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Russia's ambassador to Syria describes situation in Aleppo as 'not so bad'

The ambassador assed that the international automobile road connecting Damascus and Aleppo remains blocked in Idlib Governorate and the bypass route was not safe

MOSCOW, February 7. /TASS/. Russian Ambassador to Syria, Alexander Kinshchak has described the situation in Aleppo as "not bad" and "having a tendency towards improvement".

"As for the unfreezing of our Consulate General in Aleppo, we think it's too early now to raise the issue for security considerations," he said in an interview with TASS.

"The problem is bigger than the situation in Aleppo as such, since the latter is not bad and has a tendency towards improvement," Kinshchak said. "The operative situation in northern Syria remains complicated and unstable in general."

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Ancient citadel of Aleppo demined

He recalled that the international automobile road connecting Damascus and Aleppo remained blocked in Idlib Governorate and the bypass route was not safe because of sorties conducted by Islamic State militants.

"Aleppo international airport regularly undergoes shelling by terrorist units and even helicopters can’t be absolutely safe as means of transportation in the situation as it is, since it’s well-known that the militants have shoulder-carried multiple launchers," Kinshchak said.

"If we reopen the Consulate General now, our fellow-diplomats who will be placed there will run into constant problems in communications with the embassy in Damascus," he said. "I don’t see any particular need in subjecting them to such risks, since they are civilians - regular diplomats and technical support staff, not military."

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Foreign policy Islamic State Syrian conflict

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