Zakharova: US Strategy in Syria Seeks to Divide Country

The US plans to maintain a military presence in Syria do not contribute to the settlement of the situation in the country, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.

The strategy of the United States in Syria is aimed at dividing this country, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday, according to Sputnik.

 She said that the US’s call for changing the legitimately leadership in Syria continues. “We are convinced that such an approach contradicts international law and does not contribute to a political settlement of intra-Syrian problems on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 2254,” Zakharova said.

Zakharova drew attention to the fact that “delay with the restoration of the unity of Syrian society is fraught with new dangerous challenges.”

“This is happening now in the area of the city of Afrin, where the units of the Turkish armed forces together with armed groups are conducting a military operation. The Turkish side, as you know, presents this as a response to threats to Turkish security, which formed in the north of Syria,” she added.

Zakharova also said that cards of invitation have been sent to 1,600 Syrians to attend the Syrian National Dialogue Congress scheduled to be held in Sochi on January 29-30.

During a press conference on Thursday, Zakharova said that invitations were also sent to the United Nations and regional and international partners as observers at the Congress, noting that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will participate in the Congress.

Russian Ambassador to UN: Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi Will Contribute to Settlement

Meantime in new York, Russian Ambassador to UN Vasily Nebenzya said that his country hopes the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi will give a new momentum to find a political solution to the crisis in Syria, SANA reported.

The Russian Ambassador told a session of the UN Security Council on Thursday that the constitutional reform and holding elections with the participation of the United Nations in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254 will be one of the issues that would be discussed at the Sochi Conference, then to be agreed upon by all the participating Syrian sides.

He also pointed out that the Syrian Arab Army, in cooperation with the Russian air force, cleared the Syrian territories from Daesh (ISIS) and other terrorist groups, which will help make the Suchi Conference a success.

H.M