Eight-points settlement plan for Syria in Jerusalem Security Meeting
North-Press Agency
The US-Russian talks continue on the recently proposed plan by the United States to Russia, which consists of multi-points settlement in Syria.
Al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper confirmed that a US-Russia dispute revolves around the plan of containing Iran and the settlement plan in Syria, which contains eight points, while the plan was likely to be discussed at a security meeting of the two sides with Israel in West Jerusalem early next week.
The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had presented the eight-point plan for the Russian side on his visit to Sochi last May, which included: “The implementation of the UN Resolution 2254 to achieve a political solution, cooperation in the fight against terrorism and ISIS, weakening Iranian influence, and eliminating weapons of mass destruction in Syria, providing humanitarian assistance, supporting neighboring countries, providing the conditions for the return of Syrian refugees, and establishing the principle of accountability for crimes committed in Syria.”
The newspaper also spoke about the initial approval of Russia but with a dispute, according to sources, on the sequence of implementing the points, amid European doubts in Washington’s promises to Moscow.
Meanwhile, the settlement plan witnessed efforts from the European countries with the United States regarding the implementation of the plan with its eight points, in addition to containing Iran in the execution of the US policy in the region.
While the United States Special Representative for Syria Engagement and the Special Envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIL, Amb. James Jeffrey mentioned that the US demand of the withdrawal of Iranian forces from Syria at the end of the political process is a “realistic request,” referring to the US intention of removing all of the foreign forces out of Syria, like before 2011.
The plan is expected to be discussed on June 24 between the US National Security Advisor John Bolton, and his Russian counterpart Nikolay Patrushev, prior to a tripartite meeting with Israel’s National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat, according to the newspaper.