Lavrov: Contacts with the US on the crisis in Syria continue

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov affirmed on Sunday that contacts with the US on the crisis in Syria are continuous.

In a press conference on the sidelines of the ASEAN forum in the Philippine capital of Manila, Lavrov said that the contacts between Russian and US representatives are also conducted in the agreement reached with the United States about the creation of de-escalation zone in south Syria.

“We hope that our contacts with the United States will continue also in relation to other aspects, both military and political, of the Syrian settlement. They have never been interrupted.” Lavrov added.

Lavrov said that the agreement on the de-escalation zone in Idleb is not simple and will be difficult, adding that relying on the guarantors of the cessation of hostilities agreement is possible as well as the other players such as the United States who have a general impact on all militants, except terrorists who should not be agreed with them.

He said that if Russia, Turkey, Iran and also the coalition work in a coordinated manner and use their influence on the militants on the ground, then compromise proposals could be reached to resolve this issue.

On a relevant context, Lavrov expressed the necessity of strict adherence to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and the provisions of the UN Security Council resolutions that laid the foundations for moving the political process.

In a statement, Russian Foreign Ministry said that Lavrov discussed with his US counterpart Rex Tillerson the subsequent steps to resolve the crisis in Syria, including the development of the memorandum on establishing de-escalation zones

Source : SANA