US-Russia 'Co-Leadership on Syria' Was Great in 2016 - UN Envoy’s Adviser

The last year US-Russian co-leadership in settlement of the Syrian conflict was great but the United Nations has not seen it of late, UN special envoy for Syria’s adviser Jan Egeland said Thursday.

GENEVA (Sputnik) – He also added that Iran, Turkey and the Gulf countries need to do extra efforts to achieve progress in settling the Syrian issue and expressed his confidence that the progress would be achieved in the days ahead.

"We were great when there was co-leadership by the United States and Russia last year. We have not seen that of late, we have not had as much progress of late. I think that can come back, I am convinced it will come back," Egeland said.

Russia launched its military operation in Syria on September 30, 2015, at the request of the Syrian government. While targeting terrorist organizations, Russia also acts as a mediator in the intra-Syrian reconciliation process, and provides Syrian civilians with humanitarian aid.

The US-led coalition of 68 nations is conducting airstrikes against Daesh in Syria and Iraq. The strikes Iraq are conducted in support of the Iraqi government, but those in Syria are not authorized by the government of President Bashar Assad or the UN Security Council.