Briefing by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova, Moscow, August 18, 2016

Table of contents

1. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s participation in events marking 95th anniversary of Main Administration for Service to the Diplomatic Corps
2. Terrorist attacks in Turkey
3. Situation in Yemen
4. The current situation in Afghanistan
5. Ukraine refuses to exchange views on the interpretation and application of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
6. Subcommission’s meeting to consider Russia’s application on the Arctic shelf
7. Domodedovo Airport incident involving arrested ‘non-citizen’ of Latvia
8. Lithuania denies entry to Russian pop singer Oleg Gazmanov
9. Arkhangelsk celebrates 75th anniversary of the first Arctic convoy to arrive in the USSR
10. Anti-Russian statements by former CIA deputy director Michael Morell on CBS News
11. Artek’s address to G20 leaders
12. Answers to media questions:
13. Russia-Turkey relations
14. The alleged UK “documentary”
15. Humanitarian situation in Syria
16. Russia-Iran relations
17. Russian-US interaction in Syria
18. Russia-Iran cooperation in Iraq
19. Tajikistan’s decision to rename streets now named after WWII heroes
20. The detainment of Russian national Marat Uyeldanov-Galustyan
21. Developments in Ukraine
22. Syrian crisis settlement talks 

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s participation in events marking 95^th anniversary of Main Administration for Service to the Diplomatic Corps

As usual, let’s begin with the Foreign Minister’s schedule. Today, I will discuss only one event because the schedule will be expanded, and we will notify the press about this at a later date.

On August 25, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will attend an official reception marking the 95^th anniversary of the Foreign Ministry’s Main Administration for Service to the Diplomatic Corps.

For almost 95 years, this Foreign Ministry department has been providing support for representatives of the diplomatic corps, including some of you, foreign correspondents who are accredited in Russia and work here, as well as foreign companies, to feel as comfortable as possible, if not at home, in Moscow.

The work of the Main Administration is an important factor of strengthening Russia’s ties with other states. Many generations of foreign diplomats, journalists and businesspeople can safely say that the Main Administration’s principle of “Hospitality is Our Profession” remains its main motto throughout the department’s entire history.

Terrorist attacks in Turkey

I would like to begin with the tragic news from Turkey. We have had many questions about the explosions that shook Turkey on August 17 and which, unfortunately, continue today.

Judging by the incoming reports, late-night armed attacks on security agencies were perpetrated on August 17 and also on August 18, including those with the use of explosive devices, in Turkey’s Van, Bitlis and Elazig provinces. The attacks killed over ten people and wounded about 180 more.

We are concerned about persisting instability in Turkey’s southeastern regions.

Judging by preliminary reports, no Russian citizens were injured in the attacks. We would like to remind you that the Foreign Ministry strongly advises Russian citizens to refrain from visiting these provinces and several other Turkish regions.

I would like to use this opportunity to offer my condolences to the people of Turkey, to Ankara, our colleagues, the families of the deceased, to all those wounded who are fighting for their lives and to wish them a speedy recovery.

 Situation in Yemen

At our briefings, we have always touched upon the situation in Syria. Yesterday, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov offered detailed comments on the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic and on international efforts in this area. Therefore, today I would like to turn to the situation in Yemen.

Moscow is highly concerned about reports of new civilian fatalities after the resumption of an active military confrontation in the Republic of Yemen. On August 13, an air strike by the so-called Saudi Arabia-led coalition killed ten students at a school in Haydan District in Sa’dah Governorate, northern Yemen. Another air strike in the same governorate’s Razih District hit the home of a local teacher, killing   his wife and four children.

On August 15, an air strike on a Doctors Without Borders hospital killed 11 people and wounded 19 more in Abs District, Hajja Governorate, northwestern Yemen.

According to incoming reports, people have also been killed during combat operations by Houthi movement Ansar Allah  and the supporters of former President of Yemen Ali Abdullah Saleh in Yemen and in border areas of Saudi Arabia.

We want to stress once again that the use of military force against civilians and civilian facilities is absolutely impermissible. We call for a thorough investigation of these violations of international humanitarian law and urging exhaustive measures to prevent their repetition in the future.

We also reaffirm our principled stance that those involved in the Yemeni conflict should renounce the logic of war as soon as possible, achieve a lasting and comprehensive political settlement of the crisis on the basis of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the results of the National Dialogue Conference.

The current situation in Afghanistan

Unfortunately, we have observed deterioration in the security situation in Afghanistan in the past few weeks.

Most disturbing are the events in the Helmand province in the south where over 90 per cent of the territory is controlled by Taliban groups which are now approaching the administrative centre of Lashkar Gah.

The situation also remains difficult in Nangarhar in the east which is occupied by ISIS militants who have managed to turn back Afghan security forces and US special task forces.

Tensions persist in the country’s northern regions. The Taliban continue to carry out offensive operations in the provinces of Baghlan and Kunduz in the northeast, and have been attempting to cross the Afghan-Turkmen border from Faryab and Badghis.

As the geography of extremist activity expands in Afghanistan, reports of a truce between former enemies, the Taliban and the Afghan ISIS groups, are cause for great concern.

Tension between President Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah may become another destabilising factor in the social and political situation in Afghanistan.

Ukraine refuses to exchange views on the interpretation and application of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea

On August 11, a meeting of the Russian and the Ukrainian delegations took place in Minsk with a view to discussing issues concerning the interpretation and application of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Although Kiev had been insisting on such a meeting for quite a long time, it didn't take any real attempt to propose mutually acceptable date and venue. Russia, acting strictly in accordance with the provisions of UNCLOS, immediately gave its consent to meet in Minsk and dispatched the delegation comprising representatives of different agencies, expecting substantive and serious discussion on the issues that Ukraine implied to be problematic and related to UNCLOS.

What we actually saw in Minsk was not exactly what we expected: unfortunately, there was no substantial discussion at all. We heard a long list of claims from the Ukrainian side and expressed our willingness to consider them, as well as the question regarding applicability of UNCLOS itself to those claims. We also offered to present our analysis at the next round of consultations. However, as it turned out, all those questions had been addressed to the Russian side with the only purpose of creating a formal pretext for announcing that the «pre-trial consultations with the Russian Federation regarding sovereign rights in the marine areas around Crimea» have been completed. Thus no solution to problems (whether they exist or not) has been sought.

We consider such a behavior as a refusal to conduct in good faith an exchange of views on issues concerning the interpretation and application of UNCLOS, the exchange that Russia agreed to participate in being a responsible State Party to the Convention.

Ukraine's rejection to await our response demonstrates the lack of actual intent to discuss these issues with us. Whereas, Russia remains open to discussing any issues regarding the Convention.

Subcommission’s meeting to consider Russia’s application on the Arctic shelf

The Subcommission, which is considering Russia’s application on the limits of the continental shelf stretching beyond 200 nautical miles in the Arctic Ocean, holds meetings in New York as part of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. As you know, we review this issue regularly. The subcommission, consisting of seven experts in geology, geophysics and hydrography, is the Commission’s working body in charge of examining Russia’s application and preparing the related recommendations to the Commission’s plenary meeting.

The Russian delegation headed by Natural Resources and Environment Minister Sergei Donskoi is on a visit to New York to provide any clarifications that may be required by the Subcommission. Our colleagues are giving presentations regarding the key points of the application. The claim was submitted to the full Commission earlier, in February. We have repeatedly commented on this issue.

Let us repeat that Russia’s bid on the limits of its continental shelf in the Arctic is an updated version of the application that Russia submitted to the Commission in 2001. The bid refers to sections of the seabed with an area of some 1.2 million square kilometres that stretch beyond the 350-mile zone, including the seabed under the North Pole. The bid is based on supplementary research and technical data that were obtained as a result of comprehensive research in the Arctic over recent years. This data proves that the said seabed sections are the natural extension of Russia’s land territory and confirm Russia’s exclusive sovereign right to explore its natural resources.

Given the substantial size of the application and the amount of materials that substantiate Russia’s claims for the Arctic shelf, it could take the Commission considerable time to consider the claims.

We are determined to continue our constructive cooperation with the Commission.

The next Subcommission’s meeting on the Russian application is scheduled for October-November 2016.

Domodedovo Airport incident involving arrested ‘non-citizen’ of Latvia

This is yet another issue that has caused broad repercussions in the media of our compatriots. On August 15, Russian Border Service officers detained Oksana Karaya who was crossing the Russian border (allow me to cite her year of birth, since this issue has already been covered in the media, 09.07.1994), with a non-citizen passport from the Republic of Latvia. She was stopped for not having a Russian visa.

The Russian FSB border guard action was guided by the requirements of Executive Order of the President of the Russian Federation No. 977 of June 17 2008, “On the order of entry into the Russian Federation and exit from the Russian Federation for stateless persons, former Soviet citizens, currently residing in the Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Estonia.” In particular, in accordance with Paragraph 1 of the executive order, the right of visa-free entry into the Russian Federation is granted to so-called ‘non-citizens’ of Latvia, if they were previously citizens of the Soviet Union now living in Latvia, and also, in accordance with Paragraph 2 of this order, to their minor children.

Obviously, Ms Karaya does not meet any of the criteria mentioned in the order, because, born after February 6, 1992 (the day of the cancellation of Soviet citizenship) she could not have been a Soviet citizen; neither is she a minor child at the age of 22. All these things considered, she was denied entry into the Russian Federation. Let me remind you that she did not have a Russian visa. And we strongly believe that the legitimacy of the actions of the Russian FSB border guards was beyond doubt.

Given that this case involves one of our compatriots, and taking into account the humanitarian considerations, the Consular Department of the Foreign Ministry ordered the consul for Domodedovo Airport to issue Ms Karaya a transit visa for the same day so she could cross the state border and purchase a ticket to Riga, and then freely leave the territory of the Russian Federation.

Regarding the existing order of entry into the Russian Federation for “non-citizens” of Latvia and Estonia (as “non-citizenship” exists only in those countries), I would like to say that only those who meet the requirements listed in Paragraph 1 and 2 of the order are entitled to entry into the Russian Federation and exit from the Russian Federation without a visa with a non-citizen passport issued by the relevant authority of the Republic of Latvia or a foreigner passport issued by the relevant authority of the Republic of Estonia. The remaining “non-citizens” of Latvia and Estonia can enter the Russian Federation and leave it in accordance with the general procedure established by Federal Law No. 114-FZ of August 15, 1996, “On exit from the Russian Federation and entry into the Russian Federation.”

Following the Domodedovo incident, the embassies of the Russian Federation in Latvia and Estonia received instructions to post the relevant comments with the necessary explanations on their official websites.

The embassies of Latvia and Estonia in Moscow will soon be re-informed about the current order of entry into the Russian Federation for the “non-citizens” of those countries.

I apologise for the long detailed explanation, but it is very important to us that our fellow citizens understand the existing order of entry into the Russian Federation and that the media spread no speculations on the subject.

Lithuania denies entry to Russian pop singer Oleg Gazmanov

Regretfully, we have another border-related problem, which we were only informed of right before this briefing. We have received many questions about it.

As you know, well-known Russian pop singer Oleg Gazmanov was denied entry into Lithuania on August 17 by Lithuanian border guards. But then, I don’t think of him as only a citizen of Russia – he is a citizen of the world, considering how he is loved by Russians both in and outside of Russia, and foreigners all over the world. According to Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius, he was blacklisted due to his “support for the Kremlin’s policy and propaganda in support of Russia’s aggression against neighbouring countries.”  This action and these statements are too absurd to comment on.

It is unjust and irresponsible to hold cultural celebrities hostage to petty but painful political ambition, and to inflame anti-Russian passions. We have said this many times.

I don’t know, but I’m under the impression that Oleg Gazmanov was going there to be with the public, not visit Foreign Minister Linkevicius. So it wasn’t Gazmanov but his fans, which were looking forward to meeting him, that are being punished.

I have to say that, regretfully, we will certainly include this controversy on our bilateral agenda.

Arkhangelsk celebrates 75^th anniversary of the first Arctic convoy to arrive in the USSR

From August 29 to September 1, Arkhangelsk will host commemorative events to mark the 75^th anniversary of the arrival of the first Allied Convoy in the USSR. The convoy was codenamed Dervish, and delivered munitions and foodstuffs.

Convoys are an integral part of Russian-British relations. British ships arrived in Arkhangelsk to deliver the first cargo of allied aid a few weeks after Nazi Germany attacked Russia 75 years ago.

Operation Dervish started from Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands and was successful: a convoy of seven cargo ships and 16 escort warships reached their destination without incident. Four long, difficult years were ahead. They were filled with trial and tribulation. Thousands of Soviet, British, American and other allied mariners were destined to challenge the northern seas and fight the enemy valiantly.

Russia remembers the feats of glory performed by the allied navies and holds the memory of the heroes who gave their lives for Victory.

Her Royal Highness Princess Anne will represent the UK at the celebrations, accompanied by a delegation of British war veterans. The Royal Marines Band Service is expected to participate.

A number of heads of foreign diplomatic missions have been invited to attend the events in Arkhangelsk.

The celebrations were organised by the Arkhangelsk Region Government and the Ministry of Defence.

Importantly, this theme came under discussion during President Vladimir Putin’s telephone conversation with Prime Minister Theresa May on August 9 and the Russian and British foreign ministers’ conversation on August 11. The parties stressed the necessity of commemorating the Arctic convoys’ valour.

We wish the event every success.

Anti-Russian statements by former CIA deputy director Michael Morell on CBS News

We noted the statements by Michael Morell, former deputy director of the CIA, made on the CBS News TV channel on August 8 when he said that it is necessary to make Moscow “pay a price” for its actions in the Middle East. To the host’s question whether that means “killing Russians and Iranians” in Syria, Mr Morell responded positively and stressed that it must be done “covertly.” We are talking about August 2016 here, not the Middle Ages or ancient times, and this was actually broadcast on Western television.

Calling these statements inhumane would be stating the obvious. I would even go as far as to say that it is not so much inhumane as it is a very ISIS-style statement. This is the language ISIS speaks. It was shocking not only to Russia but, finally, this time it was shocking to the US Department of State, who repudiated any connection to the former CIA deputy director’s words. We assume that these statements were a personal twisted opinion of the former CIA official. Unfortunately, considering the speaker’s status, such statements may still have certain weight in the establishment and devalue the progress in the US and Russia’s efforts of the past six months to develop a joint approach to the Syrian conflict resolution. As you know, the work is ongoing and is now entering a life-changing stage. We see statements like these as absolutely unacceptable regardless of whether they are made by current or former officials of any country. But that’s the kind of guys who work for the CIA.

Artek’s address to G20 leaders

If you remember, one of the summer briefings covered a very interesting subject, an initiative of the children who spent their summer holiday at Artek. They decided to send an address to G20 leaders. I mentioned it at a briefing in Crimea. I was truly amazed at how much enthusiasm the kids had. I promised that when I come back to Moscow I will send their draft to the experts involved in the summit preparations.

Here is my report. On July 30, the Youth 20 Summit wrapped up in China. The summit resulted in an address by young people to G8 leaders. We were happy to see that it was based on Artek proposals. Partly thanks to the Russian kids, G20 countries will take measures to promote young people’s caring attitude towards nature and its resources. The first energy-saving festival taking place across Russia this September, #BrighterTogether, will be another contribution to preserving the fragile environmental balance. You can join this festival online.

I would like to address Group 11 at Lazurny Camp, July 2016. Guys, you did it! Good job!

Answers to media questions:

Question: To sum up the results of Russian-Turkish meetings at various levels, including contacts at the Foreign Ministry’s level, would you say that the parties’ positions have become more aligned, including on the Syrian settlement? Can they cooperate on this issue? Does Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have plans to visit Turkey?

Maria Zakharova: I have no information about the second part of your question. As for its first part, the most important issue we mentioned is disagreements with Turkey. These disagreements should be resolved through constructive talks in the existing international formats, otherwise we won’t hear each other or accept each other’s reasoning. At present, we are implementing the first scenario. Russia has started close cooperation with Turkey on the Syrian issue. We regard this work as constructive and positive. The existing disagreements can’t be resolved immediately, as they are substantial, but we are trying to resolve these issues and deem this work constructive and promising. We will continue cooperation at various levels and in various formats. This is what Russia relies upon.

Question: I would like to ask you to comment on a scandal that has flared up around a Sky News documentary. They claim that they were able to record an interview with a Russian mercenary who was allegedly involved in a ground operation near Aleppo. A week ago, it transpired that Alexander Agapov, an actor from Moscow, was in this film, and that this entire “sensationalised investigation” had been staged. What do you think about this? Will there be any official Foreign Ministry response on this?

Maria Zakharova: You know, the wording of your question surprises me, and I even jotted it down. You started talking about a Sky News “documentary.” Do you really think this was a documentary? This was a film with actors. At least, that’s what we saw. It could possibly have been conceived as a documentary but turned out to be a scripted film. This happens sometimes.

You know, this is a new form of cinematography. Of course, we have our opinion and assessment of these so-called journalistic reports on certain Russian mercenaries fighting in Syria. Russian journalists, including NTV journalists, found out that this was a “dramatisation” with an actor rather than a documentary. Also, as far as I know, he received 100,000 roubles for it. You know, I always thought it was lucrative to star in British films, but in this case the pay scale was too modest for a  Western film. What can I say?

This film was an ill-conceived and unprofessional production. By the way, it is also important to note that they immediately said that all this was allegedly fabricated by Russia. I would like to tell anyone who thinks in these terms, that only two days later, on August 12, the Romanian authorities accused Sky News of circulating false information about illegal arms trade in Romania. It appears that this is already a TV series, rather than a feature film.

Seriously, these media productions, unfortunately, undermine the credibility of any media outlet. This cannot even be called gutter press. I believe that it is pointless to take any action against Sky News journalists in Moscow because they have discredited themselves with these materials to such an extent that their work as journalists can be dismissed as a bad job.

But again, considering the level of training, they will not be left without a job. And if they continue to produce fantasy, they can buy out the rights to  “Harry Potter” and use their talent to its potential.

During our briefings, we have repeatedly touched on these kinds of stories and the journalism we see in Rupert Murdoch’s media empire. People in the United Kingdom have a good idea of the Murdoch Style, its methods and ploys. Unfortunately, the UK does not seem to make any serious conclusions concerning this style. They turn a blind eye to these people who are promoting some agenda.

I would simply like to recall what some probably don’t know.  Mr Murdoch’s journalists are presenting yet another anti-Russian campaign, probably with the support of their superiors. This time, they are trying to discredit Russia Today television channel and Sputnik news agency in the UK. For example, The Times and The Sunday Times have published a number of stories accusing the above Russian outlets of manipulating British public opinion. They offer a very simple example: first, these outlets reportedly urged the people to vote for Brexit, and now they are inciting separatism in Scotland. Based on this, they are suggesting shutting down their offices in the UK. Now that we have touched on this issue, I have a proposal for all media outlets engaged in this anti-Russia “paranoia,” including those in the Murdoch empire: you should research how many times British politicians, members of the establishment and official agencies have mentioned Russia in the context of Brexit. What does Russia Today have to do with this? It was the British people, not Russian journalists, who used the Russia issue in the context of the referendum. So all this dirty journalism, if it can be called journalism, is simply disgusting, and it does cause disgust, not just regret.

Question: UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura demanded an immediate 48-hour humanitarian break in Aleppo due to a severe humanitarian crisis in the area. What does Moscow think about this? Are we ready to act on such short notice?

Maria Zakharova: Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov gave a very extensive statement on humanitarian breaks and corridors yesterday. This is our position based on our understanding of the situation. Please refer to the minister’s statements.

Question: For the past two days, Russian Aerospace Forces have been delivering air strikes from a military base in Iran. Are there any talks in progress with Iran on the terms of use for the Hamadan air base by the Aerospace Forces?

Maria Zakharova: This question should be referred to the Russian Defence Ministry which is in charge of the operation and which stays in contact with Iranian colleagues. We also maintain very direct contact with the Iranian Foreign Ministry but this issue is the sole responsibility of the military agencies and they are dealing with it.

Question: Despite what you said about Washington and Moscow entering a life-changing stage of cooperation on Syria, there have been media reports on a possible failure of the agreements on Syria between the two countries, considering, particularly, that Moscow is increasingly accusing Washington of an inability to separate the opposition from the terrorists. What would your comment on these reports be?

Maria Zakharova: As concerns Russia-US interaction on Syria and some media reports on a possible failure of the agreements, I’ll say that only something that is complete can end in a failure. Russia and the US are in the middle of a very complicated discussion and coordination, through diplomatic and military channels, of a framework that must be established, according to Russian officials. If somebody wants these efforts to be a failure, it’s their slant, unfortunately.

This is not only our wish. We are doing everything we can for these talks and these everyday efforts to succeed. We do not see this stage as anything but life-changing.

Those media outlet that are predicting a failure of the agreements and constantly raise questions about the fate of the civilians being killed in Syria by the militants, moderate and not so moderate opposition, the coalition’s air strikes – they all must understand that this conflict has been ongoing for years. If the countries that actually have power to influence the situation do not take any specific steps, the conflict could go on forever. Only God knows how many more people will die, including civilians. Those following the fate of individual civilians so closely should think about the entire nation. The life of every person in Syria is important because every human life is invaluable, but looking too closely at individual lives leaves the fate of the whole suffering nation outside the equation. We just can’t succumb to this manipulation now. This is a very critical moment and we are doing our best to work out the necessary agreements.

As far as Moscow’s criticism of Washington is concerned, there have been none. We are being objective in our evaluation.

Speaking of the inability of the United States to distinguish between the terrorists and the opposition, or to single out the moderate opposition, why is this so important and why are the Foreign Minister and our analysts constantly talking about it? For several reasons. First, this is a cornerstone of the current situation. If the moderate opposition separated itself or was separated from extremists there would be no problem with how to deal a blow at the terrorists. And the media lamenting the fate of civilian population would have no more questions. It would be fairly easy and we would just strike those targets. But the problem persists. The fact is, it was Washington that assumed commitment to do this job and US officials announced this publicly after international meetings. They promised it would be done. Moreover, they assured us at the expert level and claimed that it would only take a couple of weeks to mark off the moderate opposition from the terrorists. But this couple of weeks has lasted for many months now. Unfortunately, we are only heading for a dead-end.

We keep talking about this not to dig at the US, not to feel good about ourselves by making somebody else feel bad. We keep talking about it to show where the core of the problem is and what has to be at the centre of our work.

Question: Is it possible for Russia and Iran to join forces to fight terrorism in Iraq, similar to the joint antiterrorist effort in Syria, using the air base in Iran?

Maria Zakharova: The use of military bases is up to our colleagues from the Russian Ministry of Defence.

Question: Can you comment on Dushanbe’s decision to rename certain streets that were named in honour of war heroes or figures of science and culture from the Soviet period in Tajikistan?

Maria Zakharova: I've seen the reports. We do have the evidence and information about Dushanbe’s decision to rename a number of streets that commemorate Great Patriotic War heroes, as well as prominent figures in culture, science and art from the Soviet period. We have also noticed that the issue was broadly covered and widely discussed in the local media.

Moreover, a number of reputable historians, representatives of veterans' organisations, and even student groups in Tajikistan insisted on keeping the old street names that are associated with the glorious pages of the history of our peoples. I would like to express hope that the local authorities will eventually listen to those respected people and especially the war veterans.

Question: This question concerns Russian citizen, Mr Uyeldanov-Galustyan, now held in a Baku prison. You know about this. Yesterday the media circulated a transcript of the interrogation of another Russian citizen, Ms Makarenko, who was detained along with Marat Uyeldanov. She said both of them were initially charged with espionage for Armenia, and then for Russia. After 15 days she was released and warned never to “mess with Armenians again.” Mr Uyeldanov-Galustyan was charged with the distribution and possession of drugs. What steps is the Russian Foreign Ministry taking to resolve this situation? Are you using the available information about the arrest being ethnically motivated? These motives have been confirmed by an official letter from the Russian Embassy in Azerbaijan to Uyeldanov-Galustyan’s sister.

Maria Zakharova:  I don’t even want to hear about this letter. We have already given a detailed statement; there really is no need to repeat what we have already said. I do not accept any accusations that the Russian Foreign Minister looks at this situation with some ethnic bias. It is strange and unfair, and this is not even an issue to discuss. There was no ethnic bias by the Russian authorities with regard to those Russian citizens. The letter says otherwise. So I would strongly suggest that you do not speculate on implications that you either do not understand or cannot properly evaluate. Again, for those trying to find some ethnic bias here, there is none. We treat all Russian nationals the same, without any discrimination along ethnic lines. I do not know if this is the case in your country, but it is in Russia. I will not be answering this part of your question again.

As for Mr Uyeldanov, on June 20, the Russian Embassy in Azerbaijan was informed about his arrest by the authorities of Azerbaijan. He was accused of violating the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan by drug trafficking. He was facing no other charges.

I can tell you what is being done by the Russian authorities, the Russian Foreign Ministry and Russia’s foreign missions. Embassy officials have met with Mr Uyeldanov. According to the latest information, he expressed no complaints of any kind. I can assure you that the embassy is making the necessary efforts to protect his legitimate rights as a citizen of the Russian Federation, in particular, to maintain constant contact with his lawyer.

I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that, due to the numerous comments on the social networks, which I think people make deliberately without understanding the issue, the Russian Embassy has placed the pertinent information on its website and has responded to all media requests.

We are actively working on this, as well as on other issues involving the detention of Russian citizens abroad, and will continue to keep an eye on it.

Question: President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that President of Ukraine Petr Poroshenko is prepared for a compromise regarding Donbass. Do you know what he was referring to?

Maria Zakharova: This is a question primarily for Ukraine, for the Administration of the Ukrainian President. I don’t have any detailed information about this.

We are working constructively within the existing international formats on settling the crisis in Ukraine. I think you should simply ask Mr Poroshenko's representatives what specifically was meant. Naturally, some progress is badly needed. I don’t know how best to frame this progress, but it seems to me it would be more appropriate to speak not so much about compromises, as about the need for Kiev to abide by the commitments that were assumed by the Ukrainian President as well as the guarantors of the Minsk agreements. This is what is badly needed today. It is Ukraine that is primarily interested in properly implementing the Minsk agreements if Kiev considers Donbass part of its territory and views its population as citizens of a single country.

Question: Russia, Iran and Turkey are currently holding talks on settling the Syrian crisis. There are reports about their intention to create a new coalition. Do such plans actually exist?     

Maria Zakharova: I have seen these reports as well. There were many questions as to whether this is a new format for settling that crisis. What's more, different crises were mentioned in this context. This is a normal form of communication between states that are involved in resolving various regional problems, issues, etc. I don’t think this means the creation of a new format for settling old crises. This is simply a normal negotiating mechanism that (let’s assume) is working productively. Therefore, it does not replace any of the existing formats on resolving one problem or another. This is a platform for interstate dialogue and exchange of opinions, and this is standard practice. But there is no replacement, although I read media reports in which political scientists and experts present it as such, speaking about completely different regions.