image

US-Russia: Not rushing towards cooperation regarding Syria

US Secretary of State John Kerry, who met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in China, stressed that both sides were not rushing to establishing cooperation on Syria. We’ve said all along we’re not going to rush and we’re not going to do something that is less than what we believe is a legitimate opportunity to be able to try to get the job done,” said Secretary Kerry.

He noted, however, that many of the technical issues have been worked out, yet there remain a couple of tough issues that hider the implementation of a resolution. “An awful lot of technical things have been worked out, a lot of things are clear, but there still remains a couple of tough issues. We got to figure out how to make certain both of us can be comfortable with the resolution to those issues,” added the Diplomat.

Military officials from the United States and Russia, which back opposite sides in the Syrian conflict, have been meeting for weeks to try to work out terms of a deal, meant to bring about a nation-wide cessation of hostilities and provide humanitarian aid to millions in dire need. The war in Syria has thus far claimed the lives of some half a million people and misplaced some 11 million people, causing the most sever refugee crisis since world war two.