Russia’s Foreign Ministry urges the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to analyze risks of a potential US military operation in Syria; President Putin accuses that US Secretary of State Kerry ‘lied’ on presence of Al Qaeda in Syria; Russia does not
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    • According to reports, Russia’s Foreign Ministry has urged the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to analyze risks of a potential US military operation in Syria, noting that such a strike would threaten nuclear security throughout the Middle East. 1

    In another development, according to reports, President Vladimir Putin has accused US Secretary of State John Kerry of “lying” in Congress by saying there was no al-Qaida in Syria. Putin added that the Syrian rebels’ “main combat unit is al-Nusra which is an al-Qaida unit. 2 Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia does not rule out agreeing to a military operation in Syria, provided Damascus' responsibility for using chemical weapons is proven - but only with United Nations approval. 3

    According to reports, Russia’s Foreign Ministry has condemned, as a “barbaric act,” the shelling of the country’s embassy in Damascus. It was reported that a mortar shell, apparently launched by Syrian rebels, had landed close to the Russian Embassy building. 4

    According to reports, Russia’s Defense Ministry has spoken out against “playing with arms and missiles” in a “volatile” region like the Middle East. This was hours after Israel fired “ballistic targets”, on September 3, that resembled missiles in the Mediterranean. 5

    Russia’s Foreign Ministry, on the backdrop of a telephone conversation between Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Venezuelan counterpart Elias Jaua, has said that Russia and Venezuela uphold the actions taken by U.N/LAS Special Envoy for the Middle East Lakhdar Brahimi to settle the crisis in Syria. 6

    President Putin has declared that Russia will not engage in any armed conflicts, in reply to the question over the situation in Syria. 7

    Two Ropucha-class amphibious assault ships of Russia’s Black Sea and Baltic Sea fleets and one reconnaissance ship will enter the Mediterranean during September 5-6, 2013. They will be involved in monitoring and covering the situation in areas near Syria. 8

    According to reports, Gazprom’s CEO Alexei Miller has said that the organization is open for negotiations with Lithuania on lowering the price of the natural gas supplied from Russia. Lithuania’s gas networks has been integrated only eastbound as yet, thus the country depends fully on supplies of the Russian gas. Lithuania pays US$ 500 per 1,000 cubic metres; one of the highest in Europe. 9

    President Putin has said that Russia and Japan will continue consultations on South Kurile Islands at the level of ministers’ deputies. During the G 20 summit, it was also decided that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu will visit Japan on November 1-2 to meet their counterparts within the 2+2 format. 10

    In other developments, according to reports, Rostekhnologii Corporation has signed an agreement on strategic cooperation with China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. The document was signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 summit in St. Petersburg on September 5. 11

    Russia’s Foreign Ministry’s commissioner for human rights, democracy and the rule of law Konstantin Dolgov has said that further arrests of Russian citizens in third countries on the basis of U.S. requests is “an unacceptable practice” that may force Moscow to retaliate. 12

    A naval task force from Russia’s Northern Fleet is heading towards the eastern Arctic. The voyage is part of Defense Ministry’s program under Russia’s Arctic policy and is designed “to uphold Russia’s status as a leading arctic power, strengthen its security... and ensure national interests”. 13

    Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has said that his country is ready to join the Customs Union comprising of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan and later take part in establishing the Eurasian Economic Union. 14

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