Discussions at the 5th Arab-Russian Ministerial Forum held in Moscow on Tuesday highlighted continued differences on Syria, especially over the repeated Russian calls to push reconstruction efforts forward and encourage the displaced to return to their homeland.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov avoided going into the details of the dispute during a joint press conference held at the end of the talks, with Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Issa Awad, who headed the Arab group.
Aboul Gheit later told reporters that the Arab and Russian positions “may not reach a full converged vision regarding a solution in Syria,” but stressed the importance of the Arab reference to “Moscow’s efforts to push forward a settlement” to the crisis.
When asked about the file of reconstruction and the return of refugees, he stressed that in order for the Syrians to return to their country, conditions of a decent life must be provided.
He also noted that many countries “are willing to make contributions to the reconstruction file but believe that the political settlement must precede any move in this direction.”
Lavrov avoided, in an interview with journalists after the meetings, to mention anything about inviting Arab parties to participate in the Astana process, although the Russian Foreign Ministry had confirmed two days earlier that it was working to include new regional parties. This position reflected a further divergence of positions between the parties.
On the other hand, Lavrov announced that the UN envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, has been invited to attend the negotiations set for later this month in the capital of Kazakhstan.
