22 September 2016, 16:15 GMT
MOSCOW (Sputnik) — There are presently no conditions for Russia to take part in international monitoring of the Turkish-Syrian border, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov said.
"You need a lot of preceding events to monitor the border… For starters, everyone has to trust each other," Syromolotov told RIA Novosti.
He noted that both Russian and US officials have pressed Ankara in to secure its porous southern border, particularly a 56-mile stretch that has been reportedly exploited by the Daesh terrorists.
"We are well aware that weapons are deployed one way across the border while oil, artifacts, etc., move in the opposite direction. Smuggling flourishes," Syromolotov said.
The diplomat further noted the ambiguous nature of Turkey's month-long Euphrates Shield campaign aimed both against the Daesh and Kurdish fighters.
"Everything is too mixed up across an array of factors… We cannot unequivocally state now that the border is closed," he stressed.
