Lavrov comes to Washington seeking US support on Syria
WASHINGTON DC: In his first visit to Washington since 2013, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected to meet US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson Tuesday to mainly discuss the Syrian war and seek support for Russia’s plan attempting to de-escalate the conflict.
While the initial location for the Tillerson-Lavrov meeting was planned for Alaska on the margins of the “Arctic Council Ministerial” summit, it was moved to Washington as per the US State Department announcement.
The two diplomats will “discuss Ukraine, Syria, and bilateral issues,” the State Department said. “On Ukraine, the sides will discuss the need to stop the violence in eastern Ukraine and resolve the conflict through the full implementation of the Minsk agreements.”
On Syria, “the secretary intends to discuss efforts to de-escalate violence, provide humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people, and set the stage for a political settlement of the conflict.”
Charles Lister, a Syria analyst at the Middle East Institute in Washington, said that if “Russia gets what it wants, Syria will again be the first topic on the agenda” in Lavrov’s meetings.
“Moscow has invested all of its cards in the Astana process and the establishment of four “de-escalation zones” in Syria,” Lister said.
Yet the “lack of any enforcement mechanisms means” and that “Russia, Iran and the Assad regime are permitted to continue attacks on suspected Al-Qaeda-linked groups, which happen to be conveniently present in all four zones” should be of concern for the Trump administration, according to Lister.