Intra-Syrian Dialogue in Geneva Can No Longer be Delayed -Lavrov

MOSCOW-Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stressed that it is inadmissible to delay the resumption of the intra-Syrian dialogue in Geneva.

“Of course, we talked about the situation in the Middle East and North Africa, above all, in the light of the situation with strengthening the positions of terrorists groups and in the light of need for an uncompromising fight against ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra and all those hiding under their umbrella,” Lavrov said in a joint press conference with the Foreign Minister of Luxemburg, according to Itar Tass.

 The Russian-US document package agreed in Geneva on September 9 (9-10), which has come into force, is to help to start moving towards resolving the crisis in Syria in the context of solving anti-terrorist tasks and improving the humanitarian situation, strengthening the cessation of hostilities regime by all parties to the truce, and terrorists are certainly not among them,” the minister said.

“All this should lay the groundwork for resuming the intra-Syrian political process…delaying is inadmissible,” Lavrov emphasized. “This is what we told UN Secretary General’s special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura in Geneva.”

Moscow urges publishing agreement with US on Syria

Lavrov also said that Moscow calls for the publication of its agreement with the United States on Syria and for seeking its approval by the UN Security Council without any amendments.

“We hear Washington say it is not sure whether Russia will comply with the agreements in their original form, the way they were written down,” Lavrov said. “This is a strange statement, especially if one bears in mind that the agreements incorporate the United States’ reaffirmed obligations to separate terrorists from the moderate opposition.”

The United States, he recalled, assumed that obligation early this year.

“Soon it will be twelve months since then. Nothing has been done. Moreover, there’ve been speculations the moderate opposition should not be separated from al-Nusra, but legalized altogether and possibly, merged with ever more groups in order to create an effective force on the ground to face the Syrian army,” he said, adding that “all this will require a very frank discussion.”

“To ensure there should be no doubts as to how we will go about the business of implementing the agreement in its original form we have suggested making it public after all. Not keeping it secret, contrary to the wish of our US partners,” Lavrov said. “We have nothing to hide. Everything that is stated there is a matter of agreement.”

“We’ve assumed the commitment to comply with everything diligently and to encourage all those on whom the implementation of various section of this agreement depends to adhere to all this honesty and openly,” Lavrov said.

Situation around Jabhat al-Nusra

Lavrov stressed the situation around Jabhat al-Nusra, which is about to be excluded from the list of terrorist organizations, will be in focus of a serious conversation with the United States.

“A more pressing task today is to see to it that the list of terrorist groups is not abridged. There is too much evidence that former Jabhat al-Nusra, now known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia), is considered by many participants in the Middle East processes as a force that is to be kept in place for the change of regime in Syria,” Lavrov said. “I asked this question to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry directly. He categorically denies that the United States is planning to offer protection to al-Nusra, to spare it from the threat of coalition air strikes.”

H.M