Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, August 25, 2016
25 August 201618:58
1481-25-08-2016
Table of contents
- Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry
- Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s traditional meeting with students and faculty of MGIMO (University)
- Informal OSCE ministerial meeting in Potsdam
- Congratulations to the Russian Olympic team
- Decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on the Russian Paralympic team
- Earthquake in Italy
- Explosions in southern Thailand
- UN Security Council meeting on humanitarian situation in Syria
- OPCW-UN Joint Mission’s report on the investigation of chemical weapons use in Syria
- Migration crisis in Europe
- The Guardian’s article on abuses of asylum seekers in Australia’s offshore detention centres in the Republic of Nauru and on Manus Island
- The situation on the Korean Peninsula
- Trial run of the emergency management software system of the Foreign Ministry’s Crisis Management Centre Department
- Answers to media questions:
- Nagorno-Karabakh settlement
- Detainment of a Japanese citizen on Kunashir Island
- Russia-Japan relations
- The Foreign Ministry on the Turkish operation on the Turkish-Syrian border
- Poland’s decision not to resume cross-border ties with the Kaliningrad Region
- Poland’s reaction to military exercises in Russia
- Statements by Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Błaszczak
- Russia-China relations
- Operation Euphrates Shield
- Initiatives on no-fly zones over Syria
- Turkish operation in Syria, meeting between Sergey Lavrov and John Kerry
- Russia-Turkey relations
- Russia-Iran relations
- Russia-Turkey cooperation on Syria
- Russia-Iran relations
- North Korea’s missile tests
As you may be aware, our briefings are broadcast live by Rossiya 24 and Russia Today, and on our social media pages. I would like to welcome particularly our social media viewers who, on Facebook, maintain a wonderful tradition of mentioning the cities and towns where they are watching us in the comments. We like it, because it shows our global reach. Thank you.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry
Today, a delegation headed by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov leaves for Geneva, where he will hold talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry on August 26. They agreed to hold this meeting during a telephone conversation yesterday.
The sides are expected to focus on reaching a settlement in Syria, including the prospects for establishing close coordination between Russia and the United States in their efforts to combat terrorist groups operating in Syria. Other international issues, including Ukraine and Russia-US bilateral relations, may also be considered. We will keep you updated about all the events that will take place there.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s traditional meeting with students and faculty of MGIMO (University)
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will have his traditional speech to faculty and students of Foreign Ministry’s MGIMO University on September 1.
As you are aware, for over 70 years now, the University has been the alma mater of statesmen, politicians, diplomats, academics, journalists, business people and figures from many other areas of life, not only in Russia, but in foreign countries as well.
MGIMO is rightfully considered one of the world's leading think tanks with an excellent team of faculty members.
Sergey Lavrov’s appearances get the students off to a good start for the upcoming academic year, and are not just another mandatory event on the minister’s schedule, or just another meeting. We learn about the importance of such meetings from the students who later become interns at the Foreign Ministry. They remember these meetings as an important starting point in their new life at MGIMO, their development as career diplomats.
As is customary, this speech will be broadcast by the media and via the ministry’s official website and our social media pages.
Informal OSCE ministerial meeting in Potsdam
We have received many questions regarding our participation in an informal OSCE ministerial meeting in Potsdam, Germany, on September 1. Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov will represent Russia there.
The previous meeting was held in Alma-Ata on July 16-17, 2010. Perhaps, that meeting helped Kazakhstan's presidency to successfully hold the OSCE Summit in Astana and adopt the Astana Declaration, which confirmed the OSCE participating states’ commitment to comprehensive, cooperative, equal and indivisible security.
This is some background information for you to understand what kind of meeting it will be.
We hope that the Potsdam meeting under the German presidency likewise will be successful. We are ready for an open and meaningful dialogue that will help us find common solutions to common challenges.
Congratulations to the Russian Olympic team
Switching to other regional issues, I have to say that it was difficult to drive through central Moscow today due to the traffic caused by the reception of the Russian Olympic team in the Kremlin. We congratulate our heroes on their wonderful results and on demonstrating their determination and character – our character – despite all that pressure and scheming. The whole country gave them energy. We would like to congratulate them on behalf of all Foreign Ministry staff and tell them we are proud of them and their achievements.
Decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on the Russian Paralympic team
Regrettably, speaking about the Olympics, it is impossible to avoid commenting on our Paralympic team. We are disgusted by the inhuman decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding our team. We are stunned by the decision itself and the bias and unprecedented hypocrisy of the official statements accompanying the decision. This was essentially an effort to rob our Paralympic athletes of the dream that they have been working toward for so long.
The CAS decision flatly contradicts the basic principles at the foundation of Olympic and Paralympic values. Completely innocent people, people with disabilities no less, are being punished. Needless to say, this smear is very far removed from the principles of humanism and basic legal concepts.
In effect, this is a case of applying the principle of collective responsibility for unproved crimes. Neither of these components – collective responsibility or unproved crimes – make sense coming from states that position themselves as civilised and law abiding countries. And yet here we see both on display. The proponents of this approach are in effect saying that collective guilt and collective punishment are normal.
Earlier the Executive Committee of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) decided to suspend the membership of the National Paralympic Committee of Russia (NPC Russia) in the IPC on the basis of Richard McLaren’s unsubstantiated report, which met with an unequivocal response from the world sports community. Indicatively, international Paralympic sports federations, such as the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) (wheelchair fencing), the World Archery Federation (WAF), the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) and the European Para-Taekwondo Union (EPTU) supported the participation of Russian athletes in the Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The basic principle of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is about the equality of the disabled and non-disabled. And yet the decision of the Lausanne-based CAS has deprived Russian Paralympic athletes of the opportunity to take part in the Games like the athletes without disabilities who competed in the 2016 Olympic Games. If this is not a flagrant violation of the afore-mentioned principle of the UN Convention, what is?
Russia is deeply concerned over this unprecedented and inhuman violation of the noble values of the Paralympic movement and the rights of innocent athletes with disabilities. We believe the IPC decision also clearly contradicts the principle of prohibiting all forms of discrimination.
A legal assessment of the CAS decision on the Russian Paralympic team is still to be made. We have no doubt that after some time we will discover the truth about what led to this decision. And, as it usually happens, we will find out who stood behind it and how they did it. Eventually they will admit that it was a mistake. We also know very well the price of the mistakes that are currently being made. Everything will be meticulously examined. For now it is possible to say with confidence that, morally, this decision is unjust and inhuman.
We were dismayed at the news about a destructive earthquake in central Italy. President Vladimir Putin yesterday sent his condolences to Prime Minister of Italy Matteo Renzi and conveyed our readiness to provide the necessary assistance with the disaster relief efforts. Similar messages have been sent on behalf of Russia’s Government and the Parliament’s Federation Council.
Russia’s Emergencies Ministry has been placed on alert for providing assistance to the affected Italian region and will dispatch its rescue teams, equipment and humanitarian aid to Italy as soon as the Italian authorities request this.
At this dark hour for Italy and Italians, we would like to express our heartfelt solidarity and support. We offer our condolences to the families of the dead and wish early recovery to the injured.
The earthquake has almost erased the town of Amatrice and did considerable damage to other communities. We shuddered at the news from Italy, because the disaster has affected lives in a country that is the world’s outdoor museum. Many historical monuments have been damaged. We hope measures can be taken to restore the monuments of culture and architecture in the disaster area.
According to available data, there are no Russian citizens among the quake victims. The Russian Embassy in Rome said this yesterday, but we will check this information.
Explosions in southern Thailand
In the evening of August 23, Pattani, the capital of Pattani Province in southern Thailand, was hit by three explosions in which one Thai woman was killed and 29 people were wounded. There are no foreigners among the wounded.
Pattani and two neighbouring provinces – Yala and Narathiwat – are located in the extreme south of Thailand bordering Malaysia. The majority of their residents are ethnic Malays who are Muslims. In 2004, the government placed these three provinces under martial law due to a special security operation against the armed groups of local separatist organisations. Explosions and shoot-outs have become routine there in the past few years.
Pattani Province is not a resort area and is not popular with foreign tourists, including from Russia. Moreover, the entry of foreigners into some southern Thai regions has been restricted. In this context, we reaffirm our recommendations to Russian citizens to refrain from visiting southern Thai provinces.
The situation is calm and stable in the other regions of Thailand, including traditional tourist areas. The Thai authorities have said that they are taking the necessary measures to protect the safety of foreign citizens who live or are on holiday in Thailand.
We express our condolences to the families of the Thai nationals who have suffered in the explosions.
UN Security Council meeting on humanitarian situation in Syria
On August 22, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Stephen O’Brien briefed the UN Security Council meeting in New York on the humanitarian situation in Syria.
Unfortunately, the meeting has shown again that some international parties, including in the leading Western countries, try to use the UNSC exclusively for propaganda and politicised purposes within the framework of their policy of the past few years aimed at changing the Damascus government. Once again, openly false and unsubstantiated charges were brought against the Russian military who are helping Damascus fight terrorism. Regrettably, Damascus’ opponents have not helped in any way to improve the humanitarian situation or promote the political process in Syria.
The Russian delegation has pointed to the real reasons behind the humanitarian disaster in Syria, the main of which is the destructive Western policy in the Middle East and North Africa, which has led to this rise in terrorist activity. On the practical plane, we also drew the meeting participants’ attention to the Russian initiative on a 48-hour humanitarian pause and called for lifting unilateral sanctions against Damascus because they are having a destructive effect on the humanitarian situation of civilians in Syria.
OPCW-UN Joint Mission’s report on the investigation of chemical weapons use in Syria
We welcome the report of the Joint Mission of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations (OPCW-UN) on the investigation of chemical weapons use in Syria (Joint Investigative Mechanism). We note that considerable work has been done within the framework of the Joint Investigative Mechanism in light of the ongoing conflict in Syria and within tight deadlines, envisaged by UN Security Council Resolution 2235 (2015). We hope that these circumstances did not affect the quality of collecting comprehensive, unbiased and accurate information.
Russia will thoroughly study the report and analyse the conclusions of experts who plan to discuss it in the UN Security Council on August 30. We can already say that we weren’t surprised by the fact that ISIS possesses chemical weapons and has used it both in Iraq and in Syria. Russia has repeatedly warned about this. What’s more, Russia submitted relevant initiatives to the UN Security Council. Now the report has confirmed these facts.
Let me repeat that the facts and conclusions made in the report should be thoroughly analysed. As you know, we initially called for a detailed and comprehensive independent international investigation of all suspect uses of chemical weapons for military purposes in Syria. Unfortunately, our partners have long evaded this issue, and the waste of time prevented the experts from making obvious conclusions and identifying those responsible.
As I already said, the report has proved that anti-government forces, specifically ISIS, possess chemical weapons. We should double check and examine all facts presented in the report. But it is important not to employ a selective approach or draw politically motivated conclusions before the entire situation is absolutely clear. We believe that all reported cases should be investigated rather than only those when Syrian military are suspected. There are numerous accusations of using toxic agents. Unfortunately, such cases are numerous. Only between December 2015 and August 2016, there have been 13 uses of sarin, 12 uses of mustard gas, as well as other toxic substances. Also, there have been 41 uses of chlorine and 61 uses of chemical toxic agents. All these cases must be investigated.
We continue to monitor the situation linked with the mass arrival of refugees from the Middle East and North Africa in Europe.
According to the latest statistics of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO), it would be premature to say that the European Union has managed to completely resolve the migration crisis, despite a decreasing number of illegal immigrants arriving from Turkey. More and more asylum seekers continue to enter the EU in circumvention of the official routes known to Brussels. In June alone, the EU registered over 120,000 asylum applications or 21 per cent more than in May. In the first six months of 2016, over 630,000 international protection applications have been submitted in the EU member-countries, and this is 200,000 more than in the first six months of 2015. This increase is becoming a systemic trend which has not been overcome.
Faced with a growing number of asylum seekers, EU member-countries are still unable to process and analyse these applications on time. In late June, EU authorities registered almost 990,000 unprocessed applications, an all-time high.
The situation with illegal migration via the central Mediterranean region has not normalised either. The European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union (Frontex) estimates that in July alone over 25,000 people have been apprehended trying to illegally enter Italy by sea. This is 12 per cent more than in the same period of 2015. In the first seven months of 2016, almost 95,000 illegal immigrants have been registered in the central Mediterranean region, most of them from African countries.
We are gravely concerned that despite the EU’s efforts on this route more and more illegal immigrants continue to perish at sea. According to the International Organisation for Migration, 3,100 people have perished in the first seven months of 2016, as compared to 1,900 over the same period of 2015.
The OSCE has accumulated a certain potential in resolving the current migration crisis in Europe with due consideration for the OSCE’s comprehensive security concept.
OSCE executive bodies, including the Secretariat, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, could conduct a comprehensive assessment of the situation on the EU’s domestic and external borders, assess the potential risks of conflict and crisis situations, draft recommendations for the concerned EU member-states, monitor compliance with fundamental human rights and freedoms in refugee-transit and refugee-hosting countries.
We cannot but feel concerned about the fact that migration in the EU is closely linked with organised crime. Europol and Interpol estimate this business’ revenues at $5 or6 billion for this year alone. Illegal immigrants in EU countries are vulnerable to all sorts of exploitation, including worker exploitation and sexual abuse, forced involvement in illegal drug trafficking and other forms of organised crime.
Clearly, the work of the Office of the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings remains in high demand. Women and children are the most vulnerable refugee categories. Europol estimates that over 10,000 children of immigrants who arrived in Europe unescorted by adults have gone missing over the past two years. We have raised this issue at our briefings several months ago, and we have mentioned the relevant statistics for the past two years. According to our sources, many of these children have become victims of either sexual slavery or slave labour.
We would like to once again urge our European colleagues to adopt a more responsibe approach to their international obligations in the provision of protection guarantees to immigrants and not to erode the so-called asylum institution. It is also important to focus on creating additional legal migration channels, to ensure proper control over migration flows and to streamline readmission mechanisms. At the same time, everything possible should be done to prevent terrorists from infiltrating European countries together with people who really need help.
We would like to point out that Russia consistently advocates coordinated international efforts to eliminate the root causes of the current migration crisis, primarily by achieving a peace settlement in Syria, Libya and Iraq.
The situation with Australian detention centres for refugees on Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island and in the Republic of Nauru, as described by the British newspaper The Guardian, is nothing new. Australia has long been pursuing a harsh policy to limit the influx of illegal immigrants to its territory.
The specialised UN agencies and human rights groups (Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, etc.) condemn the practice of virtually indefinite detention of asylum seekers in these centres (as of July 2016, 1,200 refugees remain in detention on Nauru.) Many of them have lived there for more than three years. On top of that, the refugees complain about the harsh living conditions.
In this regard, following the latest Universal Periodic Review of the UN Human Rights Council (November 2015) Australia’s immigration policy has been reviewed, revealing violations of international obligations in the protection of refugee rights.
The situation on the Korean Peninsula
We regretfully note that the prospects for normalising the situation on the Korean Peninsula are meagre. However, it is unlikely that only one side is to blame for that. We believe that the reasons for this state of affairs actually lie in the lack of confidence and in the opponents’ tendency to use force as arguments. Demonstrations of military might instead of trying to find the key to the solution of the existing problems through peaceful negotiations hardly add stability to the situation. Our assessment is nothing new, and you know it.
In our view, the US and South Korea’s decision to deploy the American THAAD missile defence system in the south of Korea serves as an additional complicating factor. We believe that the use of these systems in South Korea clearly goes beyond the deterrence of the so-called North Korean threat. We have no doubt about the fact that the US, with the support of its allies, continues to build up the capacity of its global missile defence system’s Asia-Pacific segment, which will inevitably lead to undermining the existing strategic balance and will further complicate the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the region as a whole.
As you know, Russia has repeatedly called on all the parties involved in the inter-Korean conflict to show military restraint in the first place. On the one hand, this means cancelling nuclear tests and ballistic missiles launches, and on the other, halting the excess supply of arms and military equipment to the peninsula and scaling down military exercises conducted on the peninsula.
In this regard, we are seriously concerned over the major US-South Korean military exercises started a few days ago, which immediately caused an extremely negative reaction from North Korea. We fear that, given the worsening of tensions on the Korean Peninsula, such military exercises can act as a spark that could ignite the situation in the region.
What is happening confirms the validity of our approach, according to which the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula should be carried out amid an overall military and political detente in Northeast Asia, the reduction of military confrontation and the building of the foundations for mutual trust between the countries in the region.
Russia is always ready for close cooperation with all interested countries for the sake of peace and stability in Northeast Asia, a comprehensive settlement of the Korean Peninsula’s nuclear problem on the basis of equal and non-discriminatory negotiations involving all parties.
Our position of principle on North Korea's missile launches is well known. It is based on the need to comply with the UN Security Council resolutions.
I would like to emphasise that, given the difficult situation on the Korean Peninsula now, all parties concerned should exercise restraint and avoid actions that could lead to heightened tensions.
On August 30, the Foreign Ministry’s Information and Press Department and the Crisis Management Centre Department will hold an official presentation (with the Crisis Centre leading the event and the Information and Press Department only performing supporting tasks) of a specialised search system that provides emergency contact and notification information to Russian nationals travelling abroad, in the event of a crisis or emergency situation in the country of travel that may pose a threat to their life and safety.
We will present the system, its main functions and features, including the Foreign Assistant interactive mobile application, and the Crisis Centre’s 24-hour multi-line call centre, ahead of its trial run in 144 countries.
The Foreign Assistant app is already available for download on the Foreign Ministry’s home page. Through this application, the Foreign Ministry will be able to communicate with Russian nationals abroad and notify them of emergency situations in the country of travel. The application also contains useful information on countries, Russian organisations abroad and other helpful data. The application is compatible with the major operating systems. We strongly recommend that everybody travelling abroad for various reasons (tourism or business) download this application on their smart phones, computers and tablets for their own safety.
Anyone interested in attending the presentation must apply for accreditation on the Foreign Ministry website.
Events marking the 75th anniversary of the first Arctic convoy’s arrival in the USSR
As we announced earlier, a series of events will be held in the Russian North between August 29 and September 1 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the first Allied convoy, codenamed Dervish, in the USSR with munitions and foodstuffs.
In addition, I would like to inform you that during the celebrations, Arkhangelsk will host a meeting of the Marine Board’s Inter-Agency Commission for Marine Legacy, the 6th international forum To the Glory of the Navy and the Fatherland, the Lend Lease and Arctic Convoys international research conference, a meeting of the Council for Cooperation of Youth in Sea and River Port Cities, and large-scale public campaigns including the Marine Wreath of Glory and the Greetings to the Krasin Ice-Breaker, an Allied Convoys Participant.
Decision to designate some US NGOs as undesirable in Russia
On August 22, the Justice Ministry of Russia, acting upon the decision of a Deputy Prosecutor General of Russia, added two non-governmental organisations to the list of foreign and international NGOs that have been designated as undesirable in Russia in keeping with Federal Law No. 129-FZ dated March 23, 2015 On Amending Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation. These NGOs are the US-headquartered Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF) and the International Republican Institute (IRI).
Frankly, we were surprised by the US Department of State statement on being “deeply troubled” by the Russian government’s decision to designate the International Republican Institute and the Media Development Investment Fund as “undesirable” organisations. Everyone knows about the real activities of these organisations, which are officially independent of US government agencies.
While claiming to promote research, public relations and the media through grants, these organisations in fact operate at Washington’s prompting, using considerable federal budget funds. While claiming to work towards democracy and democratic values, they interfere in the internal affairs of foreign states in a bid to destabilise the internal political situation wherever it does not meet Washington’s criteria.
The IRI is financed by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which has been declared undesirable in Russia, and also directly from the Agency for International Development (USAID), a US government agency.
The situation with the MDIF is similar.
We would like to note that measures taken in Russia, including declaring an organisation as undesirable in the country, are nothing unusual. This is routine work, as foreign interference in a country’s internal political process is cause for close attention from state agencies in any country.
We welcome the activities of NGOs that work constructively and keep their declared objectives. The key words here are keeping the declared objectives. We will not accept foreign recipes on developing and strengthening democracy when they are pushed on us.
Violation of Swedish airspace by a NATO plane
I want to say a few words on an issue that is not connected to Russia – it concerns Sweden and NATO – because journalists ask very many questions every time that information is published or planted about the alleged violations of Swedish airspace by Russian planes. We have taken note of the Swedish army report on US reconnaissance plane RC-135U violating its airspace in early August. This has not caused a stir in the Swedish media or among local experts, even though it was at least the sixth time that the public was informed about the violation of Swedish airspace by a NATO aircraft this year. Swedish media was not so sedate and impassive in the past years, when isolated violations of Swedish airspace by Russian planes flying over the Baltic Sea were reported.
The NATO and US military build-up in the Baltic region, once a zone of peace and stability, has created a situation where violations of the airspace of Sweden, which is not a member of any military alliance, have become a routine and deplorable practice that does not help maintain the atmosphere of cooperation and security in Northern Europe.
On the topic of responses and publications by foreign media, we noted an article by Reuters on the situation in Crimea. I won’t cite it. The piece contains a number of points that do not correspond to facts. This can’t be called journalism, but rather a special-order description. We believe that they wrote what they were told to write. One of the surprising conclusions is that the tourist season has failed. It’s impossible to write about something that doesn’t exist. Tourism development in Crimea is not really our issue. We have specialised structures and agencies that deal with tourism, as well as the administration that can provide detailed information in regions and at the local level. In turn, I can’t help commenting on this article.
According to statistics, Crimea still remains one of the most popular and beloved resorts both for Russians and Ukrainians (probably, to someone’s disappointment). The number of tourists has been rising year after year.
This year, almost 4 million tourists have visited the peninsula so far. This accounts for a 26.1 per cent increase, as compared to the previous year. Six million tourists are expected to vacation in Crimea before this year is out. I believe that we will reach this number, although I’m not an expert.
I have visited Crimea this summer. The trend is obvious.
The average occupancy rate of health resorts and hotels on the Crimean peninsula is 75 per cent.
The number of tourists from Ukraine has been steadily increasing. The passenger flow through Ukrainian checkpoints has more than doubled this year and has reached 1.7 million tourists, as of August 1. Ukrainian tourists make up 15 per cent of the total number of tourists who visited the peninsula, up from 10 per cent in the previous year. It’s unclear how Reuters came to the conclusion that the tourist season was unsuccessful if it examined the data (provided that it examined it at all).
It’s also unclear how our colleague from Reuters estimated restaurant visits. Don’t be surprised, the article mentions this as well. They probably went to restaurants during the day, when other people were at the beach. Crimea is on the sea, therefore many swim there during the day. But walk along Alushta in the evening and try to find a free table without making a reservation in advance.
Transport performance is also high. As of today, Simferopol Airport has already received 3.5 million passengers, which accounted for a 5 per cent increase, as compared to the previous year’s record. These figures don’t include the data for late August, September and October, the months when tourist activity is quite intense.
Let’s monitor the tourist season in Crimea together. I’m ready to write a special column. We can connect to Crimea and speak about its restaurants. We’ll do that, if Reuters needs it.
Question: There is information that during his latest visit to Moscow US Secretary of State John Kerry offered to hand over to Russia full leadership in the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement in exchange for concessions on Syria. How true are these assertions?
Maria Zakharova: The United States letting us have full leadership in anything? I wouldn’t believe it. It’d be a breakthrough.
Question: On August 20, the Sakhalin customs checkpoint detained a Japanese person on Kunashir Island. Travelling on the Russia-Japan visa-free exchange programme, he is charged with trying to smuggle 4 million yens out of Russia, which he failed to declare in keeping with the customs rules. We’d like to know where things stand now. There are reports that he has been acquitted. Is this true to fact? When will he be allowed to leave for Japan?
Maria Zakharova: As of today, I can report the following. According to our information, a large sum of undeclared money was found on a Japanese citizen, a member of a Japanese visa-free group, as he went through customs procedures for departing passengers at Yuzhno-Kurilsk, Kunashir Island, on August 20. Investigations stipulated by Russian legislation for such cases are in progress in his regard. On August 22, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs made a relevant representation to the Japanese Embassy in Moscow.
We will certainly follow the developments and comment on the situation involving this Japanese citizen.
Question: Russian-Japanese consultations on the signing of a peace treaty between Russia and Japan at the level of deputy foreign ministers will be held tomorrow. Next month, President Vladimir Putin will hold a meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Is any progress on the disputed territories issue expected?
Maria Zakharova: As you know, comments on visits and top-level talks are traditionally issued by the press service of the presidential Executive Office. As for talks scheduled for August 26 involving Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov, I can say we expect them to be productive and constructive. Following the meeting between the leaders of our two countries, an appropriate dynamism has been imparted to this process. The work is in progress.
Question: What is the Foreign Ministry’s position on developments in Hasakah, Syria, where clashes continued for several days between the Kurds and Syrian government forces? Are there any updates on the ministry’s position as regards the Turkish military operation on the Syrian-Turkish border? Did Moscow know about Ankara’s plans? Does this military operation signify a change or a shift in the balance of forces?
Maria Zakharova: Regarding the second part of your question, I can say that yesterday the Foreign Ministry published a very detailed comment. I can only refer you to it once again.
As for Hasakah, we are extremely concerned over a dramatic armed escalation in that northwestern Syrian city between pro-government forces and Kurdish militias. Russia has been taking vigorous efforts via different channels to bring an early end to these fratricidal clashes that benefit no one but the terrorists and those wishing to finish off Syria. We are calling on the parties to show restraint, wisdom and political responsibility and realise that all Syrian patriots – both Arabs and Kurds – have one common enemy, the terrorists. As is obvious, it is terrorism that is the common enemy for all Syrians. And, of course, their common goal is to save Syria, their common homeland, where all its citizens regardless of their ethnicity or faith should feel comfortable, participate in running the state as equals, and have a chance to implement their legitimate interests and rights
Question: Yesterday, Polish authorities decided not to resume local border traffic with the Kaliningrad Region for security reasons. Poland said this would make it possible to avoid Russian provocations.
Maria Zakharova: Speaking of cross-border cooperation, I will have to request an update from our experts dealing with cross-border cooperation and Russian-Polish relations. If, as you say, this cooperation was indeed restricted because of possible provocations, then this stance appears to be very strange. Obviously, this stance is a priori biased. I don’t quite understand what Russian provocations they are talking about. We have enacted substantial legislation in this area. Once again, I cannot make any assessments right now because I should look at the specific issues, but it would be incorrect and deplorable if cross-border cooperation which has been the focus of considerable attention in the last few years was curtailed in this particular region.
Question: The Polish Defence Ministry has responded to a snap combat readiness check of the Russian Armed Forces, and a special meeting has been held on this issue.
Maria Zakharova: You know, Poland also checks the combat readiness of its armed forces. This takes place in any country, including Russia. To be honest, this is standard practice for any country.
Question: I would like to quote Polish Minister of the Interior and Administration Mariusz Błaszczak to follow up on the Polish issue. He has said that the suspension of local border traffic with the Kaliningrad Region would rule out permanent Russian provocations on Polish territory. Speaking of provocations, I would like to mention another statement by him. He was talking about the town of Pieniezno, where a monument to Soviet general Ivan Chernyakhovsky was installed. Mr Błaszczak said a monument to bandit and Soviet general Chernyakhovsky had been installed in Pieniezno, and that a group of Russian citizens had cleaned that monument and staged a rally nearby. He also noted that such provocations would be impossible after the suspension of local border traffic. Could you comment on the statement concerning “bandit and Soviet general Chernyakhovsky”?
Maria Zakharova: If this implied provocations, I believe that it is precisely these statements that are the greatest provocation undermining the normal and sustained development of bilateral relations. I cannot call these statements anything but provocative.
Question: President Vladimir Putin will visit the People’s Republic of China this coming September. He will attend the G20 summit there and meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit. How, in your opinion, will this meeting affect Russian-Chinese relations? I would also like to ask you what the Russian side thinks about China hosting this summit. Does Russia believe that this summit will spur global economic development?
Maria Zakharova: As I see it, you don’t visit us very often. Our rules are different from briefings at the Foreign Ministry of China: We don’t comment on the Russian President’s bilateral meetings, summits involving him, etc. The Press Service of the Presidential Executive Office addresses these issues. Therefore, I would like to ask you to contact them for the agendas of summits involving the Russian President, their schedule, prospects and results. Of course, I can say that bilateral relations between Russia and China have now reached an all-time high. We hope that they will remain precisely at this level in the future, and that they will develop dynamically.
Question: Today, Turkish leaders have provided clarifications on Operation Euphrates Shield. In particular, they specified the timeline for the operation and withdrawal of troops. Has this allayed Russia’s concerns?
Maria Zakharova: Let me repeat again that we published material on this operation yesterday. The information is pretty clear. We take into account all comments coming from Ankara. As for the military operation per se, representatives of the Ministry of Defence take these comments into account, respectively.
Question: Some experts say that the US can try to create no-fly zones without the Syrian government’s consent under the pretext that it needs to defend its special forces and certain Kurdish units in some Syrian regions.
Maria Zakharova: You know, the modern world has already seen examples of creating no-fly zones, particularly in Libya. We all remember what it resulted in. We remember who initiated them. Moreover, these zones were tested and approved by the UN Security Council. But I believe it became very difficult to speak about no-fly zones and unilateral efforts to create them after this initiative had been put into practice. As for any actions on the territory of Syria, they should certainly be performed in compliance with international law, coordinated with Damascus, based on the decisions that were made within the framework of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) and approved by the UN Security Council. Only based on these grounds will the efforts aimed at countering terrorism and reaching a peace settlement in Syria be efficient and help us achieve our common goal, a comprehensive settlement of the Syrian crisis.
Question: Regarding the Turkish operation in Syria, yesterday’s statement on the website reads that “Moscow is seriously concerned.” This is quite a mild response. Why? Could you also provide information on the time of tomorrow’s talks between Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry?
Maria Zakharova: I can say that the start of the talks is scheduled for the morning, the first part of the day. Probably later, in working order, we will inform those who wish to take part in covering this event.
As for our response being mild or not, I believe that when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is concerned about something, many others can also become concerned. Therefore, I wouldn’t say that these statements are as “mild” as you said. Concern means a well-considered and analysed response.
Question: Russia-Turkey relations are returning to normal. Recently, Sputnik News Agency resumed its work in Turkey. However, Turkey has not yet lifted the entry ban on the agency’s Turkish bureau chief, Tural Kerimov. Could you comment on this? Could you also comment on Turkey’s recent statement on its intention to join the EAEU?
Maria Zakharova: As you said, normalising relations does not happen overnight. As we always said, it’s very easy to ruin relations. This takes just a couple of hours, as practice shows. It can take a long time to restore relations to their previous level if there have been mistakes. This is the process that we are now involved in.
Recently, I’ve received a question about why Russia forgave Turkey so fast. On the contrary, some ask why the process to normalise relations is so slow. People assess the ongoing process in different ways. The question shouldn’t be limited by any time frames. The process shouldn’t be based on time, but on the comprehensive restoration of relations based on mutual interests and the real situation, not on momentary timeserving considerations. It should be comprehensive and help find constructive solutions to the most complex issues. We seek this sort of restoration.
As for the fact that Russia and Turkey have yet to resolve some information and media-related issues, you know that the Foreign Ministry has done a great deal to unblock the work of Russia’s Sputnik agency. We hope that this process will move forward. We’d prefer that in this particular case the time factor be taken into consideration, as there is a need to do this as soon as possible.
Question: What is your reaction to the Iranian Defence Ministry’s charges that Moscow has disclosed information on its use of the Hamadan military base, without warning Tehran?
Maria Zakharova: Let us proceed from whether this statement is official and reflects the nation’s concerted point of view. This is what we should start with.
We maintain contacts with Tehran and Iranian officials at all levels. Our actions are coordinated. As regards statements by certain politicians or representatives of the establishment, we should first of all understand whether they reflect the country’s official point of view. We are used to acting officially and do so.
Question: President Vladimir Putin and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey agreed in St Petersburg that their two countries will fight terrorism in Syria, but yesterday the Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that Russia was seriously concerned over Turkey’s active military operations in northern Syria. Isn’t there a contradiction?
Maria Zakharova: There is no contradiction. If you quote the statement in full, it says what we are concerned about. It is that any operations, as I said at this briefing earlier today, should be based on the existing international law, specifically UN Security Council resolutions and decisions approved by the International Syria Support Group. Everything is clear-cut. This was not, as someone said here, a mild (or not so mild) political declaration, but a clear understanding of how such operations should be conducted. We gave our objective assessment.
As you rightly said, when an impetus was given to restoring bilateral relations following Ankara’s relevant steps, issues were discussed both at the top level and by other official representatives of Russia and Turkey. Among other things, our dialogue covers the fight against terrorism in the region. We really maintain the dialogue. In this regard, we also proceed from the assumption that this is the necessary path in the negotiating process and in the course of our contacts, although differences can yet and do occur.
Question: Back to the Iranian charges: You said the statement wasn’t made by officials.
Maria Zakharova: I didn’t put it that way. I said we proceed from Tehran’s official statements and coordinate our actions with Tehran. There are or can be individual statements made by certain politicians. This is what being a politician is all about.
Question: The UN Security Council has agreed to consider a statement condemning North Korea’s latest launch. What is Russia’s position on this, and do you think it’s necessary to introduce additional sanctions?
Maria Zakharova: I have given details of our position on launches. Introducing sanctions is the UN Security Council’s prerogative. Before approving relevant decisions, the Security Council considers the full picture and the facts in their entirety and holds consultations.
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