Russian FM to hold talks with new UN envoy for Syria

Moscow, Jan 19 (IANS) Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said he will hold talks with the new UN envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen in Moscow on Monday next week.

"We will be interested in hearing how he plans to start the work of the Syrian Constitutional Committee, especially after he just visited Damascus on a two-day visit and held talks with the Syrian leadership," Lavrov said on Friday, Xinhua news agency reported.

He said that Moscow expected the agreement reached at a summit of Russia, Germany, France and Turkey in Istanbul in October on the need to start the work of the Syrian Constitutional Committee to be implemented as soon as possible.

Lavrov said the recent events in Syria, including the terrorist attack in Syria's Manbij on Wednesday, demand a more active involvement of those who want to help eradicate the terrorist threat.

Moscow is concerned about the situation in Idlib province bordering Turkey in the northwest of Syria, the last major hotbed of terrorists in the war-torn country, he said.

According to Lavrov, contrary to the agreement on the establishment of a demilitarized zone in Idlib, about 70 per cent of the zone is still occupied by terrorists, who are shooting at the positions of the Syrian army, local settlements and threatening the Russian air base in Hmeymim.

The Russian top diplomat also noted the necessity of transferring territories controlled by the US to the Syrian authorities after the announced US departure takes place.

Moscow is interested in ensuring that the decisions of the UN Security Council on the need to preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria are translated into practical actions, Lavrov said.