Russian Federation and Iran intensify cooperation on Syria

The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a resolution for an global road map for a peace process in Syria on Friday.

In a rare show of global unity over the conflict, Russian Federation backed the resolution endorsing the start of “urgent” formal negotiations between President Assad’s regime and moderate opposition groups early next month.

US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters that the world is going to see in the next few months whether the peace process actually takes hold.

“Russia would not have voted for a resolution in which it would have been written that Assad needs to step down”.

“But we must and will protect the institutions that are necessary for the future governance of Syria and that will be possible with a representative transitional governing body and with the support of the ISSG”.

The war in Syria began in March 2011, killing more than 250,000 people and forcing millions to flee the war-torn country.

It reiterated previous calls for Member States to suppress terrorist acts by Islamic State, Al-Nusra Front and all others.

The resolution also says cease-fire efforts should move forward in parallel with the talks, and it asks Ban to report within a month on ways to monitor the cease-fire.

The Foreign Secretary met counterparts from ISSG states the US, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia and Turkey in Paris on Monday, and said that it was the “clear intention” of Mr Kerry to seek agreement in NY on a ceasefire deal for Syria. Russian Federation launched its intervention in Syria last September, aiming to “target terrorists”.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said he presented lists submitted from each country of groups they consider terrorist organizations.

Wang noted the “severe threat posed by global terrorism”, a reference to the Islamic State group, which has exploited the chaos to seize large parts of Syria.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said of the resolution: “This is a clear response to attempts to impose a solution from the outside on Syrians on any issues, including those regarding its president”.

The plan, however, does not tackle some of the obstacles diplomats are facing in bringing the two sides to the negotiating table, namely the fate of Assad and which opposition groups will be included in the peace process.

Hijab served as prime minister and agriculture minister under Assad before defecting in 2012, the highest-profile Syrian official to do so in more than four years of the conflict.

A number of states are conducting military campaigns in the Syria against the group.