Moscow in talks with Washington and Ankara to fight terrorism in Syria

The Russian ministry of foreign affairs has said that the ongoing talks between Moscow and Washington regarding the efforts to fight terrorism in Syria are concentrated on “separating the opposition from the terrorists,” Quds Press reported on Friday.

“The Americans have promised for a long time to separate what is called the ‘moderate opposition’ from the terrorist Al-Nusra Front in northern Syria,” explained the Director of the Department for New Challenges and Threats at the ministry, Ilya Rogachev, “but this separation has not been done.”

He pointed out that Washington asks questions of Moscow in this regard and objects to the Russian air strikes on the moderate opposition. “US procrastination in carrying out the separation, however, raises a lot of questions and doubts in Moscow,” said the Russian official.

America’s continuous support for the Syrian opposition and Al-Nusra Front along the Turkey-Syria border, noted Rogachev, is seen as one of the reasons for the current tension in relations between Russia and the US.

The Russian diplomat added that his country is planning to reinforce dialogue with Ankara in order to fight terror. Moscow holds out some hope about resuming talks with Turkey on this issue, and hopes that the government in Ankara feels the same way.

According to the spokesman of the US Department of State, John Kirby, the US recognises Turkey’s fears about terrorism and its views on the fighters on the Syrian side. Washington, he said, is in contact with Ankara in this regard.