Lavrov hopes approach to Syria political settlement process to be coordinated at Russia-U.S.-UN meeting in Geneva
VIENTIANE. July 26 (Interfax) - Russia hopes progress will be made in the political dimension of the Syria peace process after a Russia-U.S.-UN meeting in Geneva, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
"Hopefully, today's meeting in Geneva between representatives of Russia and the United States, which co-chair the International Syria Support Group, and the United Nations will actually coordinate an approach to [the Syrian political settlement process], which should be implemented persistently and without doubt, on the basis of UN Security Council resolutions, and without any preconditions or, what is more, ultimatums," Lavrov told the press in Vientiane on Tuesday.
He described the stance of the High Negotiations Committee of the Syrian opposition as 'stalemate' and called for the soonest beginning of a new round of intra-Syrian negotiations.
"[In order to] begin working on a political settlement package for the Syria crisis in line with the approved documents, the next round or, I would even say, the first round because all previous attempts can hardly be described as negotiations, should be convened; there is a need for negotiations based on the principles declared by the UN Security Council - full-scale involvement of the government and all opposition forces without exception," the Russian minister said.
So far, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General Staffan de Mistura, who holds a definitive mandate, has been unable to gather all those entitled to decide on Syria's future at one table, i.e. an inclusive group of Syrian opposition forces and the government, he said.
The High Negotiations Committee continues to maintain an unconstructive position and demands that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad step down - such ultimatums "will lead to absolutely nothing," Lavrov said.
