Moscow, October 28 (RHC)-- The U.S.-led coalition has no idea of whom it is backing in Syria, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says. Referring to a last week meeting with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir and Turkish Foreign Minister Feridun Sinirlioglu, Lavrov reiterated that the US-led coalition does not quite understand the situation and the warring parties in Syria.
“Last Friday, I met with John Kerry, Saudi and Turkish foreign ministers in Vienna… I once again saw that the U.S.-led coalition has no common understanding [about] who poses a terrorist threat in Syria,” the Russian minister said at a press conference in Moscow on Tuesday.
Lavrov noted that there is no such thing as “good terrorists,” whom are not to be dealt with, adding: “It is also necessary to make clear who the political opposition in Syria is.” The peace process in the war-torn country must be “inclusive” and all opposition groups and “significant” foreign countries must be included, Lavrov said, adding that anything else was “unsuitable.”
“Some of our partners tried to count on one opposition group, completely ignoring other groups and declaring this group the only representative of the Syrian people… There were also attempts to establish a closed club of foreign actors without the participation of other key states influencing the situation in Syria,” he said.
He noted that his country is prepared to help all opposition groups battling terrorists in the country. “It is necessary to unite everybody in all directions,” stressed Lavrov.
Since a foreign-backed crisis erupted in Syria in March 2011, an assortment of militant groups, including the Daesh Takfiri terrorists and the U.S.-backed Free Syrian Army, have been formed in the country with the ultimate purpose of overthrowing the Syrian government. However, the militant groups have frequently turned on each other and engaged in infighting in a power struggle and over resources.