Russia, which has launched an air campaign to prop up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has also been pressing for talks, hoping to shape any outcome to the conflict.
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Kerry caved and told the Associated Press following the meeting that the United States and its allies are “not seeking so-called regime change”.
But Lavrov, after his meeting with Kerry, announced on Tuesday the meeting of the International Syria Support Group would indeed take place. Moscow considers Assad an ally while the US views him as a disruptive force that had done little to end the civil war and was conducting crimes against his own people, including using chemical weapons.
‘Both you and President Obama have committed themselves to trying to develop as much as possible – through Foreign Minister Lavrov and me – an approach that can try to deal with Ukraine and deal with Syria, ‘ Kerry said.
‘We focused on the political process whereby Syrians will be making decisions about the future of Syria’.
What happened? Putin likely spent a day’s worth of talks with Kerry letting the USA know in no uncertain terms that Moscow, after a couple of months now of flexing its muscles against the Islamic State and Syrian rebels, is running the show.
After spending last week at climate talks outside the French capital, Kerry arrived early Tuesday in Moscow, where he will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The crisis has deteriorated relations between the US and Russian Federation to Cold War levels.
Kerry said that he hoped to address the crises both in Syria and in Ukraine, where Washington accuses Moscow of backing separatist rebels and has imposed sanctions on Russian Federation.
The US and Russian Federation back opposing sides in the Syrian conflict, but agree Syria must remain a sovereign entity to avoid further destabilization in the region.
“Even when there have been differences between us, we have been able to work effectively on specific issues”, Kerry said.
The minister also confirmed that the next meeting of the International Syrian Support Group (ISSG) would be held on Friday in NY, with efforts to draft a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution on the basis of agreements reached during previous Vienna talks.
Russian Federation has dispatched air and naval forces to Syria to shore up Assad’s regime, while the United States and its allies are bombing Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq.
Both Russia and Iran have resisted all calls for Assad to be removed. Kerry’s efforts to shift the discussion away from Assad’s personal future, seemed to bring the USA closer to Moscow’s position that real peace talks might be able to begin prior to Assad’s removal. Russian Federation insists that its bombs have been aimed at Islamic State strongholds, though the United States says it is targeting the moderate opposition to Assad.
U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter says he is looking forward to learning more about what Saudi Arabia has in mind for the creation of a new 34-nation counterterrorism alliance based in Riyadh.
Assad himself appeared to cast doubt on the very idea of peace talks on Friday, saying he would not negotiate with armed groups that he said were backed by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. Later, American officials allowed that he wouldnt have to resign on Day One of a transition.
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Mr Lavrov told Mr Kerry there was a need for more effective global co-operation in fighting terror groups: “On that route, there are still questions which today we need to look at”.
