Merkel on Friday to meet with Putin in Sochi
Moscow. May 18. INTERFAX.RU — the Situation around Iran’s nuclear program, the Ukrainian crisis and the Syrian settlement will be discussed Friday at a meeting of the Russian President with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
It will be the first European leader with whom Vladimir Putin will meet after assuming the office of President. The following will be the leader of France Emmanuel macron, with whom the President of Russia will hold talks on may 24-25 on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg international economic forum.
Merkel was in Russia more than a year, her last visit to our country took place in early may 2017.
Then, in Sochi, the two leaders discussed about the same range of problems, in particular, Syria, and Ukraine.
July 8 of last year in Hamburg also hosted a trilateral meeting between Putin, Merkel and Macron in Ukraine and a brief interview of the Russian leader with the Chancellor of Germany.
The Iranian nuclear program
It is obvious that the consequences of a unilateral US withdrawal from the Joint comprehensive plan of action (SVPD) on the Iranian nuclear program will be among the key topics of the Russian-German summit talks.
Last week, the President of the United States Donald trump announced the US withdrawal from the AGREEMENT concluded in 2015 by Iran and the “six” of international mediators (the five permanent UN security Council members and Germany). SVPD was approved in July of 2015, “six” and Iran. The agreement introduces a number of serious constraints on Iran’s nuclear program. In exchange for these conditions, Iran has made the lifting of some sanctions.
As stated by the Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, the Kremlin believes hasty and erroneous decision of Washington to withdraw from the AGREEMENT and note the proximity of approaches to this problem with the European capitals and Ankara. “This issue our President had discussed (during telephone conversation) with German Chancellor Merkel later in the evening (10 may), this same topic was discussed with Erdogan. The position is almost identical in this regard”, — said Ushakov.
Ushakov said that Russia continues “to emphasize the necessity of keeping the agreement (with Iran), as it is important not only for regional stability but for the whole stability in the world.”
“It is extremely important from the point of view of maintaining the regime of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons”, — said the presidential aide.
In turn, the German Chancellor said last week that the agreement with Iran on the atom (SVPD) is not ideal, but it is impossible to go, as did the United States.
We should talk more (with Iran — Interfax) on the program of ballistic missiles, the influence of Iran and Hezbollah in Syria. But unlike trump believe, and I clearly talked about this that we can better engage in dialogue, remaining within the framework of this agreement.Angel Erkelenzer Germany
Ukrainian question and the “Norman format”
According to Peskov, the talks Putin and Merkel “will discuss Ukraine, the interests of the city, and will inevitably mention the “channel format”.
Earlier last Merkel reiterated that the conflict in Ukraine can only be solved by political rather than military means. According to her, Berlin is trying to revive the Minsk agreement, despite the fact that every night on the contact line violated the ceasefire.
Before the settlement of the conflict in the Donbass was one of the topics of the telephone conversation of the Russian President with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, which took place on may 11. “The exchange of views on the Ukrainian domestic crisis, the issues concerning the establishment of the UN mission for the protection of OSCE observers,” — said last Friday a press-service of the Kremlin about the conversation held on the initiative of the German side.