Russian President Vladimir Putin (third right) listens to US Secretary of State John Kerry (second left) during their meeting in Moscow, yesterday.
MOSCOW: US Secretary of State John Kerry yesterday sought to narrow differences over the conflict in Syria with President Vladimir Putin, urging the Russian strongman to find common ground to help end the bloodshed.
Kerry is making his first trip to Russia since taking over as the chief US diplomat in February, one of his most diplomatically delicate missions to date.
Washington has long urged Moscow, Syrian President Bashar Al Assad’s most powerful ally, to use its sway to halt the bloodshed, accusing Russian leaders of continuing to arm the Syrian regime.
“The United States really believes that we share some very significant common interests with respect to Syria,” Kerry told Putin at the start of talks in the Kremlin.
He cited these interests as “stability in the region, not letting extremists create problems in the region and elsewhere.”
“It is my hope that today we will be able to dig into that a little bit, and see if we can find common ground.” Kerry added. In his initial remarks, Putin did not specifically address the differences between Washington and Moscow over Syria but said the Kremlin was preparing a response to a message on bilateral ties that President Barack Obama sent in April.
“I think it’s very important that our key ministries and institutions, including the foreign ministry, cooperate in finding solutions to the most topical and relevant issues of the day,” Putin told Kerry. “I’m really happy to see you because it offers the chance to discuss in person issues that we believe are difficult,” Putin added.
The visit coincides with the first anniversary of Putin’s return to the Kremlin for a historic third term on May 7, 2012, which heralded a new chill in relations between Moscow and Washington.
“I don’t know if we will get an agreement or not, but we certainly think it is worth testing and trying to find some ways forward,” a senior State Department official said Monday.
Russia has long accused the West of worsening the Syria conflict by seeking to topple the Assad regime, and says Moscow is solely interested in seeing a peaceful solution to a conflict that has claimed more than 70,000 lives in since March 2011.
The US and other Western states have in turn accused Russia of failing to use its influence with the regime to halt the bloodshed and keeping up military deliveries to Assad.
Kerry’s visit is taking place at a time of particular tension after Israel launched air strikes in Syria which Israeli sources said targeted Iranian weapons destined for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
The Russian foreign ministry said it was “especially” concerned by the attacks, warning that the violence threatened neighbouring Lebanon.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday branded Israel’s air raids in Syria “unacceptable” but called again on the international community to act over killings by regime forces.
AFP
