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Russia, Iran, Turkey find worrisome West’s harsher stance on Syria — envoy

Alexander Lavrentyev emphasized the role of Saudi Arabia's leadership, including Prime Minister and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and, in particular, his strategic course towards "stability in the region"

ASTANA, June 21. /TASS/. Russia, Iran and Turkey are concerned about the harsher stance of the US and other countries of the collective West on Syria after the decision to restore its membership of the League of Arab States, Russia's special presidential representative for the Syrian settlement, Alexander Lavrentyev, told a press conference on Wednesday on the results of the 20th international meeting on Syria on the Astana platform.

"During working contacts at various levels we discussed what we are concerned about the most. It is probably the tightening of the position of the United States and other countries of the so-called collective West on Syria, which followed the decision made in Jeddah by the League of Arab States to restore Syria's membership of this organization," Lavrentyev said.

"We see this as a very important, landmark event, which opens up very great opportunities for the stabilization of the situation in the region as well," he added.

The Russian presidential envoy emphasized the role of Saudi Arabia's leadership, including Prime Minister and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and, in particular, his strategic course towards "stability in the region."

"The Arab countries have come to understand that achieving stability in the vast region of the Middle and Near East will be impossible without stabilizing Syria," he pointed out. "Stabilization in Syria cannot be achieved without a change in the approaches of the countries of the world directly to the crisis and to the perception of the Syrian leadership itself."

Lavrentyev pointed out that as long as the focus was on "only tightening sanctions, further strangling and provoking the Syrian people to some kind of unrest, and to further destabilizing the situation," it is a dead end.

"This path needs to be adjusted. Sadly, we don't see that. We see only an ever harder line," Lavrentyev noted.

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Foreign policy Syria Iran Turkey

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