Russia-U.S.-Saudi discussion of Syria must be joined by Iran - Russian expert
KRASNAYA POLYANA, Sochi. Oct 20 (Interfax) - Talks between Russian, American and possibly Saudi officials should not be seen as an attempt to reach a deal over the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the discussion of the situation in Syria in general requires Iran's participation, says Vitaly Naumkin, the head of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Early this week U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry suggested that Russia, the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Jordan holds talks on Syria, then contradictory reports came in concerning the format of the forthcoming meeting and its participants. An informed diplomat in Moscow assumed a day earlier that the Russian, the U.S. and Saudi foreign-policy chiefs could meet in the near future.
"No meeting must be perceived today as bargain around Bashar al-Assad, because our military operation supports the legitimate government which at this stage is led by al-Assad. This operation today is strengthening al-Assad," Naumkin told Interfax on the sidelines of the Valdai International Discussion Club.
At the same time he stressed that "it does not mean that Russia is today seeing him, I assume, as the governor of Syria for life. The point is that the Syrian people itself must decide who must rule their country. It will all lead to internationally-monitored elections anyway."
"It seems to me that the trilateral format involving Russia, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia could be useful but without at least Iran's participation today such a meeting cannot lead to the results that would steer developments (in the Syrian crisis) in the positive direction," he said.
It was claimed that the military operation will be accompanied by parallel advancement of the political process, he said. "Today this is associated with the plan of the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy de Mistura whose plan consists in setting up four working Syrian groups that will be moderated by UN-appointed international representatives, but the formation of these four groups has encountered big difficulties because many large opposition groups have effectively rejected this plan," the expert said.
"Operating parallel to the four groups, under de Mistura's plan, will be yet another contact group of global world powers that are a subject matter of this possible meeting (which was mentioned by Kerry for the first time at the beginning of this week but its final format, participants and date have yet to be officially announced]," Naumkin said.
