MOSCOW, April 17. /TASS/. Moscow believes that the legitimate Syrian government should retain control over the country’s northeastern region as soon as possible, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference on Wednesday.

"There is a need to resolve the issue concerning the country’s northeast and the left bank of the Euphrates River in order to achieve one of the priority tasks and ensure the restoration of the legitimate government’s control over the region," Lavrov emphasized.

When speaking about other important goals, the Russian top diplomat highlighted the need to build dialogue with the Kurds and secure the interests of Turkey "as far as security in Syria’s border areas is concerned."

Northeastern Syria is currently controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which include the Kurdish People's Protection Units. The Syrian Democratic Forces are fighting against terrorists, while the US and its allies, who support the SDF, seek to destabilize the situation by supporting separatist sentiments among the Kurds and encouraging them to create an administration that would be independent from Damascus. Russia calls for ensuring Syria’s territorial integrity, restoring the legitimate government’s control over the country’s northeast and building dialogue between the Syrian authorities and the Kurds.