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US’ statements on possible dialogue with Jabhat al-Nusra unacceptable, says Lavrov

Russia is worried about the attitude to Jabhat al-Nusra of certain western countries, including the United States, the diplomat said

MOSCOW, February 24. /TASS/. Moscow considers the statements made by Washington’s officials about the possibility of holding a dialogue with Jabhat al-Nusra (a terrorist organization outlawed in Russia) unacceptable, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a joint press conference following the talks with his Tajik counterpart Sirojiddin Muhriddin on Monday.

Russia is worried about the attitude to Jabhat al-Nusra of certain western countries, including the United States, the diplomat said. "Both those structures - Jabhat al-Nusra and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (one of the names of Jabhat al-Nusra) are officially on terrorist organizations’ lists compiled by the UN Security Council, they are also on the US’ national list of terrorist organizations. Nevertheless, Washington’s officials, including the US’ Special Representative for Syria (Engagement and the Special Envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS) James Jeffrey, have repeatedly made statements, which mean that they consider Hayat Tahrir al-Sham not a terrorist organization as such and that it would be possible under certain circumstances to enter into a dialogue with it. We have repeatedly heard such hints, rather broad, and consider them absolutely unacceptable," he emphasized.

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