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Russia will inform US about Russian operation against IS in Syria — deputy FM

The deputy foreign minister stressed that Moscow did not send any negative signals about US’ presence in the Syrian airspace
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov TASS/Sergei Fadeichev
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov
© TASS/Sergei Fadeichev

ST. PETERSBURG, October 1. /TASS/. Russia will inform the United States about the operation against the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in Syria, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told journalists in St. Petersburg on Thursday.

"We will inform interested parties, including the United States, about our actions in the framework of air operation in the fight against the Islamic State," Ryabkov said.

He added that US did not send any signals about their desire to join the information center in Baghdad set up by Russia, Syria, Iraq and Iran and tasked with collecting and analyzing intelligence data about IS activities. "US did not send any signals. We do not insist on this," Rybakov noted.

The deputy foreign minister stressed that Moscow did not send any negative signals about US’ presence in the Syrian airspace. "I will not agree that we sent any negative signals or anything like that to the United States," he noted, commenting on Russia’s recommendation for the US to temporarily refrain from flights over Syria. "We sent a recommendation to American colleagues, and they have the right to follow it or not," Ryabkov added.

Statements on this issue were repeatedly made by Russia’s Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry. "Other statements on this topic will possibly follow later today in New York," Ryabkov said.

He added that the word "demarche" often used in media reports in connection with the Russian recommendation "does not have this negative connotation assigned to this term in everyday life."

"In diplomacy, the word ‘demarche’ does not have a negative connotation. Demarche means a gesture for diplomats, any signal that communicates something serious to another part. It can be a positive signal," Ryabkov explained.

Russian Aerospace Forces on Thursday started delivering airstrikes at IS positions in Syria.