Russia says ready to team up with Kurds, coalition to fight IS May 25, 2016 - 13:03 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday, May 24 said Moscow was ready to coordinate with a Kurdish-Arab alliance and the U.S.-led coalition in an assault on the IS group's Syrian bastion of Raqqa, World Bulletin reports. "I say with all authority that we are ready for such coordination," Lavrov told journalists at a summit in Uzbekistany. He was speaking before Kurdish-Arab forces announced that the assault had been launched, saying: "I cannot say how realistic the reports are that such actions have already started." "Of course Raqqa is one of the goals of the anti-terrorist coalition, just as is Iraq's Mosul," Lavrov said, according to World Bulletin. "We are convinced it would have been possible to more effectively and quickly liberate these populated areas if our militaries (Russian and U.S.) had started coordinating their actions much earlier," Lavrov said. Lavrov said that Russia and the U.S. had agreed to coordinate military action in Syria in addition to exchanging information.  Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot".   Partner news |  Latest news Armenia border residents dissatisfied with delimitation  Residents Kirants are dissatisfied with the results of the delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan.“Great success”: Pashinyan pleased with new border protocol Pashinyan has described the signing by Armenia and Azerbaijan of a protocol on delimitation in Tavush as “a great success”.Armenia, Azerbaijan sign protocol on demarcation coordinates Armenia’s government took on May 15 another step towards handing over four border areas to Azerbaijan.Power of One Dram sums up two-year program with Teach for Armenia Idram Junior also joined the companies during the visit, bringing with it a fascinating intellectual game for children |
