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Conflict in Syria

Expert: Syrian conflict is chance to restore Russian-US relations

It is important for this Russian-US dialogue to become regular, an expert says

© Valeriy Sharifulin/TASS

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Putin notes Obama’s constructive position on Syria truce

MOSCOW, March 25. /TASS/. The joint work on the Syrian settlement is a chance for Moscow and Washington to restore the bilateral dialogue and make it regular, Deputy Director of the Institute for US and Canadian Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences Valery Garbuzov said on Friday.

"The changing situation in Syria indicates the Russian side’s clear intention to go over to boosting the peaceful settlement process after the military operation that had specific aims," Garbuzov told a round-table meeting "Results of Kerry’s visit to Moscow. Prospects of Russian-US cooperation." "It [Russia] met these objectives, and, apparently, there is no point to continue it."

Garbuzov noted that events around Syria should be put on a certain track - the track of reaching an internal compromise in this country." "This problem is much more complex than resolving issues with the help of a military operation," he said. "This is a more long-term problem. It is very important for the two sides to find determination to sit down at the negotiating table and keep up the dialogue."

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"It is important for this [Russian-US] dialogue to become regular," the expert said. "It never interrupted at the foreign ministers’ level, as we see, that’s encouraging. However, it is important to expand it [the dialogue]. It is impossible to solve all problems during a two-day visit. And the Syrian problem is probably a chance to begin with it and then go over to other issues."

US Secretary of State John Kerry visited Moscow on March 23-24. During his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov the two sides discussed the situation in Syria, Ukraine, the Middle East and many other issues on the international agenda.

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Syria Syrian conflict

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