Several Russian lawmakers arrived in Syria on Friday for a meeting with President Bashar al-Assad on the day when foreign policy chiefs of Russia, the United States, Turkey and Saudi Arabia met to discuss a political settlement over Syria’s civil war.
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The USA has so far refused to cooperate with Russian Federation, other than to establish a basic agreement to prevent mid-air collisions.
Friday’s meetings in Vienna – site of the world’s last major global diplomatic success, the Iran nuclear deal in July – followed a surprise visit by Assad on Tuesday to Moscow.
“I would like to understand what is the difference. Russian Federation is taking part in creating conditions for such a process”, Lavrov said, adding that Jordan may play a positive role in the process.
Putin also said Russian Federation and the West are establishing contacts to coordinate their operations.
While the Syrian leadership sang the praises of Moscow, the White House castigated Russia’s intervention, calling it “counterproductive”.
Russian Federation is pushing for early presidential elections in Syria that may give President Bashar al-Assad a fresh mandate, hardening opposition to demands for his ouster from the U.S. and its allies.
“We think that it is necessary to dramatically increase efforts to launch a political process” based on a three-year-old proposal reached in Geneva that hasn’t taken shape, Lavrov said.
As for Putin, he expressed his administration’s readiness to assist Syria both militarily and politically, according to SANA. Lavrov said he hoped Iran, as well as Egypt, would be invited to the next round of talks.
Speaking after the roughly two-hour meeting, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry acknowledged the fundamental disagreement but suggested that there may be a solution and spoke of the possibility of holding wider talks in a week’s time.
“We agree on [the] criticality of keeping together all of the institutions of the government [in Syria] and of engaging in a political process, because everyone has agreed there is no military solution”, Mr. Kerry said before a meeting with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
The coastal province of Latakia is the heartland of the Alawite minority.
Security forces with assault rifles guarded key facilities, and armored personnel carriers were parked nearby.
Russia’s Defense Ministry declined to comment on the claims.
Konashenkov rejected Western allegations that Russian Federation has mostly targeted other groups opposing Assad instead of the Islamic State.
“I don’t understand how terrorists could be divided into good and bad ones”, he told reporters. Moscow denied hitting civilians. He said the warplanes are not striking populated areas and are only aiming at infrastructure such as depots and bunkers – but only after the targets are repeatedly verified using various intelligence sources. Reports say large numbers of Daesh terrorists are quitting the ranks of the extremist group amid the advances of government troops backed by Russian airstrikes.
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Russian Federation has long maintained that Iran should be included in Syrian peacemaking.
