Lavrov suggested that Syrian opposition be excluded from Syrian negotiations
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov proposed to leave the Syrian political opposition on the "roadside" of the political process, as he indicated in an interview with the Kurdish television channel Rudaw, as reported on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
According to him, they prove their "inability to negotiate." The Minister noted that Russia supports the results of the previous round of Syrian talks, which took place in Geneva. He recalled that at that time the special representative of the UN Secretary General for Syria, Staffan de Mistura proposed moving in parallel along four directions.
"At this stage how Syria is governed with the possibility of attracting opposition, how the constitution is prepared, how elections are conducted, and the fourth "basket" is an absolute necessity for continuing an uncompromising fight against terrorism," the Russian Foreign Minister said.
"It seems to me that the development of the Geneva process has already been accepted by all except the most extreme opposition, who, perhaps, can be left on the "roadside" of the political process, as they prove their inability to negotiate," Lavrov stressed.
Earlier, the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces reported that consultations are continuing on another de-escalation zone in the province of Idlib.