In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed a range of current hot topics, including efforts against the Islamic State (IS) in the Middle East, the situation in Ukraine, and Russia's future amid Western sanctions, RIA Novosti reports.
"Iran, of course, should be part of the efforts to fight ISIL because Iran is a strong opponent of these people. And to ignore Iran in this fight and not to invite it for cooperation is a mistake, just like it is a mistake not to consult with the Syrian government and not to cooperate with it," Minister Lavrov told the news network concerning US operations against IS violence plaguing Syria and Iraq.
According to the Russian minister, the Syrian crisis cannot be resolved without Iran, since the region's conflicts involve Iranian interests. Lavrov added that during discussions on the situation in Syria with US Secretary of State John Kerry, Iran was left out.
"Iran was explicitly left out, which is not helpful. I think the Americans recognize that, at some point, better sooner than later, it would have to be recognized that Iran should be involved as an equal partner in negotiating the security issues in the region," the foreign minister said, noting the move was yet another mistake on the US side, referring to US President Barack Obama's refusal to cooperate with Syrian President Bashar Assad.
