MOSCOW, October 15 (RIA Novosti) - The United States is no longer insisting on the resignation of Syrian President Bashar Assad and is trying to establish separate contacts with Damascus, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said Wednesday.
"It's not that the United States insists on Assad leaving office, although as far as I know, they went beyond insisting and are, in fact, trying to establish separate contacts within the leadership of the Syrian Republic, to tell you the truth," Medvedev said in an interview with broadcaster CNBC.
At the same time, he stressed that discussions of joint anti-terrorist activities, including the anti-Islamic State (IS) agenda, should be held only with the central government of Syria.
"And there may be only one legitimate question: if this kind of action is really needed, then it's essential to achieve a common position and get the go-ahead from the legitimate government of Syria," Medvedev said.
"Again, some may not like it, or may dislike Assad and wish to see him go, but until that happens, the central government of Syria is the sole bearer of the sovereignty of the Syrian people. That's what needs to be kept in mind when discussing any kind of action," the prime minister added.
The internal conflict in Syria began in the spring of 2011. Since the beginning of the crisis, the United States and some of its allies have supported the opposition, insisting on Assad's resignation. Washington has repeatedly said that it would not coordinate with Damascus its attacks on Syrian territory targeting the IS. The US-led coalition is currently engaged in an operation in Syria and Iraq to halt the advance of the terrorist organization.
