External assistance in Syrian settlement should not turn into dictate - Russian lawmaker

MOSCOW, February 25. /TASS/. Facilitating settlement in Syria from the outside should not turn into dictate, Russian Federation Council’s International Affairs Committee chairman Konstantin Kosachev said on Thursday. "The Middle East needs external assistance and mediation like air to overcome disagreements. This mediation, however, should not slide into the regime of imposition or dictate," Kosachev said at the conference "Middle East: From Violence to Security" at the Valdai discussion club. "Unlike other players, Russia is the only country that is not fulfilling its own interests from the point of view of who will rule Syria or what political system will be there. Our only interest is to prevent the terrorist threat. This makes us an honest broker. Our top national interest is the stable situation in the world as a whole and, of course, in the Middle East," the lawmaker noted. On Monday night Russia and the United States released a joint statement saying that the ceasefire will take effect in Syria at 00:00 Damascus Time on February 27. "The United States of America and the Russian Federation, as co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) and seeking to achieve a peaceful settlement of the Syrian crisis with full respect for the fundamental role of the United Nations, are fully determined to provide their strongest support to end the Syrian conflict and establish conditions for a successful Syrian-led political transition process, facilitated by the UN," the joint statement of the United States and Russia said. The statement points out that the cessation of hostilities is to be applied to all parties to the Syrian conflict but for Daesh (the Arabic acronym for Islamic State) and Jebhat an-Nusra (both are banned in Russia) "or other terrorist organizations designated by the UN Security Council." Read more