Alwaght- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says his country is concerned by the US actions in Syria which threaten the country’s territorial integrity.
Speaking on Friday at UN Headquarters in New York, Lavrov said the US is working to create alternative government systems on large parts of Syrian territory, which goes against its promises to respect the country’s territorial integrity.
During the media briefing, Lavrov commented on America's role in the crisis in northern Syria, which escalated into a new Turkish-Kurdish conflict after news of Washington’s plans to create a “border force” comprising of 30,000 Kurdish fighters. Despite the US backtracking on its statement, and saying they were misunderstood, Ankara, which considers the Kurdish-dominated YPG force terrorists, said it was launching a military operation against the Syrian Kurdish enclave. Lavrov, however, said the developments were only a part of the pattern of US policy in Syria.
“It’s a fact that US forces are seriously involved in creating alternative government bodies on vast part of the Syrian territory. And this, of course, absolutely contradicts their own obligations, which they committed to on numerous occasions, including at the UN Security Council, on maintaining the sovereignty and the territorial integrity on Syria,” Lavrov said.
Washington's inconsistency on Syria is also “quite characteristic of modern US diplomacy, including the reasons for the American presence there, and the reasons for the actions of the coalition, which they command,” Lavrov added. Russia is “concerned” by the US' actions in the country, he said, adding, that he discussed the situation with Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson on numerous occasions.
Lavrov also rejected media reports that Russian forces have been withdrawn from the Afrin area.
Meanwhile, the Russian foreign minister noted that terrorists are fleeing from Syria to Central Asia, including Northern Afghanistan.
"Northern Afghanistan is turning into a main base for international terrorism with the Afghan wing of the ISIS in the lead," he said. "It is forming a springboard for heinous designs in the spirit of the notorious ideology of a caliphate."
Drug production in Afghanistan, which saw an unprecedented growth last year, is fueling international terrorism, according to the top Russian diplomat.
Russia will continue to help Afghanistan enhance combat effectiveness of its armed forces and train law enforcement personnel, Lavrov said.
