- Title: Russia working to normalise situation in Syria - Lavrov
- Date: 3rd October 2016
- Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (OCTOBER 3, 2016) (REUTERS) RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, SERGEI LAVROV, AND HIS CAMBODIAN COUNTERPART, PRAK SOKHONN, ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, SERGEI LAVROV, SAYING: "We are also seriously concerned about what is happening in Syria, about how the U.N. Security Council resolutions are being fulfilled in their entirety. We are concerned about the attempts by some participants of the process inside and outside Syria to act regardless of the decisions of the U.N. Security Council. We want to remove all obstacles standing in the way of achieving everything that has been agreed in relation to Syria normalisation." MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, SERGEI LAVROV, SAYING: "Of course we would like to get rid of any ambiguity, as they directly affect our cooperation with the United States on fulfilment of the Russian-American agreements. Agreements that are, so to say, hanging in the air right now, to a decisive extent because it is unclear how Washington regards the actions of the opposition, a whole range of opposition groups, militants and political opposition to the (Bashar) al-Assad's regime, who reject or refuse to accept the Russian-American agreements." MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, SERGEI LAVROV, SAYING: "So of course we want to clarify this situation. We discuss this with John Kerry essentially every day, even three times a day, as occurred on Saturday. And I hope that this clarification will be made." NEWS CONFERENCE ENDING
- Embargoed: 18th October 2016 11:54
- Keywords: Russia Syria United States John Kerry peace regulation ceasefire Aleppo
- Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- City: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA00152G9KJR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday (October 3) Russia was concerned about the developing situation in Syria and is seeking to normalise it.
His comments come as the Syrian government and allied forces advance towards Aleppo, pursuing their week-old offensive to take the rebel-held part of the city after dozens of overnight air strikes. Syrian forces supported by Iranian-backed militias and Russian air power are pushing to take the whole of the divided city after a ceasefire collapsed last month.
"We are also seriously concerned about what is happening in Syria, about how the U.N. Security Council resolutions are being fulfilled in their entirety. We are concerned about the attempts by some participants of the process inside and outside Syria to act regardless of the decisions of the U.N. Security Council," said Lavrov during a news conference on Monday.
"We want to remove all obstacles standing in the way of achieving everything that has been agreed in relation to Syria normalisation," he added.
An air campaign by the Syrian government and its allies has been reinforced by a ground offensive against the besieged eastern half of Aleppo, where insurgents have been holding out. Hospitals have been badly hit in the assault, medics say.
Lavrov said agreement brokered by Moscow and Washington were "hanging in the air" because of "ambiguity" over the U.S.'s position in Syria.
"We would like to get rid of any ambiguity, as they directly affect our cooperation with the United States on fulfilment of the Russian-American agreements. Agreements that are, so to say, hanging in the air right now, to a decisive extent because it is unclear how Washington regards the actions of the opposition, a whole range of opposition groups, militants and political opposition to the (Bashar) al-Assad's regime, who reject or refuse to accept the Russian-American agreements," said Lavrov.
He added he was in contact with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.
Lavrov has criticised Washington's failure to separate moderate rebel groups from those the Russians call terrorists, which had allowed forces led by the group formerly known as the Nusra front to violate the U.S.-Russian truce agreed on Sept. 9.
The United States has threatened to halt the diplomacy if Russia did not take immediate steps to end the violence. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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