Lavrov and Egypt's foreign minister say they support preserving Syria's sovereignty

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Egyptian counterpart Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigration Badr Abdelati held telephone talks during which they expressed strong support for the preservation of Syria's sovereignty. This is reported on December 22 on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

"During the conversation there was a thorough exchange of views on topical Middle East issues with a focus on the ongoing developments in Syria. <...> Strong support was expressed for the preservation of the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic," the statement reads.

It is noted that Lavrov and Abdelati supported the initiative of the UN Secretary General and his special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen to consolidate international efforts to establish civil peace in the SAR "on the basis of the Syrian-led inclusive political process" in accordance with the principles of UN Security Council Resolution 2254.

Turkey is gathering forces near the border with Syria. What the media say

Earlier, on December 18, Lavrov discussed the situation in Syria by phone with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi. The ministers pointed to the need to urgently launch a national dialog in Syria with the participation of all forces and on the principles enshrined in the UN Security Council resolution to ensure the legitimate rights of Syrians, respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of the SAR.

The day before, the UN Security Council reaffirmed its commitment to preserving Syria's territorial integrity and called on Israeli forces to abide by the terms of the 1974 disengagement agreement. Before that, the foreign ministers of eight Arab countries, including Jordan, advocated the cessation of hostilities on Syrian territory, and the Russian Foreign Ministry called the way to normalize the situation in Syria an inclusive dialogue.

On December 8, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, after negotiations with the opposition, left the post of head of state and left the country, instructing to carry out the transfer of power peacefully. The National Coalition of Revolutionary and Opposition Forces of Syria said it was working to form a transitional authority. The country is expected to hold a referendum.

The situation in Syria escalated as a result of a major attack by armed groups in Aleppo and Idlib, which began on November 28 and led to the Syrian army's retaliation against the militants.