RUSSIA: Spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin says BRICS leaders are concerned about U.S. spying allegations, as well as the possible foreign intervention into Syria.

Record ID: 838452

  • Title: RUSSIA: Spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin says BRICS leaders are concerned about U.S. spying allegations, as well as the possible foreign intervention into Syria.
  • Date: 5th September 2013
  • Summary: ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA (SEPTEMBER 5, 2013) (REUTERS) SPOKESMAN FOR RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN, DMITRY PESKOV, ENTERING ROOM FOR NEWS BRIEFING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SPOKESMAN FOR RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN, DMITRY PESKOV, SAYING: "Some participants also expressed their fairly, tough, negative attitude towards recent information about facts of espionage targeting a number of countries, including BRICS member states. This dissatisfaction was open." JOURNALIST TYPING ON LAPTOP (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SPOKESMAN FOR RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN, DMITRY PESKOV, SAYING: "Moreover, these facts of electronic espionage, interference in domestic affairs were in fact described as a development that could be compared to terrorism." MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SPOKESMAN FOR RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN, DMITRY PESKOV, SAYING: "In passing, without any specific discussion, it was noted during the BRICS dialogue that among the factors that could have a negative impact on the situation in the global economy without any doubt are the consequences of the eventual foreign intervention into Syrian affairs." NEWS BRIEFING IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SPOKESMAN FOR RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN, DMITRY PESKOV, SAYING: "The only international body that can make a decision, a legitimate decision about the use of force is the United Nations Security Council. Neither Russian parliament, nor the U.S. Congress or any lawmaking body of any other country in the world has a right to make such decisions. Or if to be precise, they can make such decisions, and heads of state can make such decisions, but they will not be and cannot be considered as legitimate decisions from the international law point of view." MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SPOKESMAN FOR RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN, DMITRY PESKOV, SAYING: "Bot America and Russia want peace in Syria, and they want bloodshed to stop as soon as possible. But we do not agree with anybody in the world trying to dictate their will to another country, trying to change the regime and power in another country. This is illegal from the point of view of the international law the whole world abides by." PESKOV ENDING NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 20th September 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Russian Federation
  • City:
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVADOGGRG8PC7E2FQFB7BSYM9K4U
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Leaders of the BRICS group of emerging economies expressed concern on Thursday (September 5) during talks at a Group of 20 summit about recent allegations about Washington spying on other countries, as well as about the possible strike on Syria, Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman said.
    "Some participants also expressed their fairly tough, negative attitude towards recent information about facts of espionage targeting a number of countries, including BRICS member states. This dissatisfaction was open," Dmitry Peskov said at a news briefing.
    "Moreover, these facts of electronic espionage, interference in domestic affairs were in fact described as a development that could be compared to terrorism," he added.
    The BRICS group includes China, Russia, Brazil, India and South Africa.
    Peskov did not name Brazil, but it was this Latin American BRICS member that assailed the United States on Monday (September 2) after new allegations that Washington spied on Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.
    This led to complaints that Brazil's sovereignty may have been violated and suggestions that Rousseff's planned state visit to the White House next month could be called off.
    A Brazilian news program reported on Sunday (September 1) that the U.S. National Security Agency spied on emails, phone calls and text messages of Rousseff and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, a disclosure that could strain Washington's relations with Latin America's two biggest nations.
    The report by Globo's news program "Fantastico" was based on documents obtained from fugitive former NSA contractor Edward Snowden who was given temporary asylum by Russia.
    President Putin's spokesman also said that BRICS members touched on Syria during their talks.
    "In passing, without any specific discussion, it was noted during the BRICS dialogue that among the factors that could have a negative impact on the situation in the global economy without any doubt are the consequences of the eventual foreign intervention into Syrian affairs," Peskov said.
    U.S. President Barack Obama faced growing pressure from world leaders not to launch military strikes in Syria as the G20 summit on the global economy was eclipsed by the conflict.
    Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to use the meeting in a seafront tsarist palace to talk Obama out of military action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over a chemical weapons attack which Washington blames on government forces.
    "The only international body that can make a decision, a legitimate decision about the use of force is the United Nations Security Council. Neither Russian parliament, nor the U.S. Congress or any lawmaking body of any other country in the world has a right to make such decisions. Or if to be precise, they can make such decisions, and heads of state can make such decisions, but they will not be and cannot be considered as legitimate decisions from the international law point of view," Putin's spokesman said.
    "Bot America and Russia want peace in Syria, and they want bloodshed to stop as soon as possible. But we do not agree with anybody in the world trying to dictate their will to another country, trying to change the regime and power in another country. This is illegal from the point of view of the international law the whole world abides by," Peskov added.
    Putin, Assad's most important ally, was isolated on Syria at a Group of Eight meeting in June, the last big meeting of world powers. He could now turn the tables on Obama, who recently likened him to a "bored kid in the back of the classroom."
    Putin said rebel forces may have carried out the poison gas attack and that any military strike without Security Council approval would violate international law, a view which is now increasingly openly being supported by others.
    He has no one-on-one talks scheduled with Obama but hopes to discuss Syria at a dinner with all the leaders. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and U.N. special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi were also in St. Petersburg, hoping to secure agreement on holding an international peace conference on Syria.
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