MOSCOW
Russia expects the diplomatic crisis between Lebanon and Gulf Arab countries to be overcome soon, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Wednesday.
Zakharova defended Lebanese Information Minister George Kordahi's critical comments of the Saudi military campaign in Yemen, saying he made them as a private person before assuming his post.
"We hope that the parties will be able to resolve the conflict without prejudice to interstate relations and Arab solidarity," she said, adding no one has asked Moscow to mediate in resolving the matter.
Turning to Sudan, Zakharova said Russia does not address the situation in this country as a coup because it considers what happened to be "a purely internal matter."
However, she said it is worth paying attention that the head of Sudan’s ruling military council, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, dissolved the government as the de facto head of state.
Asked about the prospects of Russian-Sudanese military cooperation, Zakharova said Moscow will not disclose the details due to their sensitive nature.
- Russia urges warring sides in Ethiopia to reach cease-fire as soon as possible
Commenting on the situation in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region, Zakharova said Russia is concerned about developments in the Tigray, Afar and Amhara regions, "where government troops are fighting the Tigray defense forces."
Continued fighting is claiming more lives and has had grave humanitarian consequences for the people in the affected regions, she added.
"We believe that the sides in this internal Ethiopian conflict should summon the political will to reach a cease-fire agreement as soon as possible and ultimately restore peace and gradually achieve socioeconomic stabilization throughout Ethiopia.
"We believe maintaining Ethiopia’s unity and territorial integrity to be the only way to settle these disputes," she said.
Zakharova also announced that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet with African Union Commission chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat in Moscow on Nov. 16.
She said Lavrov and Mahamat plan to discuss ways to further promote the strategic partnership between Russia and the African Union, including efforts to maintain peace, ensure security, train personnel and develop education, science and technology.
- Russia condemns terrorist attack in Afghanistan
Russia "resolutely condemns" the Nov. 2 terrorist acts committed by Daesh/ISIS near a military hospital in Kabul, Zakharova said.
The transitional Afghan government takes measures to ensure security and a normal peaceful life in the country, she said.
Zakharova noted reports saying the Panjshir resistance plans to resume hostilities and called on its leaders to refrain from actions that provoke the intra-Afghan conflict.
"The sides should look for ways to facilitate mutual understanding and national reconciliation, to restore a sustainable peace, stability and security in Afghanistan and around it," she said.
Russia remains concerned over terrorist threats and drug trafficking originating from Afghanistan and regrets the situation has not significantly changed after the Taliban takeover, she said.
Another irritant for Russia is the continued US attempts to shift its military infrastructure from Afghanistan to neighboring countries, she noted.
The growth of migration flows from the country is also a challenge because criminals can try to leave Afghanistan under the guise of refugees, she said.
Russia in cooperation with China, Iran and Pakistan focuses on the post-conflict restoration of Afghanistan, providing humanitarian aid to the country, she noted.
- Russia supports initiative of creating of “3+3” format
Russia supports the idea of creating a consultative regional mechanism comprising three Caucasian states -- Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia -- and their three “big neighbors” -- Russia, Turkey and Iran, Zakharova said.
"We believe that the time has come to transfer these plans into practical terms," she said.
The development of multilateral regional cooperation meets the interests of all participants in this format, she added.
"In our opinion, its launch would contribute to increasing confidence in interstate relations, resolving existing contradictions, and unlocking the economic and transport potential of the region.
"The format can and should offer solutions to old problems and cope with new challenges," she added.
Regarding the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, Zakharova noted that work in all directions of reconciliation continues.
Moscow, Yerevan and Baku maintain contacts through foreign and defense services and work actively in the OSCE Minsk Group, she said.
