Moscow: America is strengthening its forces in Syria.
The special representative of the Russian president said that Moscow has information indicating that the United States is strengthening its military forces in Syria.
“Alexander Lavrentiev”, the special envoy of the Russian president on Syrian affairs, told “Sputnik” that Syria, Turkey and Iran have agreed to the concept of the road map presented by Moscow for the normalization of relations between Ankara and Damascus.
In this regard, he explained: “All parties generally agreed with the concept of a road map to advance the process of normalizing relations and presented their views and suggestions.” Now they need to be sorted and coordinated.” According to Lavrentief, this process takes some time.
This senior Russian official added: The most important thing is that the process is forward and progress. It couldn’t be delayed too long, everyone agreed.
According to him, Moscow has delivered the draft roadmap for the normalization of relations between Syria and Turkey to these two countries. Stating that this draft can be amended, he explained: After the meeting of the foreign ministers of the four countries [in May], the Russian side undertook the preparation of the draft. This draft is available and has been provided to the relevant parties. Türkiye, Syria and the Iranian side have it.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the priority issues in this roadmap are restoring the control of the Syrian government over the entire country, ensuring the security of the Turkish-Syrian border, and eliminating the possibility of cross-border attacks or terrorist infiltration.
Relations between Syria and Turkey have always been tense since the start of the war in Syria in 2011, Ankara’s support for the Syrian opposition, and the influx of Syrian refugees to Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tried to restore the relations between Damascus and Ankara to some extent before holding the presidential elections of this country in April and to meet with Syrian President Bashar Assad, but Damascus made the meeting between the leaders of the two countries conditional on the withdrawal of the troops. The Turkish army left Syria.
America is strengthening its forces in Syria
In another part of his speech, the Russian President’s special envoy for Syria said that Moscow has evidence that the United States is strengthening its military forces in Syria.
“There is information related to the fact that the United States is strengthening its military forces in northeastern Syria, as well as in al-Tanf, which has been illegally occupied by them [the Americans] for a long time,” Lavrentief said. According to this Russian diplomat, the reason for this could be an attempt to further destabilize the situation in Syria.
In recent years, Russia, Turkey, and Iran have been using a process called the “Astana Peace Process” to discuss the Syrian issue in order to resolve the Syrian crisis politically.
The 20th meeting of the Astana process, which ended yesterday, was held in a situation where the war in Syria has almost ended in favor of the government, Damascus has returned to this organization at the invitation of the Arab League, and the Arab countries are trying to re-establish diplomatic relations with Syria.
Despite the end of the Syrian war and the willingness of former opponents of the Assad government to resume diplomatic relations with Damascus, Washington’s behind-the-scenes efforts to prevent relations with the Syrian government continue.
Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said that Washington is not interested in solving the Syrian-Kurdish problem and does not allow its Kurdish allies to negotiate with Damascus.
In the continuation of his speech, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Syria indirectly pointed out the reason for America’s opposition to establishing relations with the Syrian government and stated: “America is still present in the important economic areas of Syria east of the Euphrates under the pretext of fighting terrorism.” These areas have important oil and natural resources. It is the same in al-Tanf region in southern Syria.”
