Syria FM says anti-terror efforts must be coordinated with Syrian gov't

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said on Monday that any effort to counter terrorism in Syria without coordination with the Syrian government is a violation to the UN charters, according to the state news agency SANA.

Al-Moallem made the remarks during his meeting with the visiting UN envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura and just a couple of days after the U.S. said it was sending troops to aid the Syrian rebels in their fight against the Islamic State (IS) group in northern Syria.

The head of the Syrian diplomacy discussed with Mistura the outcome of the Vienna meeting on the Syrian crisis, underscoring the importance of some points while expressing astonishment over the fact that the final communique didn't include any binding resolutions for the countries that still support the terror groups in Syria, according to SANA.

He said the UN resolutions pertaining countering terror should be implemented in order for a ceasefire to be successful, referring to one of the items of the Vienna statement, which states that a ceasefire should be established in Syria.

Meanwhile, al-Moallem stressed the Syrian government will continue to fight the terror groups, highlighting the importance of the role of the Russian airstrikes, and the Iranian and the Lebanese Hezbollah cooperation in the anti-terror effort.

At the end of the meeting, al-Moallem reaffirmed to Mistura the Syrian government's cooperation with the UN efforts in countering terrorists and launching dialogue among the Syrians.

Mistura's visit to Syria holds its significance as it's the first to take place after the Vienna meeting, which is regarded as could be a turning point in the course of actions in Syria toward a political settlement.

On Oct. 30, the Vienna meeting, attended by regional and international powers, found some common ground over the solution for the Syrian crisis, but failed to agree over the future of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Endit