Russian legislator:

Americans not in the position to impose conditions in Syria

TEHRAN (defapress) - The United States and its allies are particularly concerned over the possibility that Iran will strengthen its influence in the region, but they are not in the position to impose conditions,Konstantin Kosachev said.

News ID: 67105

Date: 23 November 2017 - 10:35

The Sochi talks between the presidents of Russia, Turkey and Iran confirmed the leading role of the three countries in resolving the Syria issue, Chairman of the Russian Federation Council  Committee for Foreign Affairs Konstantin Kosachev wrote on Facebook.

According to him, it is clear that the United States and its allies do not have any opportunity to impose conditions concerning efforts to achieve peace in Syria, while they have been forced to give Russia a blank check.

"The agreements reached by Russia, Turkey and Iran prove that the three countries have taken the initiative to resolve the Syria issue and are not going to abandon it," Kosachev said. "It became possible thanks to Russia’s decisive interference in the conflict, which fundamentally changed the situation. But Russia does not seek to fully control everything and everyone, which is the reason why the three countries have become the guarantors of the ceasefire agreements and the upcoming peace process," the Russian senator added.

"It is clear that to win peace in Syria will be more difficult that to win the war. But the defeat of the major terrorist forces says that there is a true chance for peace, as well as the leading players’ willingness to acknowledge the constructive activities of Russia and the trilateral group. Besides, everyone in Syria has grown tired of the war, while the West has been forced to give Russia a blank check," Kosachev noted.

According to him, the United States and its allies are particularly concerned over the possibility that Iran, and not Russia or Syria, will strengthen its influence in the region. "The US will, first and foremost, do everything possible to prevent Iran from enhancing its influence in the region and preserving its presence in Syria, while Washington views Russia’s presence as an inevitable but acceptable fact. The West could make Iran’s withdrawal from Syria the main condition for its own withdrawal," Kosachev said.

"One way or another, the Americans are not in the position to impose conditions, which is perfectly clear," he concluded, according to TASS.

On Wednesday, trilateral talks between the presidents of Russia, Turkey and Iran - Vladimir Putin, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hassan Rouhani - took place in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi. In the final communique, the three heads of state stressed that the establishment of de-escalation zones and other political initiatives aimed at resolving the Syrian crisis "under no circumstances" should "undermine the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic." Besides, the three countries’ leaders agreed to continue "coordinating efforts to ensure the irreversibility of the downward trend in violence."