STOCKHOLM, February 1. /TASS/. Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said the situation in Syria would be among the key issues to be raised during the talks with her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow next week.
"For me, the situation in Syria would be an important matter to be raised during the talks with Sergey Lavrov, [including] how events in Idlib affect the civilian population. People there are going through tough times. This is a humanitarian catastrophe," the minister, who is to meet with Lavrov next Tuesday, told TASS ahead of her visit to Russia.
"And major players should assist UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen in finding a solution to this conflict," the Swedish top diplomat continued. "A constitutional committee has been set up to ensure the adoption of the new fundamental law for all parts of the country to help people live in peace. However, I think that this would be impossible without support from the international community, especially from major players in the conflict."
Linde sees her two-day visit to the Russian capital, to take place on February 4-5, as a continuation of the dialogue launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven in Russia’s second largest city of St. Petersburg last April.
"Lofven and Putin had a long and good conversation during last year’s Arctic forum, where a series of important issues was raised. We view my visit to Moscow as a continuation [of it]. There also are plans for other ministerial meetings this spring," she said.
Other issues
This is not the first meeting between the Swedish top diplomat, appointed to the post last September, and her Russian counterpart.
"We have already had bilateral meetings, the last of which took place on the sidelines of the OSCE ministerial meeting in Bratislava in December. Those talks were very interesting and constructive. I think good relations between me and my Russian colleague are important. They are also important for Sweden’s security," Linde said.
Among the issues of mutual concern to be raised in Moscow, she named the Arctic region, climate, trade, international conflicts in Yemen, Libya and the Persian Gulf region, as well as human rights and the general situation in Ukraine.
In Russia, the minister will also meet with Special Presidential Representative for Environmental Protection, Ecology and Transport Sergei Ivanov, members of non-governmental organizations and Russian students who are learning Swedish.
Expanding cooperation
Earlier, the minister mentioned her country’s readiness to cooperate with Russia within the framework of regional organizations - the Arctic Council, the Barents Euro-Arctic Council, the Council of the Baltic Sea States and others.
In her opinion, Russia and Sweden need to expand their cooperation on environmental issues.
"We are studying opportunities for cooperation, including in environmental protection - this sector has potential for being expanded further," she said.
According to Linde, confidence-building measures are important for Russia and Sweden.
"Many confidence-building measures are being carried out within the framework of the OSCE, where Sweden will soon assume the rotating presidency. For example, when we carry out large-scale military exercises, we invite observers from Russia," she said.
"As far as our plans for the OSCE presidency are concerned, Sweden’s priority is to ensure European security," she said.
In past years, Sweden repeatedly accused Russia of violating its sea and air borders. In one of such incidents, the Swedish military triggered a massive search for an alleged Russian submarine in the country’s territorial waters, which eventually turned out to be a broken buoy.