Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday that the territory of Syria should not fall under the control of “terrorists” after a large-scale offensive by Islamist rebels who captured large parts of the country. This was reported by AFP.
Lavrov stressed that “it is unacceptable to allow a terrorist group to seize territory in violation of existing agreements, starting with UN Security Council Resolution 2254,” which firmly reaffirms the sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of the Syrian Arab Republic. This refers to the 2015 resolution calling for a political settlement of the conflict in Syria.
Iran, which is a firm ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, also stressed the need for a “political dialogue” between the government and the Syrian opposition amid an unprecedented rebel offensive.
Qatar talks: three countries seek peaceful solution for Syria
On Saturday, a meeting on Syria was held in Qatar with the participation of the foreign ministers of Iran, Russia and Turkey, the Iranian news agency IRNA reported. These three countries have been partners since 2017 in the so-called Astana process, initiated to find a peaceful solution to the Syrian conflict that has been going on since 2011.
The rebels, according to the commander of an opposition group and NGOs, are now only 20 km from the Syrian capital Damascus after capturing the province of Deraa in the south of the country.
