The BBC world service writes about Russian diplomatic success. After the unexpected visit of Bashar al-Assad to Moscow, the accent of world politics has shifted in the direction of Russia once again. The current president of Syria visited the Kremlin three weeks after the beginning of the Russian military campaign on the territory of the Syrian state, and this was his first visit abroad since 2011. Such a meeting marked that Moscow is now a key player in the Middle East, and that there can be no solution to the Syrian conflict without Russia's participation.
The visit of Assad has shown his confidence that he can safely leave Damascus, and this, in turn, indicates the progress in resolving the Syrian issue in favor of the government. Despite the fact that the leaders of Turkey and Saudi Arabia have sharply criticized the support provided by Russia to the Syrian leadership, the Russian-Syrian partnership continues to gain momentum. In addition, the world has been informed that any diplomatic settlement of the Syrian conflict can be made only through the Kremlin, which means that the West should begin to consider the opinion of Russia in international affairs, in spite of the existing differences.
For the first time in the Syrian conflict there is progress being seen. And it would not have been possible without the participation of Russia, which is making every effort to maintain the sovereignty of the country in the fight against international terrorism. The sooner the conflict is resolved, the better the chances of Europe to overcome the crisis caused by the flow of migrants from the Middle East. At this point, the role of Russia in resolving the Syrian issue cannot be overstated, although there are still materials being published in the Western media that the Russian air strikes are directed not against ISIS, but against the Syrian opposition, supported by external political forces. One way or another, the Kremlin has been able to take control of the situation in the Middle East and change the balance of power in its favor.
The analytical publication Business Insider wrote about Russia's cooperation with African countries. While the United States is trying unsuccessfully to discredit Russia in the eyes of the world, Moscow continues to establish contacts with foreign partners. This time Russia has signed a mutually beneficial contract with Zimbabwe, which will lead to an improvement in the economic and strategic relations between the two countries.
A complex for the extraction of platinum will be built in the capital of Zimbabwe, Harare, the first phase of which will be launched in March 2016. According to the terms of the contract, two new underground mines and a processing plant will be built.
This agreement has huge implications for the global market. Russia already controls 30% of world reserves of platinum, and cooperation with Zimbabwe will enable the country to seize the market entirely. This, in turn, will improve the positions of both countries, and Russia will advance even further as a world leader, not only in strategic, but also in economic terms. In addition to the contract for the production of platinum, Moscow and Harare plan to develop the gas sector in the country. Obviously, the balanced foreign policy of the Kremlin and competent investments ensure that Russia will soon finally be able to overcome the effects of the economic turmoil caused by the diplomatic vibrations and move the pole of world politics in its favor.
