Russia's Spokesperson Confirms Political Consultations between Moscow, Ankara

EghtesadOnline: The deputy foreign ministers of Russia and Turkey will hold political consultations in Moscow later on Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

News ID: ۷۶۸۱۶۵

16 July 2016

"I can confirm that political consultations at the level of Russian and Turkish deputy foreign ministers is scheduled for today in Moscow," Zakharova said at a weekly briefing, Sputnik reported.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexei Meshkov and his Turkish counterpart Ali Kemal Aydin plan to focus on restoring bilateral cooperation, she added.

The spokesperson also pointed out to the latest developments in Syria, saying that the as of Thursday ceasefire deal was signed by 171 towns in the country.

She also referred to the Russian pilots who lost their lives in Syria this week and said their names will never be forgotten in Russia.

On NATO-Russia relations, the spokeswoman said the Russia-NATO council was held on July 14 in Brussels. The participants discussed the results of the NATO summit in Warsaw.

Russia voiced a number of proposals for specific confidence-building measures during the latest NATO-Russia Council meeting, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said.

"The Russian side specifically pointed to NATO's direct responsibility for a possible further escalation of the military-political tensions on the European continent as a result of an unprecedented military buildup and bloc activity in regions bordering Russia," Maria Zakharova told reporters.

The Russian side "proposed a number of very specific, practical steps to build confidence" during the meeting, particularly regarding military flights in the Baltic region.

"We expect a specific reaction from our colleagues, NATO representatives," she added.

Russia, however, has condemned NATO buildup in Eastern Europe as it could lead to the tensions in the region, Zakharova said.

Zakharova, when asked about Kerry's visit in Moscow, also said the possibility of Russia-US cooperation on Syria will be discussed during the US State Secretary's visit.

On recent developments over South China Sea, the Russian spokesperson said Moscow urges China and ASEAN member states to finalize a code of conduct in South China Sea which has been worked out since 2002.

On Tuesday, the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration dismissed Beijing's territorial claims in South China Sea in a pro-Philippines ruling rejected by China.

"We support efforts of China and the ASEAN to work out a code of conduct in South China Sea," Zakharova said.

She urged the parties to settle territorial disputes by diplomatic means.

"We believe that states implicated in territorial disputes in the said maritime area should strictly follow the principle of non-use of force and keep searching ways for political and diplomatic settlement of disputes based on international law, primarily on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982 as well as on China-ASEAN agreements," Zakharova added.