News / Russia

Russia willing to create anti-Daesh 'joint staff' with US, France

Wednesday, 25 November 2015 11:20 AM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 25 November 2015 11:21 AM ]

Russia's Ambassador to France Alexander Orlov

The Russian ambassador to France says Moscow is prepared to “create a joint staff” with Paris, Washington, and even Ankara to fight Daesh terrorists operating in Syria.

Alexander Orlov made the remarks during an interview with Europe 1 radio, on Wednesday.

"We are prepared to... plan strikes on Daesh positions together and create a joint staff with France, the US, with all the countries who want to be in this coalition," the Russian diplomat said, adding, "If the Turks want to be in [the joint staff] as well, they are welcome.”

Orlov’s comments came as tensions between Moscow and Ankara continue to rise a day after Turkey shot down a Russian Su-24M Fencer jet along its border with Syria, accusing it of violating Turkish airspace.

Reports indicate that one of the two pilots was killed by ground fire after ejecting from the plane, while the Syrian army has claimed to have rescued the second pilot.

Smoke billows into the sky as a warplane crashes into a mountainous area in northern Syria after being downed by Turkish fighter jets near the Turkish-Syrian border, November 24, 2015. (Reuters photo)

Earlier in the day, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country did not seek to escalate tensions with Russia. However, Erdogan defended the move by his country, adding that Ankara was only trying to defend its borders.

Russia has denied all of Ankara’s claims, saying that the jet was shot down in Syrian airspace, where Moscow has been carrying out operations against Daesh Takfiri terrorists since September 30 upon a request by the Damascus government.

Daesh militants have been carrying out atrocities against hundreds of thousands of people in Syria and neighboring Iraq over the past few years.

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