Kerry & Lavrov to discuss Syria on the Sidelines of UN Summit

nsnbc : U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet to discuss Syria on the sidelines of the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York City on Sunday. 

The meeting on the sidelines of the 70th Session of the UNGA comes as Russia has taken a more active role in supporting Syria and a change in the previous U.S.’ posture based on an "Assad must go” strategy.

Meanwhile, the western-led "coalition against ISIS” continues air raids in Syria, providing a de-facto no fly zone that prevents the Syrian Arab Army from receiving air support in the North of the country.

The Russian Tass news agency reports that talks between Kerry and Lavrov will be based on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s efforts within the "international community” to establish a wide front in the fight against terrorism. Lavrov will be raising the issue in his talk with Kerry, reports the agency.

Earlier this month Moscow noted that Russia was prepared to deploy troops to Syria if the government in Damascus requested such a deployment. Russia has deployed a small number of troops to Syria to protect the Russian naval base in Tartous and provided some material military support to Damascus.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al-Muallem, for his part, noted that Damascus would not hesitate to ask for Russian troops, including combat troops if necessary, but that Damascus primarily needed weapons and weapons systems that matched those provided to foreign-backed insurgents.

Also earlier this month the spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry. Zakharov, said that a resignation of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad will not  solve the current refugee crisis or the crisis in Syria.

nsnbc file photo.

On September 15 the Russian UN Envoy Vitaly Churkin told the press that neither Russia nor the United States want Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to fall.  Churkin said:

"I think this is one thing we share now with the United States, with the US government: They do not want the Assad government to fall. They do not want it to fall. They want to fight (Islamic State a.k.a. ISIS, ISIL or Daesh) in a way which is not going to harm the Syrian government. … On the other hand, they do not want the Syrian government to take advantage of their campaign against (IS). But they do not want to harm the Syrian government by their action. This is very complex,”

Noting that Russia and the United States are getting closer to reaching a consensus about the situation in Syria, Churkin added:

"They [US authorities] have made a lot great progress in understanding the complexities of the situation. To me, it is absolutely clear that … one of the very serious concerns of the American government now is that the Assad regime will fall and (IS) will take over Damascus and the United States will be blamed for that. "

The administration led by U.S. President Barack Obama has recently toned down its posture with regard to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. The U.S. changed from an "Assad must go” posture to a posture that describes President Bashar Al-Assad as an important person who is needed in a transitory period while the conflicting parties and "the international community” try to find a political settlement.

Both Moscow and Damascus have voiced that any political settlement has to be found within the framework of the Geneva Accord. The Syrian government repeatedly stressed that it has no mandate to form any government without the involvement of the Syrian electorate, within the framework of internationally monitored elections.

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