01:41Russia: Lavrov 'still waiting' for US to publicly oppose al-Nusra
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov stated that the US was still refusing to publicly denounce former Al-Qaeda ally al-Nusra Front in an interview with the BBC in Moscow, Friday, as the Riyadh-backed High Negotiations Committee (HNC) continues to attempt to bring the Takfirist group into the political process.
He added, "The latest arrangement between us and the United States were rejected by the so-called high negotiating committee and its leader Riyad Hijab, the former Syrian Prime Minister, who defected in 2011, I think in summer. He publically stated in an interview to Al Fayed, if I am not wrong, that he cannot end this Riyad committee, as it is called, cannot accept the statement that Al-Nusra is a terrorist organisation." The Foreign Minister concluded, "I asked John Kerry whether he accepts this, he said no. I said why don't you say this publically and I am still waiting."
Lavrov added that the Syrian opposition’s general positrion was making a diplomatic solution to the crisis difficult to push forward, stating that "each and every time Russia and the United States or International Syria Support Group (ISSG) produced some decisions, their position was always saying that they were only going to cooperate if Assad goes first."
The interview was conducted on the anniversary of Russia air campaigns in Syria by the BBC.
01:41Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov stated that the US was still refusing to publicly denounce former Al-Qaeda ally al-Nusra Front in an interview with the BBC in Moscow, Friday, as the Riyadh-backed High Negotiations Committee (HNC) continues to attempt to bring the Takfirist group into the political process.
He added, "The latest arrangement between us and the United States were rejected by the so-called high negotiating committee and its leader Riyad Hijab, the former Syrian Prime Minister, who defected in 2011, I think in summer. He publically stated in an interview to Al Fayed, if I am not wrong, that he cannot end this Riyad committee, as it is called, cannot accept the statement that Al-Nusra is a terrorist organisation." The Foreign Minister concluded, "I asked John Kerry whether he accepts this, he said no. I said why don't you say this publically and I am still waiting."
Lavrov added that the Syrian opposition’s general positrion was making a diplomatic solution to the crisis difficult to push forward, stating that "each and every time Russia and the United States or International Syria Support Group (ISSG) produced some decisions, their position was always saying that they were only going to cooperate if Assad goes first."
The interview was conducted on the anniversary of Russia air campaigns in Syria by the BBC.