Russia, Turkey to cooperate despite different stance on US strikes against Syria — Kremlin

Russian Politics & Diplomacy April 16, 2018, 15:53

The Kremlin spokesman has commented on a recent statement from French President Emmanuel Macron

MOSCOW, April 16. /TASS/. Different stance of Russia and Turkey on the recent strikes of the United States against Syria will not obstruct further cooperation between Moscow and Ankara, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

"These strikes did not divide Russia and Turkey," Peskov said commenting on a recent statement from French President Emmanuel Macron.

"It is of no secret that positions of Moscow and Ankara differ on a number of issues, however, this does not hamper further exchange of bilateral opinions as well as discussions of differences in our positions," Peskov said.

"Most importantly, it has no impact on the long-term multilateral perspectives of the cooperation development and interaction regarding the implementation of major economic and other projects," the Russian presidential spokesman added.

French President Macron said on Sunday he believed that following last weekend’s US missile strikes against Syria positions of Moscow and Ankara on the ongoing Syrian conflict tend to differ.

According to data of Russia’s Defense Ministry, the missile strike against Syria’s military and civilian infrastructures was carried out by US warplanes and naval ships in cooperation with the British and French air forces between 03:42 and 05:10 Moscow time on Saturday.

As the Russian Defense Ministry reported, the Syrian air defenses shot down 71 out of 103 missiles fired by the United States and its allies.

The United States, Britain and France said the strikes were in response to an alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria’s Douma.

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