Putin: Russia and US could be close to reaching agreement on Syria

Moscow/ SANA-Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia and the United States could be close to reaching an agreement on Syria.

“I don’t rule out that we’ll be able to agree on something in the near future and present our agreements to the international community,” Putin said during an interview with Bloomberg news agency published on Friday, describing the talks as “very difficult”.

The Russian President said that “the talks are very difficult,” adding “One of the key problems is that we insist, and our American partners do not object to this, that the so-called healthy part of the opposition should be separated from the radical groups and terrorist organizations such as Jabhat Al-Nusra.”
“We’re gradually, gradually heading in the right direction,” Putin said.

Putin said that the latest developments in Syria leave Russia with the impression that “Jabhat al-Nusra and other similar organizations are changing their colors like a chameleon and begin to swallow the so-called “moderate part” of the Syrian opposition,” warning of this “serious situation” and pointing out that these organizations include foreign militants who are receiving arms and equipment from abroad.

Answering a question about Turkey’s aggression on Syria, Putin said Ankara and Moscow “have a mutual desire to come to an agreement about the region’s problems, including the Syrian one.”

The Russian President said he believes that anything related to political regimes and change of power can’t be resolved from outside.

He cited the examples of Libya and Iraq, where the attempts to impose democracy led to the “collapse of the state” and the spread of terrorism. “Where do you see elements of democracy in Libya? Of course it won’t happen today or tomorrow. Maybe that’s what political wisdom is.”

Manar al-Frieh/Manal

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