BERLIN (Sputnik) — Russia is an important participant in any consultation on the Syrian civil war, and the issue cannot be addressed without Moscow’s participation, a source in the German Federal Chancellery said on Tuesday.
“It is impossible to touch upon the Syrian issue without the Russian presence, because Russia is an important partner in the discussion. Americans are also discussing the issue with Russia,” the source told RIA Novosti.
Kerry announced on Sunday that he would meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss Syria within the framework of the 70th UN General Assembly in New York.
Syria has been mired in a civil war since 2011. The country’s government is fighting a number of opposition forces, as well as radical Islamist militant organizations, including the Nusra Front and the Islamic State extremist group. Some 250,000 people have been killed in Syria during the war to date, according to the United Nations, and millions more have been displaced.
