RUSSIA STARTS DELIVERY OF S-300 MISSILE SYSTEM TO SYRIA
UNITED NATIONS— Russia has started delivering S-300 air defense systems to Syria, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday.
“The deliveries started already … the measures we will take will be devoted to ensure 100 percent safety and security of our men in Syria, and we will do this,” Lavrov said after his speech before the UN General Assembly.
In his speech, Lavrov also warned against unilateralism espoused by the United States which it also lashed for its policies in Iran, Syria and Venezuela.
Undermining governments
Lavrov accused unnamed forces of “endeavors to undermine democratically elected governments,” in an apparent reference to US and EU support for Russia’s neighbors and the Syrian opposition.
Russia announced earlier this week that it would supply
the antiaircraft missiles after Syrian forces responding to an Israeli airstrike on Sept. 17 mistakenly shot down a Russian military reconnaissance plane, killing all 15 people on board.
At the same time, Lavrov said US-Russia relations “are bad and probably at their alltime low.”
Lavrov said it is apparent that those who have to imple- ment agreements reached at “constructive” meetings between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin “are in no hurry to do that.”
Pushing denuclearization
Lavrov also said US-Russian working groups on counterterrorism and cybersecurity are on hold as is a critical dialogue on
strategic stability.
He also stressed that Moscow will do “everything possible” to preserve the 2015 accord on curbing Iran’s nuclear program despite the US withdrawal.
Lavrov denounced the withdrawal of the United States as a move that risks damaging the post-World War II global order and a violation of UNresolutions.
Boarder to reopen
Meanwhile, Syria’s transport ministry said Saturday its main border crossing with Jordan would reopen to trade next month for the first time in three years, but Amman said consultations were still ongoing.
The ministry had announced on Saturday morning that the Nassib crossing, known as Jaber on the Jordanian side, was functional, but it clarified in the afternoon that it had only “completed logistical preparations to reopen” the crossing by Oct. 10.