On Thursday, during a joint press conference with US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron said that the contact group proposed by France and the United States, which will outline a roadmap for the future of Syria after the conflict, must include permanent members of the UN Security Council, as well as a Damascus representative.
"The proposal of the leaders of France and the United States on the basis of the talks to establish a contact group to set up a roadmap for the future of Syria with the participation of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, 'interested participants from the region,' as well as the representative of Damascus may prove to be a fully adequate format for cooperation given two important conditions: that it does not undermine the negotiation processes in Geneva and Astana, and that all this is serious," Kosachev wrote on his Facebook page.
The Russian lawmaker stressed that Russia was ready to consider any constructive ideas "when they are not stipulated by preliminary conditions that undermine the political process in a sovereign country, and deciding for its people, who should rule."
Kosachev also noted that Macron's statement about the rejection of the demand for the resignation of Syrian President Bashar Assad spoke of France's desire to return to the world politics as a key player.
Syria has been hit by a civil war for more than six years with government forces fighting opposition factions, including terrorist groups such as Daesh (ISIL/ISIS) and al-Nusra Front, both of which are outlawed in Russia.
