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Russian PM says Syrian conflict settlement is priority for Russia, Turkey

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev noted that the dialogue on the situation in Syria between Russia and Turkey has been fully restored and will continue

GORKI, December 6. /TASS/. A settlement of the ongoing conflict in Syria is one of the priority tasks both for Russia and Turkey, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday.

The Russian premier said the Syrian conflict settlement was one of the issues he discussed today during the talks in Moscow with Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim.

"We have agreed that the normalization of the Syrian situation is a priority task for our countries and it will definitely serve to the benefit of the whole region, not to mention Syria, which is currently in a very complicated situation," Medvedev told a news conference after the meeting with Yildirim.

The Russian premier also said they proceed from the fact that "the Syrian settlement as well as the future of the country is, first of all, the issue of the Syrian interior dialogue."

"Everything should be done within the frames of all processes, which were prepared by the people of Syria," Medvedev added.

Medvedev noted that the dialogue on the situation in Syria between Russia and Turkey has been fully restored and will continue.

According to the Russian premier, there is "pretty good communication" on the humanitarian situation in Syria, the fight against terrorism in that country and on other issues related to the Syrian crisis between the Russian and Turkish president, between the militaries and other agencies in the two countries.

"This kind of dialogue is very useful. I must admit that some time ago it just did not exist. Currently, it has been restored to the full, and I am sure that this kind of dialogue between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey will continue," Medvedev said, adding that the issue at hand is consultations "at all necessary levels."

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that the Syrian problem now looks closer to its settlement.

"The Syrian problem now looks closer to its settlement. Steps in this direction will continue," the Turkish premier said.

Yildirim said that the Syrian conflict settlement requires "the dialogue and coordinated efforts" otherwise "undesirable consequences" could ensue. He said that Turkey had been recently maintaining productive relations with Russia on the Syrian issue both at the diplomatic and military levels.

"We definitely want to put an end to the humanitarian catastrophe in Aleppo and want people living there to have access to humanitarian aid," Yildirim said. "Both sides are implying the necessary efforts regarding this issue."

"While Turkey and Russia recognize the need to work closer together in anti-terrorism, not everyone seems equally convinced," the Turkish premier noted. "We have encountered hesitation - not to say foot-dragging - from our European and American partners. Nice words are exchanged about defending civilization against terrorism. But the big terrorist networks challenging us today operate across borders."

"We cannot allow them to find sanctuary in one of our countries only to stage lethal attacks against others. To eradicate terrorism we need a forceful and united international front. And to obtain such a front Turkey and Russia should seek to establish a new, interest-based and more pragmatic type of dialogue with the great powers of the West, based on equality and non-interference in each other’s domestic affairs," he stressed.