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What Russia and US agree on Syria?

938396_origRussia and the US have agreed to work towards convening an international conference to find a political solution to the conflict in Syria.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Secretary of State John Kerry announced it would follow on from an Action Group for Syria meeting in Geneva last June.

Organizing an international conference on ending the conflict in Syria, bringing both sides to the table, and seeking a diplomatic solution to Syrian crisis were among the agreements between the two politicians.

* Warning on Syrian exacerbating situation

“The alternative is that there is even more violence,” Kerry said. “The alternative is that Syria heads closer to an abyss, if not over the abyss and into chaos,” he added.

* Emphasis on diplomatic solution

Lavrov believed that negotiations as best way for cessation of the violence, and said that the US and Russia had agreed to solve chemical weapons issue and bringing stability to Syria. Kerry told Putin that ending tensions in Syria was among issues two Cold War enemies could cooperate for.

* Kerry stresses more ‘significant’ cooperation

Kerry added that that their two countries shared “some very significant common interests with respect to Syria”, including “stability in the region” and “not letting extremists create problems.” He hoped that Russia and the US find a joint solution to end the crisis. “The US and Russia supported political solution in last June, with differences only in implementation. Barack Obama, the US president believes that Russia and the US could significantly cooperate on Iran, North Korea and economics,” added Kerry.

* Washington seeking détente with Moscow

John Kerry’s visit to Russia has been believed in the line of a series of attempts to normalize relations with Moscow, which has been in lowest level since Putin’s return to Kremlin Palace due to Syria and human rights issues. Last year, Russian foreign ministry published a 56-page report on the human rights situation in the US.

The report severely criticized the violation of human rights. The report shows the US as a country where social inequalities were soaring up. Russian foreign ministry accused the US of violation of rights of other countries.

Sergey Rybakov, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister addressed Russian State Duma members, saying that US officials had given unwanted advice and criticism to other countries’ officials without mutual respect and considering the situation in the given country.

Rybakov accused the US of illegal detention of citizens, handling the prisoners beyond the laws, restricting freedom of speech and Internet, preventing participation in election, kidnapping and torturing individuals, etc.

German Deutsche Welle reported that Moscow and Washington has been seeking ending the crisis in Syria, and in yesterday’s meeting, they agreed to hold an international conference on Syria. Washington Post wrote that Russia and the US had doubled diplomatic efforts to end violence in Syria and agreed to cooperate more on the issue.

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