Impact of Qatar Issue on Syria Discussed

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday he and his Iranian counterpart Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif discussed the process to help end the Syria crisis and how the Qatar diplomatic crisis would affect it.

The top diplomats met in Astana on Friday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.

“We talked about progress in the Syrian settlement and how the story surrounding Qatar can influence these processes and our common efforts,” Lavrov told reporters, according to Sputnik.

He noted that Moscow and Tehran both favor “that this crisis is resolved at the negotiating table so that all concerns are removed through dialogue.”

Saudi Arabia and Egypt and some of their allies cut ties with Doha and shut down their transport links with the tiny Persian Gulf emirate over the charge that Qatar backs extremists and is not in favor of confrontation with Iran.

Tehran and Moscow are allies of the Syrian government, which is engaged in a lingering war on militancy. The two support Damascus’ campaign against armed groups and are the major sponsors of a process to restore peace in the war-ravaged Arab state.