Saudi Official Believes Russia's Role in Syria 'Very Important'

© REUTERS / Omar SanadikiA Syrian national flag hangs in a damaged neighbourhood in Aleppo, Syria January 30, 2017
A Syrian national flag hangs in a damaged neighbourhood in Aleppo, Syria January 30, 2017 - Sputnik International
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Moscow is playing a crucial role in the process of reconciliation in Syria, including through the Russian activities aimed at mediation and establishment of a truce monitoring mechanism, an adviser to the Office of Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal Bin Abdulaziz told Sputnik on Sunday.

MUNICH (Sputnik) — He added that Riyadh welcomed both decrease in hostilities and provision of humanitarian aid to the Syrian people.

"I believe that Russia's role is very important and central in finding a peaceful settlement to the Syrian crisis and therefore mediating and setting a ceasefire monitoring mechanism in Syria is very important and welcomed as a means of stopping destruction and the blood path and allowing humanitarian aid to Syrians," Awadh Badi said on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

A picture taken on November 16, 2015 shows a Saudi F-15 fighter jet landing at the Khamis Mushayt military airbase, some 880 km from the capital Riyadh - Sputnik International
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Russia has been making efforts to end violence in the Syrian civil war. Moscow, along with Ankara and Tehran, is a part of a trilateral group monitoring the ceasefire in the war-torn state, established in December 2016.

The agreement on creating the trilateral Syria ceasefire regime monitoring task force was reached in the Kazakh capital of Astana in late January during talks on Syria reconciliation.

The forthcoming intra-Syrian talks in Geneva will be productive only if they focus on political transition to define the future of Syrian President Bashar Assad, Turki Al-Faisal Bin Abdulaziz said.

"Bear[ing] the past experiences in mind, I do not expect much from the upcoming Geneva talks, however, if the discussions concentrate on the real issue of political transformation and transition arrangements, according to the UN resolutions, we may have a serious beginning for political settlement in Syria," Awadh Badi said on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

The city of Geneva is expected to welcome the representatives of both Syrian authorities and opposition for participation in the next round of the reconciliation talks, due to start on February 23.

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