UN Chief Expects Russian Support In Fight Against Terrorism

Ban Ki-moon expects Russia to play a leading role in fighting the Islamic State.

KUALA LUMPUR (Sputnik) —  On the margins of the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev that he expects Russia to play a leading role in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIL).

Ban urged member countries to join forces to fight against the violent militant group operating in Syria and Iraq, and called for the nations of the world to show global solidarity in the face of the ISIL threat.

The UN chief said that the recent Syrian peace initiatives tabled by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US State Secretary John Kerry gave impetus to finding a political solution to the four-year Syrian crisis.

Ban added he hoped that Moscow would show solidarity in working with other UN member states to put Syria on a path toward reconciliation.

The last round of Syria talks took place in Vienna on November 14. It brought together world and regional powers, including the United Nations, Russia, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, and the United Nations.