The Syrian opposition has said it can not accept a ceasefire agreement being enforced by Iran, as the Astana agreement proposes, while the government of the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, has vetoed a role for the United Nations or other global forces as peacekeepers. But Moallem's remarks appeared to rule out that possibility.
According to Haaretz in an April report, Netanyahu wants to include "safe zones" on the borders between Israel and Syria, in the Golan Heights, as well as between Syria and Jordan, in order to prevent Iran and Hezbollah from setting up bases there.
On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will make the case for the Astana memorandum when he meets with his US counterpart, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, in Washington.
The meeting, which is likely to be held this week, would help council members decide on whether to endorse the deal signed by Russia, Iran and Turkey. Mattis says the United States decision on this depends on a lot of "major details" still unclear. "Russia has a great deal to lose should this initiative fall apart, which makes acquiring a more committed U.S. statement of support extremely important".
The U.S. State Department has voiced concerns about the deal, saying it was skeptical of Iran's involvement as a guarantor of the accord and Damascus's track record on previous agreements. According to The Associated Press, U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis "said the U.S. owes it to the people of Syria to take a close look at the proposal for "safe zones" in Syria. And we've been looking, for a long time, how to bring this one to an end", he concluded. "All these details are to be worked out and we're engaged".
While his comments were not explicit, they seemed to suggest that the Syria government expects its allied Russian forces to enforce the de-escalation zones, which would initially be set up for six months.
USA announces deal to boost exports with China
The trade deals contained mixed news for USA food producers. -China relationships are now hitting a new high, especially in trade. The US and China also agreed to open up US exports of liquefied natural gas to China, which could be a boon for both countries.
The May 4 agreement calls for the creation of four "de-escalation zones" to shore up a ceasefire, ban flights and allow for deliveries of humanitarian aid. "The question today is: Do we have all the elements we need to understand the substance and the way this agreement is going to be implemented?"
The Syrian official noted that it was "premature" to talk about whether the agreement would be successful, but noted that the government would "harshly" retaliate against any violation by rebels while the deal was in force.
The U.S. rejected this agreement saying it "makes no sense" Friday.
Russian Federation on Monday faced resistance from Western powers to a bid to win UN Security Council backing for an agreement it signed with Iran and Turkey on establishing safe zones in Syria.
He told reporters "we are getting into what we hope [is a] more businesslike type of approach", vowing to elaborate on the logistics of the next round of Geneva talks on Monday. "There will be no role of the United Nations or worldwide powers in these areas". Al-Moallem said the government plans to liberate all parts of Syria that are not under government control, adding that areas bordering Iraq will be a priority.
Comments