Lavrov: Neither Assad asked us for asylum nor did we make such a request

Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, outlined his country's foreign policy for 2015 during his annual speech held on Tuesday, January 26, in Moscow. According to Russian state news agencies, Mr. Lavrov denied Moscow's request for Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria, to step down. The Russian Foreign Minister stated that neither Moscow has asked Mr. Assad to seek asylum in Russia nor has the Syrian President made such a request to Moscow. Sergey Lavrov criticized what he described as Turkey's 'extortion' regarding the Syrian peace talks, adding that the Syrian Kurds, as a force fighting against the Islamic State (ISIS), must be included in the political process of the country. According to Mr. Lavrov, without the Kurds, peace talks in Syria will not yield results. The Russian Foreign Minister also mentioned that Moscow has supplied weapons and military equipment to the Kurds in Iraq through the central government of Iraq for the fight against ISIS. He stated that Russia's military operations in Syria against Assad's opponents have turned the tide in the country. Lavrov criticized the setting of 'preconditions' for fighting terrorism. In another criticism of Turkey, Sergey Lavrov expressed discontent that the UN report on ISIS financing did not mention the smuggling of fuel from Syria to Turkey. Turkey had previously denied this accusation and, in turn, accused Russia of economic cooperation with ISIS. The United States also rejected this accusation, stating that a significant portion of ISIS's income comes from the Syrian central government purchasing oil from this group. Regarding North Korea's recent claim of successfully testing a hydrogen bomb, the Russian Foreign Minister said that Moscow is not sure if such a test has actually taken place. Mr. Lavrov also stated that if Pyongyang's claim is true, it indicates that the UN Security Council's sanctions against North Korea's nuclear program have not been effective. He emphasized the possibility of finding a solution to the North Korean nuclear crisis. The United States had previously stated that it views Pyongyang's claim of successfully testing a hydrogen bomb with skepticism. The Russian Foreign Minister further announced Moscow's readiness to cooperate with the European Union and the United States on various issues but stressed that this cooperation must be based on mutual interests and respect. Lavrov also criticized the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) near Russia's borders, stating that Moscow is closely monitoring these developments. The Russian Foreign Minister mentioned that his country has information indicating that ISIS forces are receiving military training within Georgia and near its borders with Russia. Relations between Russia and the West have soured since Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine. Russia's support for Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war is another reason for the rift between Moscow and the West. Nevertheless, Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia will not engage in any discussions about returning Crimea to Ukraine. In this context, the Kremlin denied Putin's request for Assad to step down. Negotiations between the Syrian government and Assad's opponents are set to begin on Friday. Visa facilitation between Iran and Russia will be implemented.