Russia is open to the tight coordination of forces in uprooting terrorist centers in Syria, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
“It’s been said many times that the US-led anti-IS [known as Daesh in the Arab world and prohibited in many countries, including the United States and Russia] coalition is ineffective. The terrorists have only strengthened their position and have spread their influence onto new territories. Let me remind you that Russia from the very beginning of the Syrian crisis, that is long before the terrorist acts taking the lives of our compatriots and French citizens, has called for and continues to call for the unification of forces of the world community on a universal international legal base. It is on the base of the request of the official Syrian authorities that the Russian Aerospace Forces are operating in this country,” Lavrov said in a written interview with RIA Novosti.
"Time will show whether our joint efforts against Daesh arrive at a new level. It will depend on many factors - on creating an international coalition in particular. In any event, I would like to stress that Iraq will remain a very important partner for us in this," Lavrov said.
"It is obvious that this global threat can only be tackled if we work together in a coordinated manner. In this regard, it is good to know that our Western partners have started to realize the need for coordinating efforts on the counterterrorism front. In particular, this is evidenced by the results of recent Russian-French contacts at the highest level," Lavrov told RIA Novosti in a written interview.
