All news

Russian diplomat, Syrian opposition leader discuss Trump’s Golan decision

MOSCOW, March 27. /TASS/. Russian Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and Africa Mikhail Bogdanov has held a meeting with leader of the so-called Moscow group of the Syrian opposition Qadri Jamil, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The parties thoroughly discussed the military and political situation in Syria, particularly in light of Washington’s decision to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, focusing on the need to find an early solution to the Syrian crisis based on the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254 and form a constitutional committee to achieve that goal," the statement reads.

On March 25, Trump signed a proclamation recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights during talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Golan Heights, which belonged to Syria since 1944, were seized by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War. In 1981, the Israeli parliament passed a law unilaterally declaring sovereignty over the Golan Heights. The UN Security Council declared the annexation null and void in its Resolution 497 on December 17, 1981.

Syria and other Muslim countries, as well as Russia and some key European Union members, including Germany and France, opposed Trump’s decision to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.