All interested countries should take part in Syrian settlement discussion - Putin’s spokesman

MOSCOW, October 28. /TASS/. Russia is against artificial exclusion of some countries from the Syrian settlement process discussion, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday. "The Russian side speaks for the broadest possible discussion of issues of political settlement in Syria with participation of all states that may positively influence the settlement course," Peskov told journalists when asked about Moscow’s position at the upcoming multisided meeting on Syria due in Vienna October 30. "We believe that artificially excluding some regional states from the process of discussion is impossible from the viewpoint of finding a viable solution," he said. Peskov underscored that Russia’s priority task at the current stage is the fight against terrorism and extremism in the Syrian Arab Republic. He said Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about that at today's meeting with German Vice Chancellor, Economic Affairs and Energy Minister Sigmar Gabriel. "At least, the president said, [the priority is] to deliver a tangible blow to terrorist and extremist groups," Peskov said. After that, he said, "it will be possible to speak closely about political settlement." "It is unfortunately absolutely unpromising and illogical to act otherwise," he said. Peskov said there are no consultations between Russia and the United States on possible coordination of the two countries’ militaries’ actions in Syria in case of a ground operation. Russia’s Aerospace Forces started delivering pinpoint strikes at facilities of the Islamic State terrorist organization in Syria on September 30. The air group comprises over 50 aircraft and helicopters, including Sukhoi Su-24M, Su-25SM and state-of-the-art Su-34 aircraft. Hundreds of terrorist facilities have been hit by Russian aircraft. On October 7, four missile ships of the Russian Navy’s Caspian Flotilla fired 26 Kalibr cruise missiles (NATO codename Sizzler) at militants’ facilities in Syria. On October 8, the Syrian army passed to a large-scale offensive. Russia’s Armed Forces act on a request from Syrian President Bashar Assad. The Russian Federation does not plan to take part in ground operations in Syria. According to UN statistics, fighting between Syrian government troops and militants has killed more than 200,000 people and displaced millions since its start in 2011. An international peace conference on Syria, dubbed Geneva-2, organized by Russia and the United States and designed to negotiate a solution to the Syrian crisis, held in January and February 2014, brought no particular progress. Read more