In talks he described as comprehensive, frank and direct, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said during a joint press conference he held with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Thursday that the Russian presence in southern Syria is a factor of stability under the current circumstances. He stressed the need for coordination between Jordan and Russia on the situation in southern Syria, according to Russia Today.
Safadi said that “his meeting with Lavrov focused on the Syrian crisis and the inherent dangers that threaten Jordanian security on the border in southern Syria.” He noted that the border faces “the danger of smuggling drugs to Jordan through it and the militias that support these smuggling operations and other acts of aggression, and the increase in terrorist hotbeds and other dangers.”
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He added that “in these circumstances where the political solution to the Syrian crisis remains an unfulfilled goal, there is a need for Jordanian-Russian coordination in addressing these challenges in southern Syria. This is the subject of extensive discussion among us.”
For his part, Lavrov stressed the need to preserve Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the right of Syrians to self-determination, saying: “Moscow evaluates Jordan’s efforts in encouraging the settlement of the Syrian crisis within the framework of the Arab League.” He also stressed the need to activate and facilitate the work on the entry of humanitarian aid into Syria under United Nations resolutions.
Lavrov expressed Russia’s welcome to the outcome of the Arab summit, stressing that there is a correspondence between Moscow’s point of view and the decisions of the Arab summit in general, especially with regard to the Palestinian issue.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived in the Jordanian capital Amman on Wednesday evening for an official visit.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
