U.S. prioritizes reduction of conflict possibility in Syria - Huntsman
VLADIVOSTOK. April 24 (Interfax-AVN) - The United States wants to reduce the possibility of a conflict in Syria and to ensure the soonest launch of a political settlement process in a unified Syria, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman told reporters in Vladivostok on Tuesday.
"We want to lessen the possibility of a conflict in Syria, we want to move more rapidly toward ultimately the governance of a unified Syria," Huntsman said in reply to Interfax's question whether the United States was concerned about the possible delivery of S-300 air defense missile systems to Syria.
"So, what should be on our agenda right now is how we move back into the UN-mandated Geneva process for sorting out the leadership in Damascus. This is the most important question going forward," Huntsman said.
"It's how you reduce tension, how you reduce danger on the battlefield, how you rid Syria of terrorist elements, which is what Russia and the United State have in common," he said.
It would meet the interests of both countries to agree on "the steps that we must take to fulfill the UN Security Council resolution on the future of governance in Syria, which means constitutional reform, which will be very important, which means returning diaspora populations, so that they can participate in the vote, and it means overall reducing violence and the prospects for casualties so that citizens feel safe to go out and actually participate in the political process," he said.
"And it will take the United States and Russia, both, along with many others, to approach that cooperatively," Huntsman said.