Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Lavrov Calls for Translating Russia-U.S. Deal on Syria into International Resolution | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
Select Page
Media ID: 55358299
Caption:

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov attends a news conference after a meeting on Syria with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Geneva, Aug. 26, 2016 (Reuters)


Moscow-Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Lavrov called on the United States to reveal the details of the bilateral agreement on Syria, adding that such a deal should be made official by translating it into an international resolution.

Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry agreed to a package of arrangements in Geneva on Friday that includes the possibility of creating a center to isolate terrorist groups from other armed factions which Washington describes as the moderate opposition.

Lavrov’s comments came in response to recent remarks by White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest, who said on Monday: “We need to see Russia make good on the commitments they’ve made in the context of this arrangement to prevail upon the Assad regime to observe the cessation of hostilities.”

According to the deal, the U.S. and Russia will create a joint center to define terrorist targets, called the Joint Intelligence Committee or JIC, which will allow the two countries to coordinate military actions without input from Syria.

Extremist organizations, such as ISIS or Fateh al-Sham (formerly al-Nusra Front), are excluded from the cessation of violence and will be subjected to further attacks.

During a joint news conference on Tuesday with Luxembourg Foreign Affairs Minister Jean Asselborn, Lavrov said that he put forward a proposal to publish the text of the agreement and “not keeping it secret as Washington wants.”

The Russian foreign affairs minister pledged to work on publishing the agreement in order to be adopted by the U.N. Security Council, with no amendments to it.

Lavrov also urged the U.S.-led coalition to continue viewing Jabhat Fateh al-Sham as a terrorist organization and to carry out strikes on its positions.

“I have a very demanding task now – not to let this list [of terrorist organizations] be reduced,” Lavrov said.

“I have no reason not to trust John Kerry, but what we see on the ground [in Syria] is that the coalition is very reluctant to strike the positions of the Nusra Front,” he added.