No secret talks with Washington on Syria, says Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says there are no secret talks between Moscow and Washington over Syria.

“No secret negotiations are being conducted between Russia and the US,” Lavrov said at a press conference on Monday, adding that a “normal regime of working consultation” is being conducted between the two sides as the “co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group and the co-chairs of the two target subgroups created in that group.”

Lavrov noted that one subgroup “is on ceasefire and on the observance of its conditions and the second is on the solution of issues that prevent the delivery of humanitarian assistance in the entire territory of Syria.”

He added that “considerable” progress has been made on both tracks.

A truce, brokered by the US and Russia, went into effect across Syria on February 27. However, it does not apply to terrorist groups such as Daesh and al-Qaeda’s Syria branch, al-Nusra Front.

The Saudi-backed opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) and representatives from the Syrian government are currently in Geneva for another round of UN-brokered peace talks aimed at finding a political solution to the Syrian conflict

‘Plan B’ for Syria

Lavrov further stressed that a number of countries in the Middles East, including Turkey, have been supporting the so-called Plan B for Syria.

The plan was prepared by the US and its regional allies and is aimed at providing vetted “moderate” militant groups with weapons systems that would enable them to launch attacks against Syrian government aircraft and artillery positions.

Washington has said the Plan B will come into effect if the ceasefire deal fails to reduce hostilities in Syria.

“Despite the denial from Washington, there are many who want to think about such Plan B: if not right in the heart of the Pentagon or other US agencies, then in the region. I will mention, specifically, Turkey, which continues attempts to interfere using military methods,” Lavrov said.

He noted that some states were preparing the plan in the hope that “the negotiations on Syria will fail and then new weapons can be pumped into Syria” for military acts aimed at overthrowing the Damascus government.

The remarks come as the Syrian army has liberated a number of key areas from Takfiri militants over the past few weeks, vowing to press ahead with its counter-terror military operations and drive Daesh elements out of their major strongholds in the country.

Syria opposition groups

The Russian foreign minister also called on the so-called moderate militant groups in Syria to leave Takfiri groups’ positions if they do not want to be regarded as supporters of terrorists.

“If these groups want to observe the ceasefire conditions and do not want to look like supporters of terrorists, one simple thing needs to be done: change the territory where they are and disassociate themselves from the terrorist positions physically,” Lavrov said.

He also said that Washington has pledged to encourage the militant groups to withdraw from the areas to avoid causing problems for the fight against al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra Front group.

The promise, however, has not been fulfilled, Lavrov said, adding, “This raises a very simple question: if these moderate groups don’t want to leave the positions occupied by Jabhat al-Nusra (al-Nusra Front), maybe they are not moderate, but are those who are working with terrorists in breach of the UN Security Council resolution.”

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