Qatari FM Hopes Russia Able to Save Political Process in Syria

Qatar hopes that Russia succeeds in reviving the political process in Syria, Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani said Thursday.

SOCHI (Sputnik) – Speaking after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss the agreements reached on settling the Syrian conflict, the Qatari minister underscored Moscow’s role in Syria and the Middle East. He named Russia a main partner in the international support for the Syrian Arab Republic.

"We are closely following your efforts in recent days. With regard to the attempts to save the political process, to maintain the cessation of hostilities, we hope that these efforts will eventually achieve a positive effect, which will save civilian lives in Syria," Al-Thani said.

Lavrov said ahead of the meeting he hoped to speak about the necessity of fulfilling the agreements that were reached in the Syrian settlement, on future steps, and the developments in the Middle East.

"We would like to use the opportunities from today’s meeting to discuss what can be saved, meaning the political process," Al-Thani said.

Regional and global stakeholders have stepped up diplomatic efforts to revive dialogue between the Syrian government and opposition delegations in Geneva, as well as to prevent violations of the cessation of hostilities across several provinces.