Tribune’s guest is a member of the Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security, Alexei Kondratiev. He represents the Tambov region in the upper house of the Russian parliament.
- The Federation Council has recently approved amendments to the law on military-technical cooperation of Russia with foreign states. Tell us more about it. How will these amendments affect our arms exports? As you know, this is one of the undoubted items of Russia's income.
- For 10 years the law has undergone some changes in production conditions of military products, and its implementation. Accordingly, the most important thing is that the enterprises producing military products have changed their status, their ownership. Some enterprises have joined the state corporation sector, those which are quite strictly regulated by defined parameters in the legislative and technical fields. Some enterprises, which are quite small, which are involved in state defense orders, or those producing direct military products, or enterprises participating in the production of certain spare parts, materials, starting materials for the production of military products, as the subsidiaries, received a certain stage in the development due to the increased volume of the state defense order. Accordingly, the current situation is that it is necessary to reduce the period, provided by the state defense order for the production of certain types of weapons or facilities, from the development of the operational and tactical tasks or technical tasks for one or another material till the payment for its implementation in the shortest possible time.
There amendments to the legislation have been made to shorten the process, taking forms of ownership into account. Now these amendments allow companies participating in state defense orders to realize their own products on the basis of contracts with all the interested parties. A special feature of these amendments is that those companies, which have already participated in state defense orders and implemented military projects overseas, are required to meet their contractual obligations. But only those companies, where the state's share is 51% or more, can participate in this process.
- That is, those companies where the government has a controlling stake.
- Definitely. We must understand that for obvious reasons the state is obliged to keep control over the commercial activities of the enterprise for the implementation of military products. This is the main condition today. Therefore, this law continues to operate and the amendments to the law optimize temporary and remedial costs and help companies to quickly place orders, including from our foreign partners.
- In other words, you give companies an opportunity to sell their products faster, increase volumes, maybe enter different markets.
- Defense products have certain restrictions on the nomenclature and, of course, on information of where it is produced. People involved in such activities as searching for partners abroad, monitor contracts for the supply of tanks, rockets, small arms and so on in advance. Realizing that foreign partners will make offers for production not only to us but also to our likely friends in the US and other major countries that produce weapons, of course, they look for such orders, prepare a production base for them, purchase an equipment, create stocks of materials, train skilled workers. And when contracts are concluded after tenders to produce our arms, these companies are in an advantageous position, because they are ready to produce the necessary weapons in the shortest possible time to meet the needs of client-states. That is, conventionally, it is the specificity of this business. Therefore, when enterprises have the right to adjust to the conditions of the market, we enable these enterprises to develop themselves. After all, do not forget, it's people who work in these enterprises. Of course, they receive a salary, feed their families and most importantly, generate income from the sale of these weapons to our country. And this income is spent on the development of our society as well. Therefore, it is very important today.
- Alexey Vladimirovich, you have spent some time in the Syrian Arab Republic. What was your mission?
- Our committee monitors everything that happens today in the region very actively, because the region affects the entire global and regional policy. I visited our Khmeimim airbase on the instructions of the head of our Committee, Viktor Ozerov. And one my tasks, I will not tell you about everything, for obvious reasons, was to check how our soldiers perform combat missions to combat terrorism. And I must say that the leadership of the Ministry of Defense has created quality and professional conditions for the everyday actions of our personnel at the base. And most importantly, they created the necessary conditions to carry out combat missions. After all, our pilots make 3-4 combat sorties a day. This is a very serious burden. UAVs and planes take off and land constantly, they have to be serviced, charged, refueled, the process of performing combat missions must be organized in such a way so as to avoid accidents and possible losses in the case of combat contacts between conflicting parties. After all, no one excludes the possibility of fire from insurgents during landing, take off or while performing tasks on the route.
I would like to thank the Commander, his deputies and heads of structural divisions. Everything is done according to the last word in technical fashion. Roughly speaking, people live in houses of a container type, not in tents. All the conditions in terms of social amenities have been created: the dining room is amazing, they have their own bakery. They have a diverse set of dishes. Not like 20-30 years ago in Afghanistan or Chechnya – a two course meal. They have three first courses, several kinds of second course, their own pastries. There are military stores, a whole military trade system, where you can buy anything, even non-alcoholic beer. Kits for the minor repair of uniforms, their own sewing and laundry. The medical center of the medical special forces has everything from a personal intensive care room to the capability of carrying out quite serious surgical operations. The diagnostic equipment is the latest that can be imagined.
Our troops in Syria have fairly comfortable conditions. Of course, TV programs and films are no substitute for direct communication with the motherland, but at least they have TV. Various bands visit them often, we periodically see how they perform. Thanks to the support of Senator Yulia Vladimirovna Veprintseva, actors of the Tula Philharmonic performed at our place, as well as at checkpoints. And when the Marines, located at checkpoints, saw the artists they were very impressed.
But for the actions of the Military Space Forces of our army, the outcome of this operation would have been predictable. In this case, Syria would not have existed at that moment as a state. It would be an enclave divided into different areas and controlled by criminal groups, like in the neighboring country of Libya. In general, the state territory and the control over the territory occupied by the militants for almost four years, is being restored now. And it should be noted that the atrocities of people who are trying to impose their will on the world are a nightmare that can be compared with Hitler's invasion. People are beheaded, stabbed, children and pregnant women were killed, the femalepart of the population were raped and humiliated, but from the viewpoint of Islam it is nonsense that goes beyond all limits. It once again that this fact underlines that terrorism has nothing in common with religious background or social origin. It is a purely criminal structure, designed to tackle not even political goals, but many criminal crimes. Terrorism has relation neither to Islam, nor to any other religions. Whatever they speak and what formulas from the Koran they read out they are not Muslims, politicians, or fighters for people's happiness. They are common criminals and murderers who should be eliminated as the most terrible disease. It is impossible to conduct any negotiations with them or agree with them. They should be physically eliminated, I stress it once again. There is no place on Earth for this contagion.
- How long were you in Syria?
- It took us three days. We monitored how the Russian aviation worked, including the command and control center, the so-called CBU, in the "online" mode, as well how it works in terms of performing combat tasks. We also monitored how militants opposed. I can tell you that our army today isn't like it was five years ago. It isn't impossible to compare it now with its actions in the Chechen Republic, and even in Afghanistan. The technical progress has reached a new level. The martial skill of our military has increased significantly. It's an army of the 21st century.
We managed to see the work of pilots and the air defense that cover our pilots. An additional S-400 complex was introduced to the territory of the airbase in accordance with the President's decision. Frankly speaking, the tragic accident that happened to the crew of the SU-24 was shocking. Certainly, a legal assessment of those people's actions who are to blame for this will be made. I hope that everyone will be fairly punished, and the Turkish side is obliged to apologize before our country and the families of the deceased in the interests of future good-neighborly and partnership relations, as well as pay for the damages for the downed aircraft. It should become a prerequisite for further steps to normalization of relations between our countries, because neither the Turkish people, nor the Russians are to blame for the wrong actions of the individual managers who allowed the incident to occur.
- Alexey Vladimirovich, did you have an opportunity to talk with Syrians? Did you see any individual moments of Syrian life which are worth mentioning in the Syrian society? For example, what's the Syrian people's attitude towards Bashar Assad, as well as how was he able to maintain his popularity among the people in these four years?
- We had conversations with representatives of the armed forces and the Mukhabarat security service, the analogue of the FSB. It has its own specific features in the Syrian Arab Republic in comparison with our service. But, returning to the essence of the matter, the Syrians are very thankful to the Russian forces in the region for their presence in the region as a part of the formation. We never left Syria on its own, we have always supported the Syrian Republic. Our military base has been located in Tartus for a long time, and our servicemen have always been a standard of behavior, even when we participate in various military conflicts, for example in Syrian-Arab wars, our advisor has been always perceived by the Syrians positively, but when the country was faced with the threat of international terrorism, quite large areas were lost, and the Syrian Arab Republic was on the brink of collapse, Russian troops directly participated in hostilities, including the death of Syrians, and Oleg Peshkov, the member of the Russian aircraft crew. I were in the helicopter and we saw where the marine was killed. I perfectly understand the Syrians' feelings, and the parents of the soldier. How tragic and painful to accept it, but the Syrians have accepted our participation not just with enthusiasm, but also with much thankfulness. I bought a casket and now it is in my home. It is a wooden casket, which bears the flags of Russia and the Syrian Arab Republic and the inscription ''Thank you'' in Russian and Arabic. Arabs will remember what Russia did for their state for a long time.
As for Bashar al-Assad, we should understand that only the Syrians should determine during the parliamentary elections who will become the leader of the country. Assad has a fairly high reputation among the population, which is fighting for the preservation of the state now against international terrorism. However, we should remember that about the 'Free Syrian Army', which fights to lead another person to power. According to the Vienna Agreements, elections will be held and very varied groups and strata of society will be admitted, which didn't participate in terrorist acts. They are representatives of the Assad clan, and representatives of the Syrian opposition, but it's up to the Syrian people.
Even today about 5000 candidates are attempting to be nominated for the parliamentary elections. Can you imagine how the people yearned for a normal state during four years of war? The elections are a sign for them, a symbol of the revival of statehood, order, peace on the territory. That is why if Bashar Assad fulfills his function as the President of the country, it may take the decision not to participate in these elections, or participate if he considers that he may be greatly supported by the population.
The West is dreaming of leaving Assad out of the leadership of the country. It is necessary to recall once again that in the last decade our coalition partners who were bombing unknown objects for three years and failed to succeed. They brought democracy, but hanged Saddam Hussein in neighboring Iraq for some reason without proof of his guilt. In fact, the court actually turned into a farce –the engagement and brandishing a test tube.
Before Muammar Gaddafi's overthrow, neighboring Libya was a prosperous country where people received an allowance after marriage of up to 60,000 dollars and where a liter of gasoline cost less than a liter of water. People went abroad to receive an education at the expense of the state. Bread cost very little. And today, after receiving this portion of democracy, they received terrorists, a destroyed economy, a lack of statehood and constant fear for their lives, the fates of their children, relatives and friends.
It is time to protect, as they say, the hawks from the desire to interfere with their norms of democracy, which only worsen life on the territory. That means we need to stop these impulses for a while, and probably allow states, which already lived like this, to manage their own development themselves, and to manage it further, rather than trying to adapt to someone. Every country has the right to a sovereign existence, which we all must respect under international law.
The Russian authorities do not cling to Assad. The Syrian side has called us there, the Syrian side, the Syrian people will decide who will be the leader there. We support, first of all, the people.
- The beginning of the military operation in Syria by Russian aerospace forces immediately revealed all of that mass of contradictions, which exists in the foreign policy of many states, the situation that has developed today in the Middle East. Turkey's role became clear, and the role of the US, which together with their allies were engaged in bombings of the desert for three years, Saudi Arabia, for example, Qatar. Now, in these days, we are talking about a truce, it is joined by more and more settlements of Syria, led by elders, headmen, about a truce, on which, I remind you, Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama agreed. Why is this truce necessary, in your opinion? Does it provide additional opportunities in fighting Daesh, or do they have a certain opportunity for, perhaps, a breather, if people quickly take off their masks, say that they are moderate, quickly claim it?
- Any bad peace is always better than a good war. And the main task of the actions of the entire international community is to stabilize and normalize the situation. Vladimir Putin once saved Syria in the conflict with chemical weapons, which in fact, it was already proved, have been used by militants, we are not disclosing anything new here, and the intervention of the international community in this process today is quite justified.
On the other hand, military actions, the results of which are blood and death of civilians, do not lead to anything good, no matter how they are justified, and how they are substantiated - whether by political demands, or by the desire of certain groups to have their authority in a particular area to address some of their own tasks, interests and so on. Nevertheless, there are norms of the existence of state, and they must be respected. And, of course, for us it is important to understand that the separation of sides today as a result of a truce, by no means affects the reduction of intensity of the destruction of bandit formations. In other words, our country stated and agreed together with the entire international community within the coalition, that we will continue aerospace operation to eliminate militants of Jabhat al-Nusra and, accordingly, Daesh, which is not related to Islam at all. That is why our pilots continue to carry out flights for the bombings, ground attacks, support of actions of the Syrian Arab Army on the destruction of terrorist groups. Accordingly, combat actions between the opposition and representatives of the Syrian Arab Republic, the armed forces of the Syrian Arab Republic, are not carried out.
- Those who laid down their arms ( or sheathed arms) are those very forces, which in the future have the opportunity to participate in the political life of Syria, participate in the parliamentary elections?
- That's right, in the political settlement of the conflict. I agree with you entirely. And this is the point, so that after completing this armed struggle, the move to the political process, the negotiation process, to form a coalition or a coalition government, which would allow to take into account the interests of all segments of the population of the Syrian Arab Republic, and, accordingly, normalize the life on the territory of Syria, because those destructions, which we see today in Idlib, Aleppo, Palmyra, half of Damascus is actually destroyed, require major investments for rebuilding the economy, of course, for return and revival of social life, preservation, rescue of cultural values, which are the international heritage today.
And all parties involved in this conflict, should change their minds, come to their senses and return to normal political - including - life and work in the direction, which would allow Syria to achieve those milestones in the future, which it held before the outbreak of hostilities. After all, it is quite a serious regional player within the Middle East and North Africa.
Turkey plays a certain role in the north of the Syrian Arab Republic, which is far from the norms of international law and justice, which is, from the point of view of the art of war, diplomatic relations, a direct violation of international law. After all, the concentration of forces of a neighboring state along the border always tells about aggressive intentions, and direct participation in hostilities, bombardments, no matter what their excuse is, of the Kurdish militias, the areas around Aleppo from artillery systems, is the use of weapons on the territory of a sovereign state. In accordance with international law, there is such a norm – casusbelli, and the leadership of the affected state should make every effort to prohibit this aggression.
If Assad would ordered to use retaliatory fire, and today Turkey would be actively participating in the hostilities. Then it is necessary to ask the question – who is Turkey supporting by participating in these military clashes, terrorists? What goals does it pursue? If Kurdish rebels, after the horrors that terrorists committed near Coban, remember severed heads, mass executions, took up arms and carry one of the main burdens today, by taking part in clashes with militants, while being attacked by Turkey, which is formally a part of the anti-Daesh coalition, then this is also quite a huge problem for today, which requires enormous, huge amounts of work of the diplomats and the military department of our country, of Syria, and of Turkey. Saudi Arabia, which is mired in battles in Yemen. Perhaps today it is necessary to solve problems in their own country, rather than trying to get bogged down in another country. If it is involved in the fight against terrorism, then it should focus on indicators of its effectiveness in addressing these issues, and not on the declaration of statements which only aggravate the situation. I think that those terrorist groups that were formed on the territory of Saudi Arabia ... I do not blame the leadership of the country, I say that groups to participate in this war are formed on the territory of different countries. In this sense, we also have people who are leaving by semi-criminal ways through Turkey from Chechnya, from Dagestan, from other regions, because not only Chechens and Dagestanis are fighting there, there are quite a lot of nationalities. But I have already stressed that terrorism is a supranational, suprareligious structure, a phenomenon that has the face of a beast and a beastly nature, but does not bear national or religious characters. And all the countries, which have such phenomena today, must unite their efforts in the framework of national security, activities of Interpol on tracking down and returning these citizens and their exclusion from circulation. If they, for whatever reasons, have participated in terrorist acts and committed crimes, they will pay for it. If they did not do it, then we still need to work with them, work and work. And in this situation, of course, it is very important for all of our coalition partners, including Turks, to fulfill their allied obligations, and not be engaged in a double-dealing policy "to us, to you." In this situation, I believe that only political and state responsibility of the heads of our partner countries will ensure the speedy execution of tasks to restore peace and order in Syria and the region as a whole.
