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Russia hopes US will abide by all terms of joint statement on Syria — senior diplomat

"We highly appreciate understanding reached by our presidents," the diplomat said

GENEVA, November 14./TASS/. Moscow expects that the US will be complying with all clauses of the joint statement by the Russian and US presidents on Syria, Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told reporters on Tuesday.

"The fact of the two presidents’ adopting a statement implies that there is understanding on the part of Americans that it is necessary to boost efforts on the political track," the diplomat said. "We expect that all included in that major document will be put into practice," Gatilov added.

"We highly appreciate understanding reached by our presidents," the diplomat said. "We are ready to move further in that direction in order to take concrete steps," he added. In reply to the question what UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura thinks of the joint statement, Gatilov said he had commended the statement. "In his opinion, this creates a qualitatively new situation in the Syrian settlement," he said.

Gatilov and de Mistura met for consultations on Tuesday to discuss preparations for the Syrian National Dialogue Congress that will take place in Sochi at the beginning of December, and the eighth round of intra-Syrian talks in Geneva, set for November 28.

"It is very important that this meeting has taken place after the presidents of the Russian Federation and the US passed a joint statement on Syria, which clearly says that both leaders speak in favor of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, further moves were determined for fight against terrorism, elimination of ISIS (former name of Islamic State) and concrete ways for a further political settlement were outlined," the diplomat stressed.

On the sidelines of the APEC summit in Vietnam on Saturday, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump adopted a joint statement on Syria, reaffirming their resolve to preserve the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and calling for a political solution to the Syrian conflict within the framework of the Geneva process.