Moscow, SANA_ Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressed that it was impossible to fight successfully terrorism on a territory of a sovereign state without a proper coordination of actions with the legitimate authorities of that state.
” The United States should coordinate the fight against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq (ISIS) through direct contacts with the Syrian government,” Lavrov said in an exclusive interview with RIA Novosti on Tuesday.
“I don’t think there is a need for our mediation in contacts between Syria and the US,” Lavrov said, adding that there were plenty of opportunities for direct contacts between the two sides.
“Moscow has called on Washington on numerous occasions to avoid ignoring contacts with the Syrian government in the fight against the ISIS but it rejected that,” Lavrov said.
“The US has never saw Russia as a direct participant of the anti-ISIS coalition, which the US has created in line with its own rules and parameters without paying respect to international law,” Lavrov added.
“Moreover, President Barack Obama has consistently labeled Russia as a global threat similar to ISIS and Ebola virus,” Lavrov said.
“In light of these facts, periodic calls by other US officials ‘to join efforts’ in the fight against ISIS terrorists sound very unconvincing.” The Minister concluded.
Ghossoun /