Russia Hopes Fight Against Daesh in Syria to End ‘in Coming Months’

Russia’s presidential envoy for Syria has commented on the Syrian peace talks currently underway in Astana. He said he believes that Daesh terrorists in the country would be defeated soon due to the Syrian army’s successful operation to free Deir ez-Zor, which resulted in the lifting of the three-year blockade of the city. He pointed out that Russia was seeking a peaceful solution to the political crisis in Syria. “But once again we hope that the opposition has common sense and that it will pursue a peaceful solution to the existing problems, search for common ground with the government on the issue”, Lavrentyev said. When commenting on the Astana-6 talks on the Syrian settlement, the Russian envoy said that the Syrian ceasefire guarantor states — namely Russia, Iran and Turkey — are ready to consider the participation of other countries in military policing of the safe zones in the country. Finally other important issuses will be the application of a bigger ceasefire and the Idlib safe zone costruction, he added.