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30Nov15


Putin thinks there is understanding with Obama on political settlement in Syria


Russian President Vladimir Putin thinks that there is understanding between him and US President Barack Obama on future political settlement in Syria.

"In general, I think, there is understanding in what direction we should move [on Syria]," Putin told journalists after his visit to Paris. "If we are talking about the necessity of political settlement, then the new constitution is needed [in Syria], along with new election and monitoring the results," the Russian president noted.

Putin added that he had discussed with Obama the list of terrorist organizations operating in Syria on the sidelines of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. "We talked about Syria," Putin told journalists. "We also discussed what we should focus on in the near future. But it is a list of organizations, which we consider to be terrorist; a list of organizations, which represent a 'healthy' part of the opposition. Our joint actions on the political track were also part of agenda," the Russian president stressed.

According to the Russian president, talks also focused on the situation in Ukraine. "We talked about the necessity of full implementation of the Minsk Agreements by all sides," Putin concluded.

Putin raised the downed Su-24 theme at meetings in Paris

The Russian president raised the theme of SU-24 downed by Turkey at his meetings with foreign leaders in Paris. Everybody agreed there had been no need to shoot the jet down.

"As for the downed Russian jet, of course I raised that theme at all the bilateral meetings which I had. I gave relevant explanations about what had happened. All the colleagues listened very attentively and most of them at least shared the opinion that there had been no need to attack the unprotected Russian bomber, which was of no threat to Turkey," Putin told journalists.

The Russian president said he had heard the Turkish side's explanation that the Turkish president had allegedly known nothing about the decision to down the Su-24 jet that had been made by other people.

"In fact, it is not so important for us. Two of our servicemen died as a result of that criminal action: the jet's captain and a marine, who took part in a rescue operation to save the (Su-24) crew. Ask them why they did that. It was a great mistake," the Russian president said.

Putin hopes broad antiterrorist coalition to be set up eventually

Vladimir Putin hopes a broad coalition for fighting with terrorism will be created eventually and petty interests pursued by some countries will recede backstage.

Along with it, he pointed out the lack of readiness on the part of certain countries to join the antiterrorist fighting, saying the November 24 attack of the Turkish Air Force on the Russian Su-24M bomber offered a graphic confirmation of this unpreparedness.

"But all the same, we'll seek to form an efficient broad coalition," he told reporters. "It's important to make sure that the regional, self-serving or financial interests recede backstage in the face of the global threat of terror."

At present, however, some countries are pursuing their narrow interests, Putin said. "We have always spoken in support of this (broad coalition) but you can't attain it while someone continues using terrorist organizations for achievement of fly-by-night objectives.

Putin underlined continuing inflow of finances to terrorists in Syria.

"We've now received the data confirming that oil is delivered to Turkey on an industrial scale form the places under the IS control where it is produced," he said. "And there are grounds to believe the decision to bring down our jet (the Sukhoi-24M) was dictated by the willingness to assure the safe delivery of that oil to the seaports where it is transshipped to tankers."

"Defending Turkmens is only a pretext," Putin said.

He recalled that Russian pilots often wrote the slogans like 'For our guys' or 'For Paris' on the missiles launched during combat sorties later. They had in mind retaliation to terrorists for the fellow-Russians who died aboard the A321 jet over the Sinai on October 31 or the French who fell victim to the explosions in Paris.

"And this bomber (the Sukhoi-24M that was engaged in operations against the terrorists TASS) was brought down by the Turkish Air Force, so what kind of a broad coalition could we possibly speak about?" he asked with a rhetoric note.

Putin hopes that Paris conference will result in signing legally binding agreement

Vladimir Putin hopes that Paris conference on climate will result in signing a legally binding agreement.

"I hope that the conference will end properly, with signing a corresponding agreement that will be in force after 2020 when the Kyoto Protocol expires," Putin told journalists after the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Le Bourget.

He added that Russia will assume and fulfill serious commitments "of course, if they are legally binding and include all countries in the world."

Putin noted that Russia "not only fulfilled but also exceeded what was envisaged by the Kyoto Protocol." "We reduced emissions in the atmosphere and at the same time almost doubled our GDP over this time. So, it is possible to develop economy and conserve nature at the same time," he added.

Putin noted that the important task is to contain the growing temperatures on the planet in the framework of no more than two degrees Celsius. "I think that this is a realistic plan, and we are ready for this work together with our partners," he concluded.

[Source: Itar Tass, Paris, 30Nov15]

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small logoThis document has been published on 01Dec15 by the Equipo Nizkor and Derechos Human Rights. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.