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Roundup: Fighting against terrorists top priority in Syria: Russian FM

Xinhua, May 18, 2016 Adjust font size:

Fighting terrorism is top priority in Syria, not overturning the Bashar al-Assad government, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters here on Tuesday.

At a press conference after the Syria talks in Vienna, Lavrov said some people should not expect the fall of al-Assad's government before combating terrorist groups in the region, as the fall of the government would not lead to the collapse of terrorism in Syria.

The Russian minister also told reporters that Moscow didn't protect any specific person in Syria, noting some western sanctions were negative as they could cause a humanitarian crisis in Syria.

The sides agreed in the talks to secure the ceasefire throughout Syria, despite the fighting with the Islamic State (IS), and to strengthen humanitarian aid to the region, but UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said that when it came to humanitarian aid, they hadn't achieved what they had set out to achieve.

In a statement to reporters after the meetings, the sides said they had worked on three dimensions of the Syrian crisis, including the cessation of hostilities, ensuring humanitarian access, and advancing a political transition to normal. Both U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Lavrov said there was progress made on all of the issues.

But before the talks, the situation in Syria was poor, the cessation of hostilities in the region declined to 50 percent, said De Mistura in the press meeting.

According to British Conservative politician Philip Hammond's Twitter account, the talks agreed to deliver air drops to relieve humanitarian suffering, if there was no progress on the ground.

"The ISSG (International Syria Support Group) calls on the World Food Programme to immediately carry out a program for air bridges and air drops for all areas in need, the ISSG pledges to support such a program," the statement noted.

The five-year civil war in Syria has killed more than 250,000 people and displaced millions more. Endit