Russia to use all existing channels to work on Syria with incumbent, future U.S. administration – diplomat

Sergei Ryabkov file photo

MOSCOW. Nov 10 (Interfax) – Russia will continue to work with the incumbent U.S. administration on Syria through bilateral and multilateral channels, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Thursday.

“Work is continuing via bilateral channels at different levels, special groups are continuing to work in a broader format in Geneva, and possible new documents on Syria are being discussed in New York,” Ryabkov said in an interview with Interfax when asked whether he believed there were chances for progress in the settlement process in Syria and in normalizing constructive bilateral interaction with the U.S. under the incumbent administration.

“We will continue the necessary efforts as much as it is needed and will work both with the incumbent administration and after the next one enters office officially. Surely, a host of issues will remain in place, and this is a kind of ‘long-term’ subject,” he said.

“It would be exaggeration and wishful thinking to say that we are on the threshold of some radical change for the better,” Ryabkov said. “In the final analysis, the situation is vague, but it’s not changing in its key components, unfortunately,” he said.

“Certainly, we’ve been saying all along that we find it unacceptable that the resumption of the political process has been delayed consistently, which is happening perhaps not without Washington’s and some other capitals’ role today,” he said.

[featured image is file photo from different occasion]

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