Kerry: We can defeat IS within ‘months’ of Syrian transition

Kerry arrived in Belgrade from a brief visit to Pristina on Wednesday evening in order to participate in the 22nd OSCE Ministerial Council which will take place from December 3 to 4, and was welcomed by Vucic at his residency in Serbian capital.

The US said it would send 100 ground troops to Iraq and Britain announced it would increase the number of airstrikes in the territory now controlled by Islamic State forces, even as US Secretary of State John Kerry said a more ubiquitous effort would be needed.

Kerry said earlier on Wednesday that the United States welcomes Russia’s “engagement in the Syria process”, calling the country an “extremely constructive and important player in reaching a solution” in Syria.

He believes that would allow the “scourge” of IS to be eliminated much faster.

Daesh is an Arabic name for the jihadist group commonly known as Islamic State.

Kerry says air power alone won’t be enough.

On Tuesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter told Congress that the American military will deploy a new special operations force to Iraq to step up the fight against IS militants who hold territory there and in Syria. In remarks to the media, Kerry praised Serbia’s progress on the path toward integration in the European Union, including making Serbia’s economy more open to foreign investment.

From January 2016, Germany will take over the lead with its Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier as the chairperson-in-office.

Mogherini said that “security in Europe calls for more cooperative and effective global order”. The foreign ministers of Russia & Turkey met for the 1st time “cause the downing of a Russian jet by Turkish forces”.

Steinmeier, whose country takes over next year from Serbia as OSCE chairman, says the role of Europe’s main security organization should be bolstered in the face of the global terror threats.

There are no negotiations with terrorists, Kerry said explicitly, calling for resolve in the intent to defeat terrorist groups. Kerry also urged world leaders to come together behind a unified peace plan for the two sides, which was first formed by the U.S. and Russian Federation.

Kerry said a “political transition” in Syria could pave the way for a united front against Islamic State – “the Syrian army together with the opposition… together with Russian Federation, the United States and others to go and fight Daesh”. He said Ukraine needs to do its part to restore the cease-fire and begin rebuilding Ukraine’s eastern regions.

He expressed gratitude on behalf of Serbia to Russia and in particular its president, Vladimir Putin, for fighting against global terrorism, expressing his regret over the Russian victims, but also noting that the battle’s goal was great, and that Serbia was “ready to offer every possible assistance to anyone who is opposing this evil”. “It could possibly include Arab partners but we’re not at that stage right now”.