Lavrov urges Kerry to have Syrian opposition separated from al-Nusra as soon as possible - Russian Foreign Ministry
MOSCOW. Sept 14 (Interfax) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in a telephone conversation with U.S. State Secretary John Kerry underlined the need for the Syrian moderate opposition's soonest separation from the Jabhat al-Nusra.
"The sides discussed progress in implementation of the Russia-U.S. agreement of September 9 on consolidation of the ceasefire in Syria, organization of humanitarian access and the joint fight against terrorists from Jabhat al-Nusra and ISIL [the terrorist organizations outlawed in Russia]," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a release on its website.
"Lavrov underlined the need for prompt fulfillment of the U.S. pledge to have the Washington-supported moderate opposition forces separated from Jabhat al-Nusra and those groups that have virtually merged with this division of Al Qaeda [the organization that is outlawed in Russia]," the ministry said.
"The sides also discussed some other current international issues, including the expedient push for implementation of the Package of Measures agreed in Minsk for settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, the issue of security in Northeast Asia, and issues concerning preparations for the 71st session of the UN General Assembly, as well as some individual aspects of the bilateral relations," it said.
The telephone conversation was held on the initiative of the U.S. side.