Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, November 5, 2015
5 November 201517:59
2151-05-11-2015
Events involving the participation of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
On November 6, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will take part in UNESCO’s General Conference in Paris, which we have already covered in detail earlier.
On the same day, the minister will arrive in Berlin to take part in a ministerial meeting of the Normandy four, which will focus on the situation in Ukraine and resolving the Ukraine crisis. Notably, this will be the first meeting of foreign ministers in this format after the Normandy summit of October 2, 2015.
We note cautious optimism regarding the cease-fire and the disengagement of the conflicting sides. However, we also regularly note the occurrence of incidents and provocations. Nevertheless, positive dynamics can also be seen, which need to be taken advantage of.
We have repeatedly stated that the political settlement is thwarted by the lack of a direct dialogue between the conflicting parties. The ministerial meeting in Berlin will focus on the entire range of issues related to the Ukraine settlement. We believe that it is critical to give an impetus to the conflicting parties, so that they comply with their commitments under the Minsk Agreements.
Visit to Russia by Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa Maite Nkoana-Mashabane
Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane of the Republic of South Africa will visit Moscow on November 11-12 to attend the 13th meeting of the Russian-South African Mixed Intergovernmental Committee on Trade-and-Economic Cooperation as its co-chair.
She will have a separate meeting with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss the state of and prospects for cooperation between Russia and South Africa in key areas of strategic partnership, including enhanced foreign policy coordination regarding important international and regional issues.
Sergey Lavrov to participate in presentation by Novosibirsk Region
On November 12, the Novosibirsk Region will deliver a presentation in the Foreign Ministry’s House of Receptions with the participation of representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Moscow, federal and regional authorities, the business community, and Russian and foreign mass media. The presentation comes as part of the effort to assist the Russian regions in expanding and consolidating their cooperation with foreign countries and the business community. Such functions have been hosted by the ministry since 2007.
The goal of the presentation is to familiarise participants with the Novosibirsk Region’s economic and scientific potential, its investment policies and foreign economic relations, as well as its authorities’ plan to build up region-to-region and international cooperation. Promising projects will be presented, which could use some assistance from the business community or foreign stakeholders.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Governor of the Novosibirsk Region Vladimir Gorodetsky will speak during the event.
Plane crash in South Sudan
We have already provided preliminary information about the plane crash in South Sudan. There is one Russian citizen among the crew members who died in the An-12 crash. Unfortunately, today we can confirm this. The information was provided by Russian diplomats working in the region.
According to the most recent data, the head of the Consular Department of the Russian Embassy in Uganda is now in Juba. He is dealing with all crash-related issues, such as identifying and transporting the body to Russia and issuing proper documents.
Again, unfortunately, the sad news was confirmed. The Russian Embassy is taking all necessary steps.
The situation in Syria
The preceding period was marked by an escalation of confrontation between the Syrian government forces and rebel units: ISIS, Jabhat al Nusra, and other terrorist groups. The main theatres of operation include Damascus suburbs, the Aleppo area and the provinces of Homs, Hama, Idlib, Latakia, Deir ez-Zor and al Quneitra.
The Russian Defence Ministry will provide in-depth information about the situation on the ground. I should note that amid the effective action by the Russian Aerospace Forces against terrorists in Syria, the Syrian Army is stepping up its operations. Russian pinpoint airstrikes have caused serious damage to the terrorists’ command and control system.
The establishment of direct contacts between the Russian Defence Ministry and representatives of a number of armed groups in Syria, which reject terrorism and extremism, was a notable development. This has made it possible to go ahead with the practical coordination of efforts with them, among other things, in carrying out strikes against terrorists.
After terrorist groups were forced out of a number of important areas, several hundred thousand internally displaced people were able to return to their homes, as UN sources also report.
At the same time, terrorist detachments still have significant capabilities and are able to regularly replenish their manpower and weapon supplies. The rebels are putting up fierce resistance against the government forces, counterattacking in some areas and altering their tactics to minimise their losses from Russian airstrikes.
We have continued our consistent line to fight the terrorist threat in Syria and launch a political process between the Syrian government and the opposition as soon as possible. As part of preparations for the next meeting of the Syrian Support Group in Vienna, in contacts with leading international and regional players, we seek to work towards reaching a common and unequivocal understanding of which armed groups operating in Syria are terrorist groups, and clarifying the situation around the united delegation of the Syrian opposition for talks with the Syrian government, in keeping with the Geneva Communique of June 30, 2012.
I would recall that yesterday, November 4, talks took place in Moscow between Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Syria Staffan de Mistura. The officials analysed the steps taken after the Vienna meeting with the participation of a broad scope of “external” players and outlined a plan of further action by Russia, the UN and in a multilateral format.
A Western media campaign on the Syrian settlement
I cannot help but comment on the ongoing information campaign in the Western media in connection with the Russian Aerospace Forces’ participation in helping the Syrian army fight the terrorist threat. Practically every day, we hear recurring allegations from our American colleagues to the effect that Russia is engaging the wrong targets in Syria. This point was recently made by US Ambassador to Russia John Tefft, who stressed that strikes are delivered on the opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime, not on ISIS targets. I would like to point out that in addition to these claims, we observe a lack of concrete information that the US State Department could have provided in the course of their regular briefings. As you saw recently, State Department representatives, to put it diplomatically, dodged the question, but in fact were simply unable to answer the question regarding the hospitals and civilian facilities that US officials speak about while accusing Russia of destroying civilian infrastructure.
This is a vicious circle. First, US officials say that Russia is hitting “the wrong targets and conducting strikes on civilian infrastructure” and then their assertions begin to be cited in the media. When we ask them to disclose the source we are told that this is what a State Department spokesman said at a briefing, confirming the information that the US purportedly has regarding the targets being attacked by the Russian Aerospace Forces. They tell us that this information comes from sources available in the public domain, in particular, from media reports.
You see, first, information is leaked to the media, citing unnamed sources in the Pentagon, the State Department and other government agencies; then it is confirmed in comments by the ambassador and State Department officials; after that, this is published in the media, and then US official representatives cite media reports.
This is a vicious circle that cannot be broken. This is an information campaign, propaganda, pure and simple, a kind of collusion between the establishment and the media, which, to put it mildly, misleads the public, while they constantly criticise us, without providing any facts or figures. To date, we have received no official information from Washington either through diplomatic or other channels. Everything begins and ends in the public arena at briefings and news conferences. You can draw your own conclusions.
We have repeatedly requested information about the so-called moderate Syrian opposition that the US is constantly holding up against us, claiming that Russia invariably hits these targets, destroying their infrastructure and killing representatives of this opposition. We have requested information about this moderate opposition, but none has been provided. The impression is that this information is being deliberately withheld to be used as an excuse to criticise us and accuse the Russian Aerospace Forces of purportedly targeting the opposition. The start of practical contacts between the Russian military and representatives of the Syrian opposition tear to pieces the US theory that Russia is delivering the majority of airstrikes on the armed opposition, rather than ISIS.
Obviously, our Western partners have refused to provide us the relevant information, but we obtained it on our own by establishing the relevant contacts. This is the way we’ll continue to work.
In connection with the numerous appeals to work with open sources, I cannot help but note former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s remarks at Chatham House (the British Royal Institute of International Affairs), admitting that the US military intervention in Iraq has destabilised the region. This statement was made by a person who for years had been at the helm of the US national security and foreign policy course. The impression is that modern American theoreticians are failing the practical exam.
Current events in Somalia
Moscow is expressing serious concern over yet another major act of terror committed by militants of the Somalian Islamist group al-Shabaab on October 31 – the attack on the Sahafi Hotel in Mogadishu — reported to have killed at least 17 people.
We would like to convey our sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims and are resolutely denouncing the inhuman crimes of the extremists. We would like to recall in this context that al-Shabaab is responsible for the explosions in two other Mogadishu hotels on July 10, the attack on a convoy carrying UAE diplomats on July 17, the raid on the AMISOM African Union mission in Somalia on September 2, and the attack on a university campus in Garissa, Kenya on April 2, which resulted in heavy civilian losses.
We are particularly alarmed by information regarding coordinated actions by al-Shabaab and other radical groups in Africa and its striving to establish contacts with ISIS.
We support the international community’s continued efforts to enhance the efficiency of the Somalian government army and AMISOM, which are carrying the brunt of the burden in fighting al-Shabaab.
As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Russia will continue to take part in international efforts to provide comprehensive assistance to Somalia.
Publication of a report by the International Consultation Group under the aegis of the Council of Europe on the investigation into the Odessa tragedy
The report by the International Consultation Group (ICG) under the aegis of the Council of Europe on the investigation by the Ukrainian authorities into the Odessa tragedy on May 2, 2014, which was presented in Kiev on November 4 and Odessa on November 5 by its head, former President of the European Court of Human Rights Nicolas Bratza, is a specific contribution by the Council of Europe to ensuring an unbiased investigation into the tragic events in Odessa on May 2, 2014.
The report actually states that it is impossible to conduct in the current conditions an independent and effective inquiry into the heavy losses of people during the Euromaidan events in Kiev from November 2013 to February 21, 2014 and in Odessa on May 2, 2014.
We are especially worried by the facts that a year and a half after the death of 48 people in the fire in the Odessa Trade Union House surrounded by militants of the Right Sector (a Ukrainian extremist organisation banned in Russia), no charges have been brought against numerous active participants in the events, an inquiry into many episodes has not been launched, some of the evidence on the fire has been destroyed and the continuing investigation is lop-sided, fragmentary, contradictory and unlikely to establish the truth.
Russia considers it necessary to review at one of the nearest meetings of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers the current report on the Odessa tragedy and an account of measures taken by Ukraine following the first report of the group on the investigation into the Euromaidan events in Kiev from November 2013 to February 21, 2014 and adopt the necessary recommendations.
The Russian Federation again urges the authorities of Ukraine and other member-states of the Council of Europe to render comprehensive support to the ICG efforts until the Ukrainian authorities complete their investigation into the massive violations of the European Convention on Human Rights in Ukraine.
Approval by the UN General Assembly First Committee of the Russian draft resolution on no first placement of weapons in outer space
On November 3, the First Committee of the 70th UN General Assembly session approved the Russian draft of the UN General Assembly resolution on no first placement of weapons in outer space.
As in the past year, the draft was supported by the overwhelming majority of UN members (122 states). Indicatively, the number of the draft’s co-authors has grown compared with the previous session from 34 to 40 states. It is not ruled out that by the time of the voting on this draft during the plenary meeting of the UN General Assembly, the number of co-authors will further increase.
Forty-seven countries, including all EU members, held a vague position by abstaining from voting.
The United States, Israel, Georgia and Ukraine voted against the draft, thereby demonstrating their opposition to international efforts to keep outer space free of weapons.
In general, the voting showed again that the international community viewed our initiative as important and timely. We will continue promoting it in an effort to increase its supporters.
From answers to questions
Question: Could you comment on the results of the recent elections to the Milli Meclis of Azerbaijan?
Maria Zakharova: Russia welcomes the successful holding of parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan, a friendly country. The election monitoring involved, in addition to the mission of CIS observers, representatives of the Federation Council, the State Duma, the Russian Central Election Commission and the authorities of Russian regions. Together with our colleagues from other CIS countries, they praised the organisation and holding of the voting, noted the compliance with international standards and national laws and the lack of serious violations.
The parliamentary elections became a new serious step in the development of government institutions and civil society and in ensuring a stable internal political environment in Azerbaijan. I would like to recall once again that we have traditionally maintained a close and trusting partnership with this country.
Question: Can you comment on the UK authorities’ statements regarding the causes of the Russian plane crash in Egypt and the decision to ban British flights over that territory?
The Kommersant newspaper has published a list of Syrian opposition groups, but it does not include the Free Syrian Army. How can you comment on this?
Maria Zakharova: We are aware of the statement made by Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond in connection with the crash of the Russian airliner in Egypt. As you know, over 200 people died in the disaster, but it’s up to the investigative authorities to establish its causes. I can only reiterate that Russia has been working hard to establish the truth. Russian experts are reporting almost regularly online from Egypt. Several agencies are coordinating this work. The goal is to collect information, establish the facts, and determine what precisely happened to the airliner. We have to wait for the conclusions by the experts who are involved in the investigation.
It’s surprising that a person who is not a [technical] professional or an expert, but the head of a foreign policy agency has made public statements on an issue where facts are of crucial importance. It’s really shocking to think that the UK government may have certain information that may shed light on the Egyptian air accident. This may mean that they are withholding information from Russia, and, considering that the announcement came from the UK foreign minister, they do have this information.
We are appealing to all countries that may have official information to share it with Russia, because it is of crucial importance for us to establish the real causes of the tragedy. If they don’t provide this information and use it exclusively for public statements, we may conclude that there are certain ulterior motives. We proceed from the assumption that any country possessing information about the Russian airliner’s crash over Egypt must provide these details to the authority that is investigating the circumstances and establishing the facts. I am again asking that this information, if they have it, be provided to the investigative authority.
As for the flight bans, it is the sovereign decision of the UK authorities that is most probably governed by national law.
I’d like to say a few words about the list [of the Syrian opposition groups]. The lists that have been published by the media are a separate story and a question that should be addressed to the media. We have been working with a wide range of Syrian opposition forces. Russian foreign ministry officials, including the foreign minister and his deputy, have said time and again that far from avoiding contacts with this group [the Free Syrian Army], we have, on the contrary, asked the countries that encouraged us to accept its representatives as partners to provide at least some specific information about it. We’ve been attempting to work with this group. Why “attempting?” The Syrian opposition has many faces and it is fragmented. Many people claim to be the official representatives of this or that Syrian organisation, but later their claims are refuted. Our task is to understand who really represents the Syrian opposition and to establish contacts with them so we can work together. We have redoubled our efforts at this stage. A meeting in Vienna was held, and the Syria Contact Group has adopted a Joint Statement appealing to the UN to invite the Damascus government and the opposition groups for negotiations. We haven’t stopped working on this and have even increased our efforts towards this end.
As for the list, we don’t keep it secret and have sent it to our colleagues. This list is a result of many years of Russia’s collaboration with Damascus and the Syrian opposition. You know that two meetings between the Syrian government and the opposition were held in Moscow, and you know who attended them. As you understand, the groundwork we did is part of the negotiating process. We are willing to listen and we are listening. We are discussing this list with our colleagues in the UN and in some countries. We are open to a dialogue. We are ready to consider different views, if any. This is the homework we did. But this doesn’t mean that nothing more can be done, or that we don’t see any other options, or that we won’t consider other proposals. We are open to cooperation, and we have been working hard towards this end.
Question: Will Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pay a visit to Japan in the near future?
Maria Zakharova: I have no information on this question for you, that is, on the timeframe of the foreign minister’s possible visit to Japan. As soon as we know, we’ll tell you. But thank you for asking, as this is what we want you to do – to request confirmation from us before such visits are announced. But I don’t have this information now.
Question: Is the Foreign Ministry preparing for a possible meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit in November?
Maria Zakharova: The answer is usual – this issue is within the competence of the Presidential Executive Office.
Question: There were reports today to the effect that the Free Syrian Army agreed on a meeting with representatives of Russia’s Foreign Ministry and the Defence Ministry in Dubai next week. Is there any information regarding the date of the meeting? When will it take place exactly and who will represent Russia?
Today, Russia’s Ambassador in Baghdad Ilya Morgunov declared that he did not rule out that the Iraqi authorities would ask Moscow for help in fighting terrorism in Iraq. Are any talks conducted with the Iraqi authorities on this issue? Are there any obstacles that interfere with this work?
Maria Zakharova: I haven’t heard about any specific meeting but you must understand that our embassies and representative offices at international organisations maintain continuous contact with the Syrian opposition. Possibly, this is one such contact. We don’t know about contacts, say, at the level of the Deputy Minister or Department Director and I cannot confirm them. Let me repeat that such contact may well occur at the embassy level. So, there is nothing sensational or extraordinary in this regard. Responding to the previous question I said that this was normal routine work. We maintain practically daily contact with various representatives of the Syrian opposition at different levels. Our ambassadors, consuls general and our representatives at international organisations are involved in such contacts. Sometimes we inform you about such contacts by the Foreign Ministry when, for instance, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov takes part in such talks. I won’t speak about some special contacts as I don’t have information about them but I don’t rule out that this is a routine meeting at the embassy level.
As regards potential or current appeals by some Iraqi organisations or individuals for Russia to take part in counterterrorist efforts, I’d like to repeat (probably, this is also a reply for the future if such questions reappear) that this should be an official request – this is a hard and fast rule. Such a request has not been made. All other ideas are part of the debates that are unfolding in the country and they certainly have the right to be voiced. This issue is extremely important for Iraq – it is a matter of its national security. We consider it to be part of the Iraqi domestic discussion. No talks are held on this issue. This is the decision of Iraq as a state.
Question: What do you think about Secretary of State John Kerry’s tour of Central Asian countries?
Maria Zakharova: We know that Mr Kerry visited a number of these countries. Naturally, both the United States and the region’s countries have the right to develop relations. We have always supported the development of such relations on the basis of equality, mutual respect and international law. I have nothing to add.
Question: Certain media, including Western media, have interpreted your recent comment as “Russia’s departure from its former position regarding Bashar al-Assad.” Could we have more clarity on this issue?
Maria Zakharova: Regrettably, this is not the first time. Once every six or twelve months we hear or even watch a certain information boom concerning Russia’s changing approach to a Syrian settlement. Statements of this sort are absolutely groundless and can use just anything as a point of departure – a visit, a meeting, or a quote that’s miles from a plausible confirmation. The conclusions are drawn by the media in question based on their own message or statement.
To reiterate: We are used to these things and feel that it makes no sense to refute anything. Journalists covering the Syrian settlement process at the expert level know (as does at this point, it seems to me, every man in the street) that our position is clear. In fact, it is not about supporting or not supporting a specific president. We’ve said this for years at all levels – presidential, ministerial, representative, and so on. The case in point is not personal support. First, we have always said that it’s not up to Russia or any other state to decide who should be the president of Syria or whether Bashar al-Assad must stay or go. This is up to the Syrian people. The problem should be resolved through the applicable legislation and in the course of a political process. Second, the fundamental point we have always emphasised is that Syrian statehood should be left intact because it is key to combating terrorism in the country and the region as a whole. The Syrian army is the only force confronting the Islamic State on the ground. We know that yet another regime change in the region won’t lead to anything positive and will only add to the chaos that has engulfed a number of neighbouring countries. This is our basic position that we have confirmed time and again. There is no question of any change or nuance, because we as a state signed the Geneva Communique of June 30, 2012, which contains all these basic points, and the Vienna Statement of October 30, 2015. We publicly reconfirm this position two or three times a week.
We see this as a desire to muddle things, sow discord, including among the Syrians, and create unnecessary chaos. I don’t know why they are doing this. Better ask the media. To reiterate: Whatever we say wasn’t dreamed up last week, or last month, or even six months ago. This is our position of principle that we stand by over the long run. The most annoying thing is that they quote out of context.
Question: According to official information, five crew members of the aircraft that crashed in South Sudan are citizens of Armenia and one is a citizen of Russia, an ethnic Armenian. Did authorities in Yerevan ask for help or suggest coordinating efforts to deal with the situation?
Maria Zakharova: I have no information as to whether or not they made a request to this effect. But I can say with 100 percent certainty that Russia will provide all the necessary assistance, if it comes. We did this before in similar situations regardless of the nationality of the victims. If we receive such a request (and we receive them regularly from various countries with regard to hostages or the fate of certain citizens in third countries, where Russia, in their view, can play a role or provide assistance), we always provide this assistance. In some cases, we inform the media, in others we don’t. But I can say with certainty that any necessary assistance and help will be provided.
We are also grateful to other countries that provide assistance to us in similar situations.
Question: Have you coordinated with Damascus or consulted it on which opposition groups you can negotiate with?
There are direct contacts with the armed Syrian opposition. Does this mean that Russia has changed its position, considering that we insisted only recently that all illegal armed groups that were fighting the government in Syria were terrorists? Do we differentiate today between the terrorists and the opposition forces?
Maria Zakharova: I’d like to correct you. We never said that all the forces involved in the Syrian conflict in one way or another were terrorists. We said clearly that there were terrorists and extremists and there were Syrian opposition groups, some of which were indeed fighting with arms in hand. This is what we said. And this is why we’ve been trying to compile a list, including in Vienna, or to find common understanding on who can be considered terrorists and extremists. This alone shows that we don’t regard all those involved in the Syrian conflict, who stand in opposition to Damascus, as terrorists. Why then draw up lists and coordinate positions on various organisations, if we regarded all of them as terrorists and extremists? This is not so.
As for Damascus, we don’t make a secret of our work, though some of it is not made public. I mean that we don’t tell the media everything we know, because it makes no sense to discuss the locations of counterterrorist operations with the media. But it’s true that we maintain close contact with our partners in the Vienna talks, with Damascus and the UN. We have also received confirmation, in particular from Damascus, that they are willing to attend a UN-sponsored meeting on dialogue between the Syrian government and the opposition. Damascus has confirmed its willingness to us. Now we need to form a list and to determine who will represent the Syrian opposition at this dialogue.
Question: One more question about the Russian airliner disaster over Egypt. Do you rule out the possibility of a terrorist attack?
Maria Zakharova: I’m not an expert, and I’m not involved in the investigation. Please read today’s statement by presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov. He spoke in detail about the tragedy, including the possibility of a terrorist attack.
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