Russia and France boost cooperation on Syria.

(Baonghean.vn) - Moscow and Paris have agreed to share intelligence on terrorist activities and military operations in Syria. However, both leaders have refused to retract their positions on the future of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed French President Francois Hollande's visit to the Kremlin on November 26. Photo: AFP.

President Francois Hollande and President Vladimir Putin signaled a new era of Franco-Russian cooperation in Syria on November 26 during the French leader's visit to Moscow. The two powers agreed to set aside their differences over the future of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who enjoys Kremlin support but faces opposition from some Western leaders, and to share intelligence on the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) and other terrorist groups.

During a joint press conference, Hollande stated: “The important thing we have agreed on is that we will only strike terrorist forces and ISIS, not forces fighting terrorism. We will exchange information on who should and should not be attacked.”

Holland added that France is still heavily impacted by the coordinated attacks by ISIS-linked militants in Paris, and plans to increase support for moderate rebel groups also fighting ISIS in Syria.

French Rafale fighter jets return to the aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle after flights on November 23. Photo: AFP.

Putin said that Russia would consider joining the US-led coalition that has been conducting airstrikes against ISIS targets for more than a year, but only on the condition that all parties agree on a code of conduct.

President Putin stated: “It should be noted that the number of countries sharing this initiative is increasing. We believe that eradicating terrorism in Syria will create the necessary conditions for achieving a long-term agreement on the Syrian crisis.”

He also called the Syrian army a "natural ally" in the fight against IS, and asserted that Assad's fate could not be decided by outside forces.

Putin said: "I believe that the fate of the Syrian president must be in the hands of the Syrian people."

For his part, Hollande continued to maintain the Western powers' position that Assad has "no place" in Syria's future.

The Russian leader also commented on the downing of a Russian military aircraft by Turkish forces near the Turkish border with Syria on November 24, leading to increasingly tense and strained relations between the two countries. Turkey continues to accuse Russia of violating its airspace, while Russia denies the allegations.

President Putin reiterated his belief that ISIS-controlled areas in Syria are receiving large supplies of oil from within Turkish territory, adding that it was impossible for the Turkish air force not to recognize Russian aircraft.

Putin also said that the US military must have known the location of the Russian plane before calling the incident an act of betrayal by Türkiye, a country Russia once considered friendly.

Thu Giang

(According to AP, Reuters)