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Russia suggests analyzing Middle East threats, Lavrov says

Moscow is rendering all-round assistance to Iraq in the provision and strengthening of its defense capability against threats coming from Islamic State, Russian Foreign Minister says
Sergey Lavrov and Ibrahim al-Jaafari  Anton Novoderezhkin/TAS
Sergey Lavrov and Ibrahim al-Jaafari
© Anton Novoderezhkin/TAS

MOSCOW, March 19 /TASS/. Russia suggests holding analysis of threats, predominantly terrorist and extremist, facing the Middle East and Northern Africa under the auspices of the United Nations Security Council to work out an approach that will rest on common standards, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after talks with his Iraqi counterpart Ibrahim al-Jaafari on Thursday.

According to the Russian foreign minister, it is necessary to do that in order "to avoid a paradoxical situation when in some cases everybody fights against a concrete terrorist group while in other cases the same extremists are considered to be partners in overthrowing unwanted regimes."

"We are rendering all-round assistance to Iraq in the provision and strengthening of its defense capability against threats coming from IS," Lavrov went on to say.

The Russian foreign minister also noted that the US-led National coalition is working in Iraq "with clearly expressed consent from the legitimate Iraqi government." Nevertheless, Lavrov said, there is no legal foundation allowing the coalition to deliver strikes at targets in the Syrian territory.

"The coalition leaders have taken an openly politicized stance to consider as illegitimate any coordination of efforts with the Syrian government in the struggle against the "Islamic State". I believe that this stance is counterproductive," Lavrov stressed.