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Conflict in Syria

Moscow rules out discussions over Al-Nusra status

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova believes the change of regime in Syria would entail a situation "tens of times" worse than that in Libya

Maria Zakharova Sergey Savostyanov/TASS

Maria Zakharova

© Sergey Savostyanov/TASS

MOSCOW, October 7. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has ruled out discussions over the status of the Al-Nusra group saying they are terrorists.

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Al-Nusra is outlawed in Russia as a terrorist organization.

"The question is not about what kind of attitude the United States has towards Jabhat al-Nusra. The subject is closed," she said at the European forum of young diplomats on Friday. "Al-Nusra is a terrorist organization. Any discussions on that score would be inappropriate in principle."

"The Russian-US agreements contain the United States’ clear obligations to separate al-Nusra and the opposition," Zakharova said. "We are witnesses to the inability, or, possibly, reluctance, of our US counterparts, to comply with the assumed commitments, which caused the disruption of these agreements."

Regime change

The diplomat has also said she believed the change of regime in Syria would entail a situation "tens of times" worse than that in Libya.

"Syria, if it follows the Libyan scenario, if this happens in reality the way some forces insist on, will detonate far stronger than Libya," Zakharova said. "All processes that developed in the region and spilled beyond its bounds - terrorism and migration flows - will look as child’s play in contrast to what would happen in reality, if the Libyan or Iraqi scenario is permitted in Libya."

"It will be tens of times worse and stronger than everything seen before," she said.

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Force scenario

According to the diplomat, the US secretary of state and the president do not support the force scenario in Syria.

"Different movements in Washington are now fighting to lobby their own approaches to the Syrian settlement," she said. "Some are strictly for overthrowing Bashar Assad, some are for the force operations."

"Look, at times, there are glimpses of information, saying plan B is now on the agenda," she continued. "As we understand, this is not supported either by the secretary of state or by the president of the U.S., who anyway are aimed at adherence to resolutions of the UN Security Council, which read there is no military way there."

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