Kerry in Moscow Seeks Common Ground with Putin on Syria

Tuesday, 7 May 2013

Kerry in Moscow Seeks Common Ground with Putin on Syria

US Secretary of State John Kerry (L), Russian President Vladimir Putin (R)

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday sought to narrow differences over the conflict in Syria with President Vladimir Putin, urging the Russian strongman to find common ground to help end the bloodshed.

"The United States really believes that we share some very significant common interests with respect to Syria," Kerry told Putin at the start of talks in the Kremlin.

He cited these interests as "stability in the region, not letting extremists create problems in the region and elsewhere."

"It is my hope that today we will be able to dig into that a little bit and, see if we can find common ground." Kerry added.

In his initial remarks, Putin did not specifically address the differences between Washington and Moscow over Syria but said the Kremlin was preparing a response to a message on bilateral ties that US President Barack Obama sent in April.

"I think it's very important that our key ministries and institutions, including the foreign ministry, cooperate in finding solutions to the most topical and relevant issues of the day," Putin told Kerry.
"I'm really happy to see you because it offers the chance to discuss in person issues that we believe are difficult," Putin added.

Later, Kerry will also meet Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and is expected to hold a news conference.

Russia has long accused the West of worsening the Syria conflict by seeking to topple the Assad regime, and says Moscow is solely interested in seeing a peaceful solution to a conflict that has claimed more than 70,000 lives in since March 2011.

The US and other Western states have in turn accused Russia of failing to use its influence with the regime to halt the bloodshed, while they keep up military deliveries to the opposition groups.

Further complicating the picture, UN human rights investigator Carla del Ponte said at the weekend that the insurgents may have used the deadly nerve agent sarin.

But a commission of inquiry later claimed there was no conclusive proof, while the United States said it was "highly skeptical."

There are a host of other issues on the US-Russia agenda of the talks, including last month's Boston Marathon bombings blamed on two brothers of Chechen descent.

More contentious dossiers include American missile defense and rows over a ban by Moscow on American adoptions of Russian children and the Russian authorities' harassment of NGOs.

The visit coincides with the first anniversary of Putin's return to the Kremlin for a historic third term on May 7, 2012, which heralded a new chill in relations between Moscow and Washington.