Opening Remarks and Answers by Russian Foreign Minister at Press Conference after Talks with Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci, Moscow, December 13, 2011

Ladies and gentlemen,

Algeria is Russia's traditional partner in the North Africa and Middle East region. We actively support the Algerian friends' policy for change based on a broad democratic dialogue and for building national consensus. We see this as an example for other countries in the region that are now experiencing very difficult times.

The links between Russia and Algeria span a history of almost half a century. In March of next year, we agreed to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. The reliable basis for our cooperation is the 2001 Declaration on Strategic Partnership and the agreements reached during the visit to Algeria by President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev in October 2010, which defined and specified areas of further cooperation on the basis of the principles set forth in the Declaration.

Today we examined the state and prospects of bilateral relations. They develop along an ascending line. This applies to political dialogue, economic cooperation and the sphere of military-technical ties. Russian companies Gazprom, Rosneft and Stroytransgaz participate jointly with Algerian partners in carrying out a number of major projects. The PDRA is one of the three main partners of Russia in Africa. In recent years, trade between our countries every year exceeds the $1 billion mark. This is not bad, though its volume could be larger, and range more diversified. We backed the accords adopted in the course of the December 7-9, 2011 meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade-Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation and aimed at expanding the items of trade and developing the juridical base of bilateral relations.

We adhere to similar or close approaches on key international issues, especially in regard to the need to respect the rule of law in international affairs and the right of peoples to determine their own destiny without outside interference.

Such approaches are particularly relevant and needed in conditions of the developing events in the Middle East and North Africa region. Our countries are convinced that it is necessary to seek solutions to existing problems solely by peaceful means, through fostering a broad national dialogue involving all political, religious, and ethnic groups, and on this basis to reach agreement on ways of further development of the states and societies. In this regard, we note the coincidence of our assessments of the situation in Syria and of the tasks to overcome the acute internal crisis in the country on the basis of the efforts of the Arab League, but without any ultimatums.

We share a common approach to the situation in the Palestinian-Israeli settlement, or rather – to the lack of progress on this track. Russia as a member of the Quartet and Algeria as a member of the Arab League are interested to break the stalemate and create conditions for resuming negotiations as soon as possible. We believe that positive developments in Palestinian-Israeli affairs would have a beneficial impact on the atmosphere in the region as a whole.

Today, we touched on the situation in the Maghreb, including Western Sahara settlement. Here we stand united – it is necessary to seek a solution that would be consistent with the existing UN Security Council resolutions and would be acceptable for the parties to the conflict.

I am satisfied with the state of affairs in bilateral relations and with the frank comradely character which has traditionally characterized our talks. I thank my counterpart and friend, Mourad Medelci for the cooperation and call upon him to speak.

Question (to both Ministers): Can we now talk about the immutability of the goals and objectives of the Declaration on Strategic Partnership between Russia and Algeria?

Foreign Minister Lavrov (speaks first): The Declaration on Strategic Partnership, which this year was ten years old, remains fully valid. This applies to the principles and directions of bilateral cooperation based on mutual benefit, equality, respect for each other's interests, and close interaction, bilaterally and in international affairs.

These principles are realized in concrete form. Our two countries maintain an active political dialogue, deepen their rich economic and trade ties and close military-technical cooperation, and develop cultural and humanitarian cooperation. This is fully consistent with the letter and spirit of the Declaration. On the basis of the principles and guidelines laid down in it, a summit meeting was held in Algiers in October 2010 between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and President Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria. The summit concretized the forms of implementation of the Declaration goals. Therefore, we believe that it remains valid in its entirety.

Question: Sergey Viktorovich, you have just said that Russia and Algeria's assessments of the situation in Syria are identical. Was the proposal of Syria that the Arab League lift its sanctions if Damascus agrees to allow independent observers into the country discussed in the talks?

Foreign Minister Lavrov: We discussed the Arab League initiative and support it. At the same time we are convinced that this initiative should not be turned into an ultimatum. On this issue, our position is the point of view of the Algerian side. We appreciate the role played by Algeria in the League of Arab States, its intention to get this initiative implemented through dialogue and not through ultimatums.

Appropriate efforts are now being made by a number of Arab countries. We actively encourage it. Our advice, conveyed to Damascus and confirmed on a daily basis, represents a recommendation to sign the protocol and to accept observers as soon as possible. In contacts with the Arab League leadership and the Government of Syria Russia has expressed readiness to involve in Arab observers' work representatives of Russia and other BRICS countries, if the interest is shown in that. The proposal remains in force. We hope that soon we will receive good news.

Question: How will you comment on the call of the German Foreign Minister on Russia to take decisive action and agree to the sanctions against Syria?

Foreign Minister Lavrov: If sanctions helped in one moment to stop the violence and bring stability, peace and harmony to Syrian society, we would most strongly act in this direction. However, experience suggests that the sanctions, with rare exceptions, never work. You should resort to this measure only in extreme cases. We stand for resoluteness in the search for peace and not in building up methods of one-sided pressure. Our partners in the US, the EU and other countries have for more than half a year been showing resoluteness by imposing ever new, including economic, sanctions against Syria that adversely affect the situation of the local population. I don't think the resoluteness is the one that is needed.

In our daily contacts with the government of the SAR and other representatives of the Syrian regime, and in the course of our periodic contacts with the Syrian opposition we are actively seeking consent to start a dialogue on the basis of the Arab League initiative. We are seeking to get Damascus to agree as soon as possible to receive observers from Arab and other countries, for example, those representing the group of BRICS. We strongly condemn the violence, from whatever quarter, as stated in the initiative of the Arab League.

But there is a contradiction here. Our partners, who call on us to be resolute, do not want to condemn the violence that comes from armed extremist groups active in Syria against the lawful authorities. There are serious facts about the situation in Homs, which now attracts heightened attention. Armed groups of gunmen have already occupied a couple of blocks there. At night they regularly conduct raids to fire at army checkpoints, administrative buildings, hospitals, schools and other social infrastructure facilities, and attack police patrols and public transport. The goal, I think, is obvious - to provoke a humanitarian catastrophe and get a pretext for demanding an outside interference in the conflict. Extremist armed groups have also shown resoluteness, but for their own purposes.

I am convinced that such resoluteness must be shown not selectively, but only in the interests of peace. When our Western partners publicly qualify such actions as a manifestation of the aspirations of the Syrian people for democracy and against dictatorship, it seems, to say the least, inadequate.

If all honestly say that the Libyan scenario will not be repeated in Syria, that everyone wants a negotiated solution to the problems through national dialogue, let us strongly urge the government and all opposition groups to end violence, from whatever quarter. This is the first point of the Arab League initiative. If we support it, then let's prove this by action. We try to do so and will continue this line.

If we concertedly not only condemn, but also demand cessation of any violence and armed provocations, then we will achieve the result. This is the aim behind the draft resolution that Russia and China have submitted for consideration by the UN Security Council. Western partners are saying that they can't back it, offering a one-sided draft instead, aimed exclusively at the condemnation of the actions of government forces and the leadership of Syria. But this approach leads precisely to a repetition of the Libyan scenario, although they reassure us that this cannot happen.

Our draft is on the table. The position of those who do not want to put pressure on the armed extremist wing of the opposition and at the same time accuse us of blocking the work of the UN Security Council, I would call it immoral. Let us show resoluteness, but in favor of peace, not to disguise the plans to repeat the Libyan model.

Question (to both Ministers): Islamist extremism represented by Al Qaeda has remained a challenge to a large group of countries of the Sahara/Sahel region for five years now. What do you think needs to be done to end this threat and ensure the region political stability?

Foreign Minister Lavrov (speaks after Medelci): I should add that Russia notes and supports the active role of Algeria in ensuring security and countering terrorism in the Sahel. The Russian Federation not only supports these efforts, but also actively cooperates with the Algerian side both via bilateral channels and in multilateral formats, in particular in the framework of the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum set up in New York in September 2011 to support anti-terrorism efforts under UN auspices. A special working group on combating terrorism in the Sahel was formed as part of the Forum. In October a regular meeting of this working group took place in Algiers. Russia became actively involved in it. We agreed on a series of measures designed to more closely coordinate the efforts of all stakeholders against the background of the coalescence of the potentials of various terrorist groups there, such as AQIM, Boco Haram and Al-Shabaab. There is a concrete action plan.

I'll note that Algeria is also involved in other formats, specially created by countries of the region to counter terrorism in the Sahel, for example, in the work of the group of four Sahel countries (Algeria, Mali, Mauritania and Niger). Russia supports these efforts and stands ready to assist in effective forms in which the participating countries will be interested.