Finnish Foreign Minister Timo Soini will visit Moscow on June 6 to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced Thursday.
"On June 6, Finland's foreign minister will visit Moscow at the invitation of the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry. This is the first visit of the head of the Finnish Foreign Ministry to Russia since he took office in May 2015," Zakharova said during her weekly briefing.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will hold talks with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Maliki on June 8, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told journalists.
"The focus point during this meeting will, of course, be the problem in [implementing] the Palestinian-Israeli peace process after the Middle East peace settlement forum in Paris takes place on June 3," Zakharova said.
She said that the two top diplomats would discuss the complex situation in the Palestinian territories in detail.
"Obviously, the likelihood of establishing intra-Palestinian unity will be reviewed, and separately the issues of bilateral Russian-Palestinian cooperation in various areas will be touched upon," Zakharova added.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will hold talks with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh on June 9, Zakharova said.
"On June 9, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Jordan Judeh will be visiting Moscow. Talks are planned between the heads of the foreign ministries of both countries," she said during her weekly briefing in Moscow.
On Syria
It's important to close the Turkish-Syrian border to stop supplying terrorists with arms, Zakahrova told journalists.
"We were shocked by pictures presented by the media, where Daesh terrorists posed with so-called 'moderate rebels'. You could see a picture of smiling militants posing alongside terrorists who behead prisoners," Maria Zakharova said.
"We call on the international community to unite in fighting terrorism," Zakharova said.
The only way to overcome the crisis in Syria is through peace talks, Zakharova added.
Airstrikes in Idlib
Turkey's leadership has baselessly accused Russia of launching an airstrike on civilian targets in the Syrian province of Idlib. The Russian Aerospace Forces have not conducted any military tasks in that area.
"Let me remind that Russia was one of the initiators of the ceasefire in the region," Zakharova said.
Those who can be blamed for ceasefire violations are terrorists. The peaceful settlement in Syria could be achieved only by eliminating terrorist groups in Syria.
Teen Refugees in Turkey
The human rights of minors residing in Turkish refugee camps have been violated regularly. Some facilities in Turkey use child labor.
"We have the impression that Europe does not pay attention to the fact that teen refugees are being raped in Turkey," Zakharova said.
Turkish Kurds
Turkey’s claims that Moscow has allegedly supplied the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militant group with weapons are "fiction" and have nothing to do with reality, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.
"Of course, these claims of Ankara are an example of yet another fiction, this is all nonsense and has nothing in common with reality. Unlike Turkey, Russia does not take part in illegal arms deliveries," Maria Zakharova told a briefing.
Zakharova noted that Moscow had supplied some Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga militias with arms following a corresponding agreement with Baghdad.
Cooperation with the US
Addressing joint projects between the United States and Russia in Syria, Zakharova said that Moscow was ready to cooperate with Washington more actively.
"Of course, it [the cooperation] could be carried out more intensively and more efficiently. We are ready for it. There was not a single time when we refused to coordinate our activity, to provide any information to our American colleagues," Zakharova told journalists.
Russian Foreign Ministry presented official Instagram account:
