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Kremlin says Putin’s Middle East visit not designed to ‘fill a vacuum’

Russia has been present in this region for a long time and has been certainly pursuing its pragmatic interests, the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said

MOSCOW, December 12. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s December 11 visit to Syria, Egypt and Turkey was part of Moscow’s consistent policy in the region rather than an attempt to allegedly "fill a vacuum" of influence in the Middle East, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

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"This is a focused and consistent effort by Russia within the policy framework that the Russian president has been hammering out for a rather long time," Peskov told reporters.

This involves rescuing Syria, supporting the country’s legitimate authorities and searching for a political settlement, as well as developing Moscow’s multifaceted relations with Turkey, Egypt and Syria, he said.

"That’s why these are not the attempts at filling any vacuum. There can be no vacuum, Russia has been present in this region for a long time and has been certainly pursuing its pragmatic interests," he said, noting that Moscow is focused on mutually beneficial and trust-based cooperation.

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Vladimir Putin Dmitry Peskov

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