"We are urging our Arab partners to join the Russian initiative to impose an overall trade and economic embargo on all territories, which remain under the Daesh control, on the basis of Article 41 of the UN Charter," Lavrov said.
Lavrov added that combating the terrorist threat remained the priority for all countries in the world and for the United Nations.
"We consider effective implementation of all counterterror UN Security Council’s resolution … to be of fundamental importance," Lavrov said.
The League of Arab States could play a more effective role in the process of Syrian settlement, if the government of Syria were part of the organization, he said.
"The fact that the Syrian government, a legitimate member of the UN, can’t take part in the discussions in the Arab League, doesn’t help in the pursuit of our common efforts. I know that there are different forms of contacts, and we welcome them. But I believe that the Arab League could play a more important, a more effective role, if the Syrian government were part of this organization," Lavrov said at a press conference at the Russian-Arab cooperation forum in Abu Dhabi.
The Arab League is a regional organization of Arab countries, founded in 1945. There are currently 22 member states. Syria’s membership of the organization was suspended in 2011 after an uprising in the country. In 2013, Syria’s seat was transferred to the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, with Algeria, Iraq and Lebanon voting against the decision.
