No military plan for Syria

MOSCOW: The US and Russia have stressed that the ongoing conflict in Syria would have no military solution, according to Russian media.

In a joint statement issued on the sidelines of the Asia-pacific Economic Co-operation summit in Da Nang in Vietnam, US president Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin reiterated their support for peace talks in Geneva, Russia’s TASS news agency reported.

Several rounds of Un-sponsored talks between the Syrian government and the opposition have so far failed to bring an end to a civil war that has left many parts of the country in ruins over the past six years.

Russia is a major military backer of Syrian president Bashar al-assad, while the US supports some rebel groups fighting to oust him. Backed by Russia, Al-assad’s forces have made major territorial gains in recent months.

Constitutional reform and free elections would have to be part of the solution to any peace deal in Syria, said the joint statement, which was drawn up in Da Nang by top diplomats from the US and Russia, and approved by their superiors.

The two sides also backed previously agreed de-escalation zones in Syria as a step towards reducing the fighting between Al-assad’s forces and various rebel group. – DPA