The US secretary of state, John Kerry, and Russia’s foreign minister have spoken about holding talks between the Syrian government and the opposition.
In a telephone conversation on Saturday held at Kerry’s request, he and Sergei Lavrov also discussed enlisting other countries in the region to help push the political process forward, the Russian foreign ministry said.
Lavrov also appeared on Russian state TV on Saturday, urging an intensification of efforts to find a political solution to the war. He said Moscow was ready to coordinate with the US in fighting terrorism in Syria.
He said Russia would be ready to help western-backed Free Syrian Army rebels if it knew their locations.
Lavrov said the Kremlin wanted Syria to prepare for parliamentary and presidential elections and that Russia was prepared to provide air support to the Free Syrian Army, as Moscow intensified its drive to convert its increased clout with Damascus into a political settlement.
The Kremlin, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s strongest foreign ally, has spoken broadly about the need for elections in Syria before. However, Lavrov’s comments represent a notable shift in Russia’s position.
It follows a meeting on Friday with the US and other countries to discuss a political solution to the Syrian crisis and comes just days after a surprise visit by Assad to Moscow.
Lavrov said: “External players cannot decide anything for the Syrians. We must force them to come up with a plan for their country where the interests of every religious, ethnic and political group will be well protected.”
He also said the continued US refusal to coordinate its military campaign in Syria with Moscow was “a big mistake”.
The comments follow criticism of Russia’s military intervention in Syria by the Gulf Cooperation Council. Its assistant secretary general, Abdel Aziz Abu Hamad Aluwaisheg, said that the action taken by Russia was “the best gift that could be given to terrorist groups.
“I think it has the potential of being a very dangerous escalation between the superpowers, between Russia and the US,” he told the BBC.
“I think we’re all concerned about that and I think the Russian decision that was made without consultation, without coordination with the international coalition to fight Daesh [Isis] is unfortunate, and I think it could cause dangerous escalation.”
Aluwaisheg warned that Russia’s military intervention risked bolstering terrorist groups, saying it would help them recruit more members from all over the world. He said: “I think it probably will happen in Syria if the Russian intervention continues.”
His comments came as the Russian defence ministry said its planes had flown 934 sorties and destroyed 819 militant targets in Syria since the start of its operation on 30 September, the Interfax news agency reported.
Meanwhile, Kerry, was flying to Saudi Arabia for further talks on the conflict in Syria.
No comments:
Post a Comment