View Single Post
Old February 7th, 2019 #1
Alex Him
Senior Member
 
Alex Him's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,834
Blog Entries: 219
Post Vladimir Putin's speeches and events II

According to the proposal of Ray Allan - https://vnnforum.com/showpost.php?p=...&postcount=557 , I open the second topic about speeches and events of Vladimir Putin.

You can find the first topic here - https://vnnforum.com/showthread.php?t=319431








Condolences to President of Mexico Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador



January 21, 2019 - 13:05



Vladimir Putin sent a message of condolences to President of the United Mexican States Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador over a pipeline explosion and fire in the State of Hidalgo.

The President of Russia conveyed his condolences to the victims’ families and friends and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/59707






Talks with Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe



Vladimir Putin held talks at the Kremlin with Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe, who arrived in Russia on a working visit at the invitation of the Russian President.



January 22, 2019 - 18:20 - The Kremlin, Moscow







The two leaders discussed the state of and prospects for the development of bilateral cooperation in the political, trade, economic and humanitarian areas. Following on from the agreements reached at the previous meetings in Singapore and Buenos Aires, issues related to the conclusion of a peace treaty between the two countries were reviewed. The two leaders also exchanged views on major international and regional issues.

Following the talks, Vladimir Putin and Shinzo Abe made statements for the press.








President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr Prime Minister, dear Shinzo, friends. I am delighted to welcome you to the Kremlin.

I am very pleased that our meetings have become regular, which allows us to discuss various issues related to the development of bilateral relations and the situation in the region.







I want to thank you for accepting our invitation and coming to visit us in Moscow on the way to an international event in Switzerland. Tentatively, our colleagues worked on many areas, including the economy and foreign policy, and issues pertaining to the peace treaty.

I am very glad to see you. Welcome!







Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe (retranslated):

Mr President, colleagues. I am happy to meet with you here at the beginning of this year as we agreed in Singapore and Buenos Aires.

Let me note that 2018 became a turning point in Russia-Japan relations. Now in 2019, Japan is planning many important events, such as the G20 Presidency.







For our part, we are ready to do all we can to make 2019 a year of the rapid [development of relations] between Japan and Russia.







I am pleased to say that our bilateral cooperation is producing tangible results in eight areas, including Japan-Russia cross years.







Today, I am planning to discuss the issues related to the conclusion of the peace treaty, with due account of the results of the foreign ministers’ meeting and the meeting of the negotiators last week. In addition, I hope for a straight exchange of views on bilateral relations and international issues with a view to developing our ties on a large scale.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/59713






Press statements following talks with Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe



Following the talks, Vladimir Putin and Shinzo Abe made statements for the press.



January 22, 2019 - 18:30 - The Kremlin, Moscow







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr Prime Minister, ladies and gentlemen,

Talks with the Prime Minister of Japan were held in a business-like and constructive atmosphere, and have just ended.

I want to mention that Mr Shinzo Abe and I maintain close working contact. This is our fourth meeting in six months. Most recently, in November and December 2018, we met in Singapore on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit and in Buenos Aires at the G20 summit. This dialogue at the highest level is reinforced by strong interaction in the Russian-Japanese Intergovernmental Commission, the two countries’ security councils, their foreign and defence ministries, including in the 2+2 format, and in the national parliaments. I believe that this intensity of political ties serves as confirmation of the interest of the two countries to develop cooperation based on the principles of good neighbourliness, respect and consideration for each other’s interests.

It was in such a positive manner that the Prime Minister and I discussed the bilateral agenda. As is customary, priority was given to the prospects for expanding trade and investment ties. We noted the gradual growth of mutual trade. In January-November 2018, volume increased 18 percent to almost $20 billion. Japanese investment in the Russian economy is about $2.2 billion.

The joint work on implementation of the initiatives that Mr Abe and I approved earlier continues. I am referring to the Japanese Plan of Cooperation in eight areas, which, as a matter of fact, was proposed by the Prime Minister, and the Russian list of priority investment projects. Japanese entrepreneurs are investing in many sectors of the Russian economy and participate in both the St Petersburg Forum and the Eastern Economic Forum.







There is much potential for enhancing energy cooperation. Gazprom, Mitsui and Mitsubishi are building a third technological line at the LNG plant as part of the Sakhalin-2 project. The possible involvement of our Japanese partners in the Arctic LNG-2, the Baltic LNG projects and the construction of an LNG terminal in the Kamchatka Territory is being studied. Russian experts are developing neutron detectors to identify damaged fuel to mitigate the consequences of the accident at the Fukushima-1 NPP.

Cooperation in transport and infrastructure is expanding. Last December Japanese companies purchased a 10 percent stake in the company that is managing the upgrade of Khabarovsk Airport. Joint trial runs of container shipments via the Trans-Siberian Railway were carried out. If they become regular, supplies of Japanese goods to third countries via Russian territory will increase manifold. Transport development along the Northern Sea Route, for LNG exports to Japan and states in the Asia-Pacific region, looks promising.

Thus, in general, Russian-Japanese economic cooperation is making steady progress. There are obvious achievements on this track. However, both Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and I share the view that a qualitative change has not yet been made and that the potential for bilateral cooperation has not been realised in full. Therefore, we discussed the development of more ambitious plans to expand economic ties in key areas: from trade to investment and technological cooperation. In particular, it will be possible, already in the coming years, to set a goal to increase Russian-Japanese trade by at least 50 percent to $30 billion.

We noted an increase in cultural contacts. The Russian-Japanese Cross Years of Culture, which Mr Abe and I launched in May 2018, are enjoying success. The programme includes over 400 different events held in our respective countries. Russia and Japan are co-hosts of the International Theatre Olympiad which will be held in St Petersburg and Toyama in the second half of the year and which will bring together performers from 30 countries.







Of course, we discussed the prospects for concluding a peace treaty. The Prime Minister and I spent a lot of time discussing this issue. We have been in dialogue with Mr Abe on this matter for several years now. In Singapore, we agreed with the Prime Minister to base the negotiation process on the 1956 Joint Declaration of the Soviet Union and Japan. This primarily provides for the conclusion of a peace treaty. We reiterated our interest in having this document signed. We appointed our respective foreign ministers as coordinators and they held the first round of talks in Moscow on January 14 and reported the results to us today.

I emphasise that there is long and painstaking work ahead to create proper conditions for reaching mutually acceptable solutions. Our goal is to ensure the long-term and comprehensive development of Russian-Japanese relations at a high-quality level. Of course, the decision that the negotiators will come up with should be acceptable to the peoples of Russia and Japan and supported by both. We agreed to continue our efforts to organise joint economic activities on the southern Kuril Islands in five previously approved areas, specifically, aquaculture, greenhouse farming, wind power generation, tourism and waste treatment, that is, addressing environmental issues.

In closing, I would like to thank the Prime Minister of Japan and all our Japanese friends and colleagues for the productive and informative exchange of opinions today. The discussion was candid and meaningful. I believe that this visit will be beneficial for our bilateral relations and will bring us closer to resolving the key issues of cooperation.

Thank you.







Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe (retranslated):

I was in Moscow eight months ago in May. With this winter cold and this coat of white snow, Moscow looks even more impressive.

Today, shortly after the new year began, President Putin and I were able to frankly discuss prospects for cooperation between Japan and Russia in various areas. This is a great start for Japanese-Russian relations in 2019.

Eight months ago, Vladimir and I, here in Moscow at the Bolshoi Theatre, announced the start of the first ever Japan-Russia cultural cross year. Now, six months later, we can say that the first half of the cross year was a success with over 500 events held in our countries. I hope that during the next six months (the President and I are expected to participate in the cross year closing ceremony in June) our cultural ties at various levels will become even stronger.

The number of Russians who visited Japan last year reached an all-time high. In general, the number of reciprocal visits is growing rapidly. Last year, it was about 100,000 tourists in each country. Last year, a large number of Japanese football fans went to Russia for the World Cup. They enjoyed a warm reception in all regions of your country. In Japan, a large number of football fans were fighting off sleep – there is the time difference between our countries – as they struggled to watch live televised broadcast of the matches and could feel the atmosphere of various Russian cities. We have set ourselves a goal to add even more dynamics to this trend and, by 2023, double the number of visits, that is, 200,000 tourists in each direction for a total of 400,000.

We will strive to make our economic ties closer and to develop ties in various areas of tourism and, of course, region-to-region relations as well as ties between our universities so that Japan and Russia can reach this goal.

Relations between the deputies and the parliaments of our countries continue to develop. Last July, President of the House of Councillors of the National Diet visited Russia and delivered a speech in the Russian Senate. This was the first such event in the history of the relations between our countries.







In December last year, the Japan-Russia Parliamentary Friendship Association signed a memorandum of understanding on further cooperation. Inter-deputy and inter-parliamentary relations are an important pillar in the development of Japanese-Russian relations, and we will support it this year.

More than two and a half years have passed since I proposed an eight-point cooperation plan. Over 170 projects came to life. Last month saw the beginning of the Japanese companies’ participation in the management of the Khabarovsk airport; a samurai bond was issued by Gazprom – such a decision was made. I welcome this constructive attitude from the companies of our countries to conduct business hand in hand.

Two years have passed since President Putin and I, in my hometown of Nagato, declared our sincere determination to conclude a peace treaty with our hands. We took the course to solve this problem based on a new approach. Our cooperation with President Putin is unprecedented: joint economic activities on three islands and two field studies were held, a business mission was sent, the members of which were mainly from private civil agencies, and a roadmap on proposed projects was developed. We see a concrete path ahead.

At today’s meeting, President Putin and I gave instructions to relevant people and agencies to work together clearly and promptly for the speedy implementation of joint economic activities.

Humane measures for the former inhabitants of the islands to visit the graves of their ancestors play a big role in creating confidence between the peoples of both countries on the way to concluding a peace treaty. In light of the agreements reached in Nagato, this was the first visit to these graves by plane. Today at the meeting, the President and I confirmed the significance of such activities and agreed that visiting the graves of ancestors by plane this year will be implemented in the summer.

President Putin and I spent a lot of time discussing the peace treaty today without hiding anything from each other.

President Putin and I welcome the fact that concrete talks began between our respective foreign ministers last week based on the agreement the President and I reached in Singapore, which is designed to expedite the talks on a peace treaty based on the 1956 Joint Declaration. We welcome the fact that the discussion during these talks was honest and serious. We instructed our foreign ministers to hold the next round of talks on the sidelines of the security conference in Munich in February, and our special heads of state representatives to take the talks to the next level.







This issue has remained without a resolution for over 70 years since the end of WWII. This is not an easy task to deal with, but we must resolve it. Under the firm leadership of President Putin and me, we must join our efforts and work energetically to ensure even greater trust in relations between the citizens of Japan and the citizens of Russia, the relations of friends, and the search for a mutually acceptable solution. Today, President Putin and I reiterated our determination to do this work.

To deepen trust in the sphere of security, this year we will expand ties between our respective defence ministries and border services. Japanese-Russian cooperation has already yielded a number of successful results in countering non-conventional threats, such as drug trafficking. We will be enhancing these efforts and expanding the scope of cooperation.

With regard to North Korea, our countries will continue to cooperate, because peace and stability in Northeast Asia is a major and common goal.

This year, we will be looking forward to a number of important events, such as the transfer of the throne from the emperor to the crown prince and a meeting of the G20 leaders in Osaka. In June, we invite Vladimir Putin to Japan for the G20 Summit. I look forward to our next meeting, the meeting of the leaders of Japan and Russia, as well as the closing ceremony for the cross years, which we will hold together.

In September-November, the Rugby World Cup will be held in Japan for the first time. The opening match will be held between the national teams of Japan and Russia. I am sure that both teams will show the best of what they have, and whatever team wins at the final whistle, we will congratulate and celebrate each other for a beautiful game.

May 2019 be a productive, eventful and good year for the citizens of Japan and Russia.

Thank you very much.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/59714






Russia-Turkey talks



The President of Russia met at the Kremlin with President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan who arrived in Russia on a working visit.



January 23, 2019 - 17:40 - The Kremlin, Moscow







During a limited format meeting, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed key aspects of bilateral cooperation in the trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian areas, as well as issues pertaining to a Syrian settlement. Afterward, the talks continued with the participation of members of the delegations.

The heads of state held a joint news conference upon the completion of the talks.








President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr President,

I am pleased to welcome you here in Moscow.

We continue our practice of regular meetings, consultations and exchange of views, and I should note that this is yielding positive results.

In the first 10 months of 2018, bilateral trade grew more than in the entire previous year. The number of Russian tourists visiting Turkey last year rose by 30 percent to an all-time high of six million.







This goes to show how the citizens of our countries perceive the change in the nature and quality of Russian-Turkish relations.

Mr President, my dear friend, the credit for this largely goes to you personally. It is your personal achievement, because you devote significant attention to this matter.

Major joint projects are being implemented, and everything is going according to plan.

Of course, we also deal with regional security and cooperate extensively on Syria.

Welcome, I am happy to see you.







President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (retranslated):

My dear friend, after the frequent meetings that you and I had in 2018, this will be our first meeting in 2019.

Indeed, our relations are expanding in many spheres, including culture, military and trade.

Undoubtedly, the fact that our relations are expanding is having a ripple effect on regional security. No doubt, our solidarity is making a significant contribution to regional security.

We held trilateral summits in Sochi, Tehran and Ankara as part of the Astana process, which have made a great contribution to promoting this process, and I believe our meeting will also be beneficial for it.







Our expanding relations in tourism show that our respective countries and peoples continue to strengthen their ties.

As you have noted, our trade relations are on the rise, and this trend will continue into the future. During our meetings, you set the goal of taking our trade to the $100 billion mark.

I would also like to take this opportunity to express my condolences to the families of those who died in the collision of two ships in the Kerch Strait. It is well known that 16 Turkish citizens died in this accident.

Thank you very much, Mr Putin, for your sympathetic approach to this matter.

(Speaking Russian) Thank you.







Vladimir Putin:

I want to express my condolences on the deaths of those Turkish citizens.

The incident occurred outside our territorial sea in neutral waters as fuel was being pumped from one ship to another.







Indeed, our first responders acted promptly and did their best to save the people. Still, it is a major tragedy for the victims’ families and the people who were injured.

Please accept my condolences.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/59717






News conference following Russian-Turkish talks



Vladimir Putin and President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a joint news conference after Russian-Turkish consultations.



January 23, 2019 - 21:30 - The Kremlin, Moscow







President of Russia Vladimir Putin:

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen,

Regrettably, on the eve of our talks, reports of a tragic accident on the Black Sea arrived. We talked about this at the beginning of our meeting. Turkish sailors are among the dead. I would like to express my sincere condolences once again in this connection.

Mr President and I work closely and meet regularly. Our meetings are always intensive and, without exaggeration, productive. This has a positive influence on our practical work.

The Russia-Turkey-Iran summits in Ankara and Tehran, as part of the Astana process, are also very productive. They were devoted to the settlement in Syria. We are preparing to host another summit in Russia soon. Mr President and I have already agreed on the venue and tentative date. We will have to coordinate this with our Iranian partners.

Today, our talks took place in a constructive and businesslike atmosphere, something that is traditional for Russian-Turkish talks. We largely concentrated on economic issues and humanitarian ties but certainly spoke at length about the situation in Syria. We discussed in detail the prospects for the inter-Syrian political process.

Russia and Turkey assume a clear-cut position of principle – to achieve a long-term settlement of the Syrian crisis on a political and diplomatic basis, primarily, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254 and with strict observance of the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.

It is in this vein that Mr President and I discussed issues of cooperation in the Astana format. At this time, this format is the most effective mechanism for settling the conflict in Syria.

We, of course, focused on establishing a Constitutional Committee, which will deal with key aspects of the future structure of the state in Syria. Let me remind you that Russian and Turkish diplomats, in close contact with their Iranian colleagues, carried out serious work to coordinate the membership of this committee and honoured all agreements we reached with France and Germany in Istanbul.

Sadly, we failed to form this Constitutional Committee before the end of last year, though our efforts laid a strong and balanced foundation for launching a stable and viable political settlement process.

We also discussed issues related to finally putting a stop to all terrorist groups’ activities in Syria. In particular, we talked about implementing the Russian-Turkish Memorandum on establishing a demilitarised zone in Idlib, which we signed in Sochi. We can see that our Turkish partners spare no effort to eliminate the terrorist threat emanating from there.

At the same time, we must work together with the aim of finally relieving tensions in that area. In this context, we discussed what additional steps Russia and Turkey could take to stabilise the situation around Idlib.

We proceed from the premise that supporting the ceasefire should not come at the expense of the struggle against terrorists, which is to be continued.

Another topic of discussion was the US leadership’s intention to withdraw US troops from the north-east of Syria and its effect on developments in the Syrian Arab Republic going forward. If these plans are really executed, it will be a positive step and would help stabilise the situation in this troubled area of Syria, currently under the control of Kurdish formations.

In this context, we support official Damascus entering into dialogue with Kurdish representatives. This dialogue would doubtless promote the consolidation of Syrian society and national accord, which would be in the interests of both Syria and all neighbouring countries.

Cooperation between Russia and Turkey in the post-conflict development of Syria is of great importance. The President and I agreed that the military forces and diplomats of both our countries would continue coordinated efforts in this direction with the aim of encouraging the large-scale return of Syrian refugees and internally displaced persons.

When speaking about the current aspect of bilateral relations, we noted that economic cooperation was increasing. Trade for January-November 2018 increased by 18 percent to $23 billion or more than over the whole year of 2017.

The High-Level Russian-Turkish Cooperation Council has been working efficiently to coordinate Russian-Turkish partnership in a number of spheres. The council’s next meeting will be held in Russia this year.

Russia and Turkey are working together on major projects, primarily in energy. Last November in Istanbul, the President of Turkey and I took part in a ceremony marking the completion of the TurkStream gas pipeline’s offshore section. I would like to remind everyone that within less than 18 months we have built two underwater lines of this project of major importance for Russia and Turkey; each line will carry 15.75 billion cubic metres of natural gas. We hope the onshore part of the project will proceed at a comparable pace, so that we will be able to launch the pipeline according to plan by the end of 2019.

The launch of this new gas pipeline is important for the energy security of both Turkey and southern and southeastern Europe.

We are on course to implement another major project, the construction of Turkey’s first nuclear power plant, Akkuyu. We are building the first power unit for it and plan to put it into operation in 2023, in time for the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey, just as Mr President has instructed.

We welcome the Turkish business community’s interest in expanding operations in the Russian market. In this context, we have invited Turkey to attend the INNOPROM-2019 International Industrial Trade Fair, which will be held in Yekaterinburg in July, as a partner country.

Of course, we also discussed our cultural and humanitarian ties. We are preparing to hold the cross-years of culture and tourism in Russia and Turkey.

Russia firmly holds first place in the number of foreign tourists visiting Turkey. Nearly six million Russian tourists visited Turkey in 2018. Our Turkish partners have developed close cooperation with us in order to ensure the comfort and security of Russian visitors.

I would like to conclude by saying that our talks with Mr Erdogan were meaningful and fruitful. They will undoubtedly help strengthen Russian-Turkish relations on the principles of neighbourliness and respect for one another’s interests.

I would like to thank President Erdogan for accepting our invitation to come to Moscow today.

Thank you very much.







President of the Republic of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan (retranslated):

Mr President, my dear friend,

Delegation heads and members of the media,

I wholeheartedly greet all of you.

I would like to say once again that I am delighted to be in Russia. In your presence, I would like to express my gratitude to Mr President for the warm welcome accorded to us.

We have come to Russia shortly after the terrible tragedy in the Kerch Strait. Four of the 16 dead are Turkish citizens. The search and rescue operation is still going on.

May those who have died rest in peace. I wish courage and patience to the victims’ families and speedy recovery to those injured. I extend our condolences to the other countries whose citizens have died.

Despite the adverse weather, Russia conducted the search and rescue operation in full. I would like to express our gratitude to Mr Putin and all representatives of the Russian team.

We maintain close and very good cooperation in all spheres, including the economy, trade, energy and culture. Being our countries’ leaders, Mr Putin and I can say that our cooperation is growing stronger from day to day.

Our economic cooperation is growing progressively, and our bilateral trade is on the rise. As Mr President has noted, our trade has reached $26 billion.

Our two main projects – the Akkuyu nuclear power plant and the TurkStream gas pipeline – are moving forward consistently.

This year we plan to hold a large number of events as part of the cross-year of culture and tourism.

Russia holds the leading place in terms of the tourists visiting Turkey. Last year, we had some 6 million Russian tourists. We expect the number to increase considerably this year.

As for visa-free travel, we had this issue on our agenda and we discussed it. The introduction of this procedure would have a great impact on our relations in terms of mutual travel.

As far as Syria is concerned, we discussed both the Idlib memorandum and the quadripartite summit. We also assessed the US decision to pull out its forces.

Cooperation between Turkey and Russia is a touchstone of Syrian peace and stability. Together with our Russian friends, we intend to strengthen our coordination still further. It is of critical importance in this respect not to allow a vacuum of power to take shape after the US pullout.

Our only goal as a state is to fight terrorist groups and to clear the territory from these elements, primarily ISIS and YPG. We know well who supports them. We are particularly opposed to the terrorist organisations that are attempting to undermine our relations with Russia.

We will work in close coordination and will rapidly implement the decisions approved in this area.

A Constitutional Committee should be formed within a brief timeframe. We would like to accelerate work in this area, particularly the joint efforts by the relevant colleagues. We hope and we are certain that the job will be done soon.

We have reviewed the problem of Syrian refugees. This issue is clearly affecting us because my country is giving refuge to 3.5 million Syrians.

Over 300,000 Syrians have returned to their homes in both the Operation Euphrates Shield zone and the Operation Olive Branch zone. These people have resumed normal life that is far removed from terrorism and various problems.

All of this should be implemented and extended to other territories in Syria and the eastern bank of the Euphrates. We will work accordingly in all formats – both bilateral and the Astana formats.

We will hold a new trilateral summit in Russia with my friend Mr Rouhani. We are also planning that Russia will host a meeting of the High-Level Cooperation Council.

I would like to express the wish that the decisions we have approved only benefit our countries and to thank my dear friend Mr Putin for his hospitality.







Question (retranslated):

About the security zone [buffer zone]: are there any specific achievements in bilateral negotiations with the American side? Was this question on today's agenda?

Mr Putin, what is Russia’s approach to this issue? Thank you.



Recep Tayyip Erdogan:

Meetings continue on the creation of a security zone. All the regions that pose a threat to us are very important, and we must take appropriate measures. In our contacts with the Americans, we can see that they have a positive approach to our requirements [to create a buffer zone] of 25–30 kilometres.

We have no problems with Russia in this regard, because these regions will be cleared of terrorists. After that, our respective authorities, the ministers of foreign affairs and the ministers of defence will do the required work, and we will remain sensitive to this issue.







Vladimir Putin:

In this connection, I would like to remind you that the American military personnel are present on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic illegally. There are no international legal grounds for having them there, neither an invitation from the legitimate government, nor a decision of the United Nations Security Council.

At the same time, as you know, we have established constructive cooperation with our American partners in the fight against terrorism, including in Syria. I hope that this work will continue. This is my first point.

The second. We respect the interests of our Turkish friends in ensuring their security.

And the third. The 1998 treaty between the Syrian Arab Republic and the Republic of Turkey is still valid, and it deals specifically with the fight against terrorism. I think this is the legal framework that covers many issues relating to ensuring Turkey’s security on its southern borders. Today we have been discussing this issue thoroughly and intensively enough.



Question:

Mr Erdogan, Mr Putin,

My question will have several parts but all of them deal with the same subject.

First of all, I would like to ask you to clarify the situation in Idlib, where, despite a degree of success, terrorists continue to operate actively and where more and more violations of the ceasefire regime are recorded. What agreements have you reached today for resolving this situation?

Another matter I would like to ask you to clarify is the Constitutional Committee that was mentioned today. Its membership has not yet been made public. What, in your opinion, are the main obstacles to finalising this process, and how do you plan to overcome them?







Vladimir Putin:

The first part of your question deals with Idlib and the Idlib security zone.

Indeed, we have discussed this matter in great detail today (I talked about it, and President Erdogan has also noted this). I would like to repeat once again, we can see that our Turkish friends are working hard to fulfil all our agreements in order to guarantee security and set up a buffer zone there. Unfortunately, many problems persist there, and our Turkish partners and we can see all this.

We have agreed on how to coordinate our work in the short term. Defence ministers held additional consultations in our presence, and they are drafting additional joint measures. We will implement them, and we will see to it that all our agreements are fulfilled. We agree that we must continue to jointly fight terrorists wherever they are, including in the Idlib zone.

Regarding the second question about establishing the Constitutional Committee, we believe that this is a very important process that should reinforce our achievements on the ground in the fight against terrorists because all long-term issues can only be completely resolved by political and diplomatic methods alone.

It is essential to press for accord between all warring parties in Syria. This can only be accomplished through talks, including talks on establishing a stable institution of state authority that would be accepted by all denominations and ethnic groups. This institution should make everyone feel that they are involved in the future of their homeland, the Syrian Arab Republic.

As for difficulties, they have, unfortunately, arisen, and I have also noted this. All of us, all the parties involved in this process, should display additional political will, greater consistency, and a sincere desire to achieve results. I want to emphasise the latter aspect.

As you know, the leaders of Russia, Turkey, France and the Federal Republic of Germany met in Istanbul at the initiative of the President of Turkey, and agreed to jointly establish this committee.

Our colleagues asked Russia to coordinate these matters regarding this committee’s line-up with the Syrian Government and our Iranian partners. The Republic of Turkey had to accomplish a difficult task and to coordinate this list with representatives of the opposition.

We have completed this difficult job. I assure you that we have coordinated this matter during a difficult discussion with Damascus and Tehran. I am sure that it was not easy for our Turkish friends to coordinate this list with the opposition.

However, we know, and not just know, but, I think, Mr President will confirm this: we coordinated and agreed with what was declared by the Turkish side. The work was over, but suddenly, at the final stage, when it was necessary to put a full stop, we heard in Geneva that some of our partners regarded this job as unfinished.

For us, this was absolutely unexpected. I think this can be found even in the Internet. I mean a letter to the UN Secretary-General, a letter signed and sent on behalf of the permanent representatives of France, Germany, and Great Britain. Item 5 of the letter states that Special Representative Mr de Mistura is not to approve any statement concerning the Constitutional Committee which the Astana guarantors will make in Geneva on December 18–19.

For us, this was absolutely unexpected, and now I even find it difficult to comment on this appeal to the Secretary-General by our partners. But we will, of course, practice patience and will continue working with them, too, although we can hardly understand what their position is based on.

I have already had conversations with my counterparts from France and the Federal Republic of Germany. I hope our foreign ministries will manage to organise this work in such a way as to restore the former level of trust.







Recep Tayyip Erdogan:

My dear friend has given a clear and concise reply on both Idlib and the Constitutional Committee, because we had been in contact on these matters earlier.

In Idlib, we will fight the terrorist organisations jointly, as we agreed, because this fight is a protracted rather than a one-time affair. Our main goal is to make sure that the Syrian people enjoy calm and stability, and to deprive the terrorist elements of opportunities. We have once again reiterated our support for each other in this matter.

As far as the Constitutional Committee is concerned, we have clearly stated on this issue that our foreign ministries will go on with their work.

Mr De Mistura was present at our summit and we have his representative here.

How will the new process continue and what it will be like?

But the letter that was quoted just now really surprised all of us. But this is sooner their problem, not ours.

At the Istanbul summit, we all demonstrated that a joint solution had been reached and we will continue advancing in this direction. In this regard, my dear friend and I are of the same opinion. We hope that this effort will be crowned with success. But the work must continue in this direction.

Thank you.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/59718






Telephone conversation with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria Boyko Borisov.



January 24, 2019 - 17:45



The discussion covered a number of important current issues of bilateral cooperation, including in the field of energy.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/59721






Greetings to participants, organisers and guests of 30th KVN International Festival gala concert



Vladimir Putin sent a message of greetings to the participants, organisers and guests of the gala concert devoted to the 30th anniversary of the KVN International Festival.



January 24, 2019 - 19:00



The message reads, in part:

“The current Festival has brought together in hospitable Sochi thousands of talented and creative young people from Russia and other countries, for whom being a member of the friendly and cohesive fraternity of the Club of the Funny and Inventive (KVN) has become an important, inalienable part of their lives. It has given them a wonderful opportunity to work on the same stage, exchange positive experience and meet with their devoted fans who are sincerely fond of the thrilling game called the Club of the Funny and Inventive, know its participants and the wonderful traditions that pass from one generation to another. After all, there are no former members of this club and many of those whom this project made famous remain in contact with this club to this day.”

The Club of the Funny and Inventive (KVN) is a popular humorous television gameshow, in which teams from universities, businesses, cities and countries compete in offering humorous answers to questions, and performing improvisations on set themes, rehearsed genre scenes, etc.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/59723






Telephone conversation with President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro



Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro.



January 24, 2019 - 19:35



The President of Russia expressed support for the legitimate Venezuelan authorities amid the worsening of the internal political crisis provoked from outside the country. He emphasised that destructive external interference is a gross violation of the fundamental norms of international law. He spoke in favour of searching for solutions within the constitutional framework and overcoming differences in Venezuelan society through peaceful dialogue.

The President of Venezuela provided his assessment of the dangerous turn of events in his country in recent days and expressed gratitude for the principled stance taken by the Russian Federation.

The presidents reaffirmed their shared desire to continue Russian-Venezuelan cooperation in a variety of areas.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/59724






Condolences to President of Brazil Jair Messias Bolsonaro



January 27, 2019 - 12:00



Vladimir Putin sent a message of condolences to President of the Federative Republic of Brazil Jair Messias Bolsonaro in connection with the tragic aftermath of the disaster in Minas Gerais.

The President of Russia conveyed his deepest sympathy and support to the victim’s friends and families and his wishes of a speedy recovery to the injured.




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/59735






Condolences to President of the Republic of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte



Vladimir Putin sent condolences to President of the Republic of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte in connection with the tragic aftermath of the terrorist attack in Jolo.



January 27, 2019 - 13:20



The message reads, in part:

“A crime committed against civilians who had congregated for church services is shocking in its cynicism and cruelty. I expect that the masterminds and perpetrators of this crime will sustain the punishment they deserve.

I would like to reiterate our readiness to further step up interaction with our Philippine partners in combating the terrorist threat in all its forms and manifestations.

People in Russia share the grief of the victims’ friends and families and hope for a prompt recovery of the injured.”




The source of information - http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/59737
__________________
Where should they dig the Very Deep Pit?
Piglet said that the best place would be somewhere where a Heffalump was, just before he fell into it, only about a foot farther on.
(c) Alan Alexander Miln