Kremlin spokesman says Putin did not hold meetings with Syrian and Saudi Arabian representatives

MOSCOW, July 23. /TASS/. The Kremlin refutes reports by Lebanon’s media about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s alleged meetings with representatives of Syria’s President Bashar Assad and Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on rapprochement of their positions on fight against terrorism, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Thursday. "This information is inaccurate," Peskov said, answering a question on whether such meetings really took place. Lebanese media earlier reported that the Kremlin has stepped up efforts to bring closer the positions of Syria and Saudi Arabia on fighting against terrorism. Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly planned to hold meeting with representatives of Syrian President Bashar Assad and Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. "Fighting against terrorism and cooperation with all countries interested in this is always on the agenda," Peskov noted. "Other details [in media reports] are, let’s say, far from reality," the spokesman said. On Wednesday, Peskov told TASS that "there is no concrete date yet" of Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s possible visit to Russia. Russian-Saudi relations are rather dynamic now and contacts are maintained at very different levels, the spokesman said. "Exchanging visit at different levels is on the agenda. But there is nothing yet to say about the King," he stressed. In June, Russia’s presidential aide Yury Ushakov said that the Saudi Arabian King "is invited to visit Russia in autumn, and the issue will be considered." Read more