Meeting
with Sergei Lavrov and Sergei Shoigu
Vladimir
Putin held a working meeting with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu to address issues of settling
the Syrian crisis. The President gave an order to begin
withdrawing the main part of Russian troops from the Syrian Arab
Republic on March 15.
March 14, 2016
20:35
The Kremlin, Moscow
1 of 3
With
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (left) and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.
The President
of Russia also instructed the Foreign Ministry to intensify
the Russian Federation’s participation in organising the peace
process to resolve the Syrian problem.
* * *
President
of Russia Vladimir Putin:
Colleagues,
I have invited you here so
we can once again assess the situation concerning settlement
of the Syrian crisis. I propose that the Defence Minister
starts with his assessment of what is happening there. Please, go ahead.
Defence
Minister Sergei Shoigu:
Mr President,
In accordance
with your instructions, we began the Syrian operation
on September 30. In total, over the course of this
time, we have carried out more than 9,000 flights,
and for the first time, we carried out massive strikes with
dispersed weaponry at a distance of over 1,500 kilometres using
both air- and sea-based missiles.
In this
time, as a result of the strikes, we were able
to significantly hinder,and in some places completely stop
resource support for terrorists by intercepting hydrocarbon trade,
blocking the main routes for hydrocarbon supplies to Turkey
and the main routes for weapons and ammunition deliveries
to militants.
The terrorists
have been driven out of Latakia, communication has been restored with
Aleppo, Palmyra is under siege and combat actions are being continued
to liberate it from unlawful armed groups. We have cleared most
of the provinces of Hama and Homs, unblocked
the Kweires airbase, which was blocked for more than three years,
established control over oil and gas fields near Palmyra: three large
fields that, as of now, have begun to operate steadily.
Over
2,000 criminals who have come from Russia have been eliminated in Syria’s
territory, including 17 field commanders. Our air force destroyed 209
facilities for producing, processing and transferring fuel,
as well as 2,912 sources of petroleum product delivery.
In total,
with support from our air force, the Syrian troops liberated 400 towns
and over 10,000 square kilometres of territory. We have had
a significant turning point in the fight against terrorism.
Organisations
involved in this work as a result of the negotiation
process have begun taking active steps to ensure the ceasefire (there
are currently 42 such organisations); plus, an additional 40 towns that
joined the ceasefire.
There is
monitoring over observance of the ceasefire; a fairly large
number of unmanned aerial vehicles – over 70 – are being used
for this purpose, as are all means of gathering intelligence,
including electronic intelligence and our satellite constellation.
I could
continue this report, Mr President, but I think these are the main
outcomes of our work at this time.
Vladimir
Putin: Thank you.
Mr
Lavrov, how is the peace process proceeding?
Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov:
Mr President,
in addition to the results that were achieved directly
on the ground during military actions to repress terrorists, our
Aerospace Forces operation helped create conditions for the political
process.
We have
consistently advocated establishing an intra-Syrian dialogue
in accordance with the decisions made in 2012. Our suggestions
were met with a lack of will on the part of all our
partners working on this process. But since the start
of the operations by our Aerospace Forces, the situation
began to change.
The initial
steps were gradually taken, first based on your talks with US PresidentBarack Obama: the Russian-American group began
to prepare a broader process for external support
for intra-Syrian talks. An international Syria support group was
created, which included all the key players without exception, including
regional powers. Agreements on the parameters
for the Syrian political process achieved in this group were
approved by two UN Security Council resolutions, which confirmed
the three-way process of ceasing hostilities, broadening access
to humanitarian supplies in previously besieged areas and starting
intra-Syrian talks.
Thanks
to these decisions, including your latest agreement with President Obama,
today, intra-Syrian talks between the Government delegation
and delegations of multiple opposition groups have finally been
launched in Geneva. The work is difficult and we have yet
to see how all these groups can gather at one table. For now, UN
representatives are working individually with each of them, but
the process has begun, and it is in our common interest
to make it sustainable and irreversible.
Vladimir
Putin:
In a short period, Russia has created a military
group that is small in number but quite effective – one consisting
of different types of forces and diverse capabilities. These
include space reconnaissance, drones, combat missile strike systems
in fighter aircraft and assault aircraft. They also include Navy
forces that used the most modern weaponry from two seas –
the Mediterranean and the Caspian – while working from
surface ships and submarines. We created a powerful air defence system,
including the most modern S-400 complexes.
The truly
effective work by our troops has created conditions to start
the peace process. I feel that the objectives set before
the Defence Ministry and the Russian Armed Forces
in the Syrian Arab Republic have generally been fulfilled.
With
participation by Russian troops and Russian military grouping,
the Syrian troops and Syrian patriotic forces, we were able
to radically change the situation in fighting international
terrorism and take initiative in nearly all areas to create
the conditions for the start of a peace process,
as I said.
At the same
time, our service members – soldiers and officers – have
demonstrated professionalism, teamwork and the ability
to organise this military work far from their territory, without
a common border with the seat of war. They operated effectively
over the course of nearly half a year, bringing
the necessary supplies and guidance to the military
operations.
I feel
that the objective set before the Defence Ministry
and the Armed Forces is generally fulfilled, so I order
the Defence Ministry to begin withdrawing the main part
of our military group from the Syrian Arab Republic beginning
tomorrow. I ask the Foreign Ministry to intensify
the Russian Federation’s participation in organising the peace
process to resolve Syria’s problems.
At the same
time, our base points – our maritime base in Tartus and our
aviation base at the Hmeymim airbase – will function
as before. They must be protected securely from land, sea and air.
This part
of our military group was located in Syria over the course
of many previous years, and today, it must continue to fulfil
the highly important function of monitoring the ceasefire
and creating conditions for the peace process.
I hope
that today’s decision will be a good signal for all conflicting
sides. I hope that this will significantly lift the level
of trust between all participants in the Syrian peace process
and promote resolving the Syrian issue via peaceful means.
<…>
Telephone
conversation with President of Syria Bashar al-Assad
At Russia’s
initiative, Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President
of Syria Bashar al-Assad.
March
14, 2016
20:40
The two
presidents discussed the implementation of the joint statement
by Russia and the United States, in their capacity
as co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group,
on cessation of hostilities in Syria. They share the view
that the ceasefire has made possible a dramatic reduction
in the bloodshed in the country and improved
the humanitarian situation. It has also made it possible to put
in place conditions for starting a peace process under UN aegis.
The two
leaders noted that the operations conducted by Russia’s Aerospace
Forces have brought about a real turnabout in the fight against
the terrorists in Syria, throwing their infrastructure into disarray
and causing them substantial damage.
In this
context, Mr Putin said that Russia’s Armed Forces have fulfilled their main
mission in Syria and a timetable for the withdrawal
of the Aerospace Forces’ main air grouping has been agreed. Russia
will maintain an aviation support centre in Syria in order
to monitor compliance with the ceasefire.
The President
of Syria noted the professionalism, courage and heroism
of the Russian service personnel who took part
in the military operations, and expressed his profound gratitude
to Russia for providing such substantial help in fighting
terrorism and providing humanitarian assistance to the civilian
population.
Mr al-Assad said that he is ready to help
organise a political settlement in the country as soon
as possible. The two presidents expressed the hope that
the full-format talks between Syrian Government officials
and opposition representatives under UN aegis in Geneva will produce
concrete results.
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