US Military Communication With Damascus Necessary to Combat Daesh - Opposition

The Russian proposal to establish a direct line of communication between Washington and Damascus to prevent incidents between Syrian and US air forces is a timely initiative aimed at defeating Daesh and achieving long-lasting peace in the Arab republic, Samir Aita, a member of the Syrian Democratic Forum opposition party told Sputnik Wednesday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US State Secretary John Kerry discussed the conflict in Syria in phone talks, addressing the prospects of Russian-US coordination in the fight against terrorists pursuant to previously reached agreements, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

"The United States as well as other parties to the Syrian peace process should seek lines of communication. Washington should seek better engagement with the Syrian regular army and the government. This initiative is important for achieving a long-lasting peace and countering terrorists in Syria," Aita said.

Russia has been pursuing practical cooperation on the ground with armed opposition groups, he noted. "The United States should also make the same shift regarding the Syrian regular army," Aita added.

Last week, Washington contacted Moscow through a deconfliction channel established under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to ensure flight safety during combat missions over Syria after the Syrian Air Force conducted airstrikes near ground forces in the vicinity of the northeastern city of Hasakah.

On Monday, US Department of Defense press secretary Peter Cook said that the United States was prepared to communicate directly with the Syrian government to avoid another situation like Hasakah.