Russian
President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Barack Obama held a
telephone conversation Thursday evening discussing the implementation of
the Minsk peace agreements on Ukraine, countering the self-proclaimed
Islamic State terror group, the current situation in Syria and the
ongoing Iran nuclear negotiations.
BAKAN
(Sputnik) – According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir
Putin and Barack Obama touched upon a number of issues in their phone
conversation.
The peace deal stipulates a ceasefire between DPR and LPR independence fighters and Kiev forces, which launched a military operation in Ukraine’s southeast in April 2014 in response to local residents’ refusal to recognize the new coup-installed government.
The Minsk agreement also contains provisions on an all-for-all prisoner exchange between the conflicting sides, withdrawal of heavy weapons from the line of contact and the decentralization of power in Ukraine.
The OSCE, which is tasked with monitoring the situation in Ukraine, has reported ceasefire violations in the country's southeastern regions despite the Minsk truce.
Obama: Russia Needs to Fulfill Minsk Agreements
Obama urged Moscow to fulfill the Minsk agreements during the conversation, the White House said in a release.
According to spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Putin and Obama also raised the issue of terrorism during the conversation, including the threat of the Islamic State extremist organization in Syria.
Iran Nuclear Issue as P5+1 Talks With Tehran Continue
The leaders also touched upon the ongoing talks between the P5+1 group and Iran that are being conducted with the aim of ensuring the peaceful nature of Tehran’s nuclear activities, Peskov added.
The White House said in a Thursday statement that Obama and Putin stressed the importance of unity among P5+1 mediators, which include Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany.
The
P5+1 group and Iranian officials are meeting in Vienna ahead of the
June 30 deadline to reach a comprehensive agreement on Tehran's nuclear
program.
According to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, a number
of stumbling blocks remain in the talks and negotiators have so far
been unable to narrow the disputed issues down to just a few that could
be discussed at the ministerial level.
In April, Iran and the P5+1 agreed on a framework for a deal ensuring the peaceful nature of Tehran’s nuclear activities. The agreement, reached in the the Swiss city of Lausanne, stipulates that Iran cut back uranium enrichment activities and decrease the number of centrifuges in exchange for Western sanctions relief.
The West has long suspected that Iran is developing nuclear weapons under the guise of a civilian program. Tehran has stressed that its nuclear activities are aimed at meeting Iran’s growing energy needs.
"The heads of state discussed the Ukrainian
crisis, in particular the implementation of the Minsk agreements…
in this context the presidents agreed that in the near future US
Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and Russian Deputy Foreign
Minister Grigory Karasin will meet to discuss the implementation
of these agreements."
The Minsk deal was reached in February after talks between the
leaders of Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine in the Belarusian
capital. The agreement was signed by members of the Contact Group
on Ukraine, comprising representatives from Kiev, the self-proclaimed
People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk (DPR and LPR), Russia and the
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).The peace deal stipulates a ceasefire between DPR and LPR independence fighters and Kiev forces, which launched a military operation in Ukraine’s southeast in April 2014 in response to local residents’ refusal to recognize the new coup-installed government.
The Minsk agreement also contains provisions on an all-for-all prisoner exchange between the conflicting sides, withdrawal of heavy weapons from the line of contact and the decentralization of power in Ukraine.
The OSCE, which is tasked with monitoring the situation in Ukraine, has reported ceasefire violations in the country's southeastern regions despite the Minsk truce.
Obama: Russia Needs to Fulfill Minsk Agreements
Obama urged Moscow to fulfill the Minsk agreements during the conversation, the White House said in a release.
“President Obama reiterated the need for Russia
to fulfill its commitments under the Minsk agreements, including the
removal of all Russian troops and equipment from Ukrainian territory.”
Leaders Focus on Fight Against Terrorism, Islamic State ThreatAccording to spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Putin and Obama also raised the issue of terrorism during the conversation, including the threat of the Islamic State extremist organization in Syria.
“There was a detailed exchange of opinions
on the situation in Syria… particular attention was paid to a range
of issues pertaining to the fight against terrorism, especially the
spread of the influence of Islamic State in the Middle East.”
According to Peskov, Putin and Obama agreed that US Secretary
of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would
hold a meeting to discuss terrorism-related issues in the near future.Iran Nuclear Issue as P5+1 Talks With Tehran Continue
The leaders also touched upon the ongoing talks between the P5+1 group and Iran that are being conducted with the aim of ensuring the peaceful nature of Tehran’s nuclear activities, Peskov added.
The White House said in a Thursday statement that Obama and Putin stressed the importance of unity among P5+1 mediators, which include Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany.
"The leaders…underscored the importance
of continued P5+1 unity in ongoing negotiations to prevent Iran
from acquiring a nuclear weapon."
In April, Iran and the P5+1 agreed on a framework for a deal ensuring the peaceful nature of Tehran’s nuclear activities. The agreement, reached in the the Swiss city of Lausanne, stipulates that Iran cut back uranium enrichment activities and decrease the number of centrifuges in exchange for Western sanctions relief.
The West has long suspected that Iran is developing nuclear weapons under the guise of a civilian program. Tehran has stressed that its nuclear activities are aimed at meeting Iran’s growing energy needs.
No comments:
Post a Comment