MOSCOW. Nov 27 (Interfax) - Moscow is regarding Syria's territorial integrity as the absolute necessity and hopes this principle will never be in doubt, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday.
"We look upon the territorial integrity of Syria as an absolute necessity. And no one has yet said, and I hope never will say, that this principle is being cast into doubt," Lavrov said in an interview with Interfax ".
Asked whether it was possible under current circumstances, in particular given the Kurdish factor, to preserve Syria's territorial integrity without its federalization, the minister said: "The ideas of political structure should be discussed in the framework of the intra-Syrian dialogue which, after many failed UN-sponsored attempts, has still been stimulated through the creation of the Astana [negotiation] process which saw the government and the armed opposition sitting down at the negotiating table for the first time and which, this direct dialogue, directly arises from the UN Security Council's requirements."
"What Syria will be like, other than being sovereign, united and territorially integral, is up to the Syrians themselves," the Russian minister said.
The principle of Syria's territorial integrity is "enshrined in UN Security Council resolutions, it has now been confirmed during the Sochi summit of the presidents of Russia, Iran and Turkey," Lavrov said.
"It was also confirmed during numerous meetings of various forums on Syria, be it under UN aegis, be it under the aegis of other organizations, including regional ones such the Arab League and others," Lavrov said.
"What Syria will be like, other than it being sovereign, united and territorially integral, is up to the Syrians themselves. The UN Security Council resolutions, our Astana agreements are aimed at launching direct dialogue between the government and the whole spectrum of the opposition," the minister said.
"And resolution N2254 says that only Syrians themselves may decide their country's future," he said.