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Withdrawal of Russian taskforce threatens de-escalation — Syrian opposition negotiator

Basma Kodmani noted Russia’s role in the process of political settlement and called on Moscow to influence the other party to make it sit down at the negotiating table for direct talks

GENEVA, December 10. /TASS/. Withdrawal of Russia’s taskforce from Syria may frustrate de-escalation is there is no credible political process, Basma Kodmani of the opposition delegation said on Sunday.

"I think this is a moment when Russia knows that stabilizing situation in Syria can't be done only with military means and you need to have legitimate political process to make de-escalation sustainable and stable," she said in reply to a TASS question. "Because the risk of its collapsing is very high if there is no legitimate political process."

"So, I would say that withdrawing of Russian troops from Syria is very closely tied with helping and facilitating of legitimate and credible political process towards transition," she noted. "Consolidation of de-escalation comes through the credible political process."

She noted Russia’s role in the process of political settlement and called on Moscow to influence the other party to make it sit down at the negotiating table for direct talks.

On December 6, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Islamic State (a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia) had been fully defeated on both banks of the Euphrates in Syria. He noted however that there could still be some isolated pockets of resistance. Nevertheless, combat operations on this territory had largely ended with "terrorists’ crushing defeat".

Meanwhile, Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev said preparations for the withdrawal of the Russian taskforce from Syria were underway.