MOSCOW, October 15. /TASS/. Russia counts on Turkey’s support in the fight against terrorism, Russian president’s special envoy for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Thursday at the conference "Russia and Turkey: strengthening diverse cooperation."
"Coordinated efforts of all the interested parties are required for curbing international terrorism. The effectiveness of the airstrikes made by the Russian Aerospace Forces on the positions of terrorists with the simultaneous offensive mounted by the Syrian army show that the decisive fight against the global evil is possible and necessary," Bogdanov said. "Our antiterrorist strategy has been understood by a number of the region’s countries. We hope that the Turkish friends will render the corresponding support to us."
"The individual efforts of the moderate Syrian opposition, Kurdish militia groups to combat Islamic State with the help of key regional players can play a crucial role in the resistance to the terrorists," the diplomat said. "At the same time we must not forget the need for continued international assistance to the efforts for finding a way to resolve the Syrian and other crises by political means. This should be done based on international law, proceeding from the fact that there is no alternative to the solution of all the problems between the authorities and the opposition by way of negotiations."
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Russia and Turkey to shortly hold consultations on Syria
Russia and Turkey will hold consultations on Syria within the next few days, Mikhail Bogdanov told the conference.
Russia and Turkey are interested in good-neighborly relations, Bogdanov said. "Their expansion and onward development would contribute to arriving at multidimensional in the energy sector strategic partnership," said Bogdanov, who is also Russian president’s special representative for the Middle East and Africa.
"The time-proven mechanism of the High-Level Russian-Turkish Council and the Strategic Dialogue Group is available for a timely discussion of emerging differences," he said.
"I confirm the readiness of the Russian Foreign Ministry to continue consultations with Turkish partners on the whole range of Middle East issues with an aim to find common ground," he added.
"I hope that shortly — literally within the next few days — we will hold consultations with our Turkish partners to discuss the situation in detail and to try to find common ground that would help in fight against terrorism," Mikhail Bogdanov concluded.