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Russia has crucial role in solving Syria crisis - King Abdullah II

AMMAN, Nov 12 (KUNA) -- Jordanian King Abdullah II said Wednesday evening that Moscow has a crucial role to play in finding a political settlement to the Syrian conflict.
The presence of Russians in Syria is a fait accompli that has to be dealt with in a way that could contribute to ending the crisis and bridging gap between Russia and the West, he said in an interview with Euronews TV channel.
The Russians are more concerned than the West about the presence of foreign fighters in Syria because Russia has problems with foreign fighters. Therefore, the Russians had to address by themselves the menace of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL); they are also the sole party that can give the Syrian regime guarantees of hope in the future, he said.
King Abdullah II termed the war against terrorism a third world war "but with new means," adding that what is required in Syria is to form a bloc capable of addressing the situation through a comprehensive perspective.
He urged bridging the cap in confidence between the East and the West and getting rid of the cold war mentality in order to join forces against terrorism.
Asked whether the war against ISIL is prioritized over toppling the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, he said that after the recent Vienna talks there has been a growing consensus that ISIL should be defeated before moving to a political process that could turn over a new leaf in Syria.
All efforts should focus on how to bring the moderate opposition groups to the negotiating side by side with the regime in order to reach agreement on launching a political process.
King Abdullah II downplayed the possibility of reaching a quick solution to the conflict, saying that it's a top priority to start a political process while continuing the combat against ISIL.
Regarding the impacts of the Syrian crisis on Jordan, he said the Kingdom hosts some 1.4 million Syrian refugees and the figure could rise further after the Russian military intervention.
Jordan spends nearly USD 3 billion annually to cover the needs of the refugees, he said, noting that foreign aid to Jordan represented only 35 percent of these costs last year. Some 100,000 refugees live in camps and the remaining numbers are distributed among cities and villages across Jordan. (end) ab.mjb.gb