Steven Seagal
Hollywood actor Steven Seagal has been appointed as Russian Foreign Ministry envoy responsible for humanitarian ties with the U.S., the ministry said on Saturday.
This position does not have any monetary remuneration and is akin to a goodwill ambassador, Russian foreign service said in a written statement.
"The task is: assistance to the further development of Russian-American relations in the humanitarian domain, including interaction in culture, arts, social and youth exchanges," it said.
Seagal became a Russian citizen in 2016. He is known for his outspoken political views and support of President Vladimir Putin.
Russia's Defence Ministry confirmed on Saturday that it had proposed cooperating with the United States on Syrian refugees and de-mining in a letter sent to the top U.S. general in July.The proposals on refugees concerned a refugee camp in Rukban, the ministry said in a statement.In the letter, Valery Gerasimov, chief of the Russian military's General Staff, said Moscow was ready to discuss with Damascus safety guarantees for refugees stranded at Rukban, as well as creating conditions for their return home.China willing to fight alongside Assad regimeRukban lies within a 55 km so-called de-confliction zone set up by the United States to ensure the safety of its garrison close to the Iraqi-Syrian border."A proposal was also made to coordinate humanitarian de-mining, including in Raqqa, and other priority humanitarian issues," the Russian ministry said.
Russia confirms proposed Syria cooperation with US
The Turkish foreign minister on Saturday offered his condolences to the victims of a helicopter crash in Siberia.“I was saddened to learn about the helicopter crash in Krasnoyarsk city in the Siberian Federal District of the Russian Federation, killing 18 people,” Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said in a tweet.“I express my words of condolences to the Russian Federation, to the Russian people, and to the relatives of the victims,” Çavuşoğlu added.Eighteen killed in Russian helicopter crash in Siberia The helicopter was transporting employees of Vankor company, which is developing oilfields in Siberia, from their workplace to the company's base.The accident occurred early Saturday morning.Both a technical malfunction and pilot error are being considered as possible causes of the crash.Russian media also reported an explosion of the helicopter's fuel tanks.
Turkey offers condolences over Russia helicopter crash