19-04-2024 12:21 PM Jerusalem Timing

Intra-Syrian Talks Should Not Suffer From Artificial Delays: Moscow

Intra-Syrian Talks Should Not Suffer From Artificial Delays: Moscow

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said there should be no artificial delays in intra-Syrian peace talks.

GatilovRussian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said there should be no artificial delays in intra-Syrian peace talks.

The negotiations must be immediately resumed in the format of direct talks, according to the deputy foreign minister.

"We believe that negotiations must resume as soon as possible … There should be no artificial delays," Gatilov told RIA Novosti in an interview.

According to Gatilov, every effort should be made to the negotiation process on Syria to restart.

"Moreover, it is desirable to run it in the format of direct negotiations between the parties, between the government delegation and the opposition," he added.

According to him, there is still no unity in the "opposition" camp.

"This creates a very serious obstacle for the launch of a substantive negotiation process," Gatilov said.

A single Syrian opposition group must not dictate its demands on intra-Syrian peace talks, the deputy foreign minister stressed.

"And of course it [the peace process] must not be taken hostage by desires, whims of a single "opposition" group. It must not dictate its demands," Gatilov told RIA Novosti.

He added that "the situation is already difficult."

Gatilov expressed his confidence that it is up to the international community to act to re-launch the peace talks.

"As we all know, High Negotiations Committee delegation left the latest round in Geneva while the government delegation reiterated its participation in the talks and its readiness to continue them. And now the situation [on future talks] is unclear," he concluded.

Gatilov also underscored that Russia and the United States have reached a certain progress in military coordination in Syria, though some problems remain unresolved, as it is difficult to set ceasefire regimes in those districts, where terrorists and the so-called moderate "opposition" are present.

"We maintain quite close interaction and conduct consultations on military line. Russian and US military exchange information … and we have reached a certain progress on the working level. As a result, the silence regime has been set in some districts, many terrorist groups said they ended hostilities and joined the political process. The main problem that we have now is a delimitation issue between al-Nusra Front (Qaeda branch in the Levant, ISIL terrorists and the so-called moderate opposition," Gatilov said.

According to the deputy minister, the real problem is that it is difficult to draw clear demarcation lines in many districts where people from all groups are mixed with each other.

Gennady Gatilov noted that there is a significant progress in the delivery of the humanitarian aid to Syria, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said.

"It must be said that there is a significant progress in this regard. Thanks to our work with the Syrian government we managed to achieve a lot," he told RIA Novosti.