Alwaght- Syria's foreign minister said America-led coalition airstrikes have failed to weaken ISIS terrorist group in Syria. This terrorist group would not be tackled, unless Turkey was forced to tighten border controls, Reuters reports.
"All the indications say that ISIS terrorist group today, after two months of coalition airstrikes, is not weaker," Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem said in an interview with the Lebanon-based al-Mayadeen TV on Friday.
Moallem also accused Turkey of impeding efforts to counter ISIS terrorist group, saying Ankara's plan to establish a no-fly zone in northern Syria would do nothing but split up the country.
Moallem also called on the United Nations to force Turkey into applying more controlling measures on its borders to stop militants from joining ISIS terrorist group in Syria.
Turkey that has a 900 kilometer border with Syria has been criticized by the international community for allowing militants to freely pass into Syria.
"If the Security Council and Washington do not force Turkey to control its borders then all of this action will not eliminate ISIS terrorist group," he said, referring to foreign terrorists who have crossed into Syria via Turkey.
Since late September, America, along with its regional allies, has been conducting airstrikes against the ISIS inside Syria without any authorization from Damascus or a UN mandate.
Moallem had talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the Black Sea as part of a renewed Russian diplomatic push to restart peace talks on Syria.
Russia rejects calls by Assad's Syrian, Western, and Arab opponents for his swift departure. “The Russian president respects the Syrian people’s will,” said Moallem concerning the presidential election of Bashar al-Assad.
"After our discussions with the Russian side, we agreed that the dialogue will be with the national opposition that is not linked to the outside," Moallem said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin wants closer ties with Syria's president and tighter cooperation between Moscow and Damascus, Syria's foreign minister said Wednesday after meeting the Russian leader.
Walid al-Moallem said that during the talks in the city of Sochi, Putin “confirmed the determination of Russia to develop relations with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad'' and “strengthen the strategic partnership between our countries.''
The ISIS terrorist group's onslaught in Syria and Iraq has given greater urgency to international efforts to find a solution for Syria's conflict.
Previous attempts and two rounds of peace talks in Switzerland earlier this year failed to yield any progress as the West insisting to support armed group in Syria.
Moallem stated that the Geneva - Montreux failed, and said that the upcoming talks are likely going to be taken in Moscow and followed in Damascus.
The meeting between Al-Moallem and Lavrov came as Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he had finalized Russia's defense plan.
