Americans should not only think of upcoming elections, but of Mideast region: Lavrov

The Americans should not only think their upcoming elections but also about the future of the Middle East region, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Al Arabiya in an exclusive interview.

“I hope that the Americans understand that they must think not only about the elections, which are coming in a month and a half, but also about the future of this region, which is one of the most important regions of the world,” Lavrov told Al Arabiya’s UN Bureau Chief Talal al-Haj.

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Lavrov was responding to US foreign policy involving Kurdish separatists’ strands in Syria, saying that it stood with its ally Turkey in “maintaining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic.”

“The recent decision to bring an American oil company and to start pumping oil for their own purposes, without any respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic as resolutions resolution 2254 demands, of course, this creates a very nervous situation for many countries in this region,” Lavrov said.

The Russian Foreign Minister also spoke on the recent reports of an understanding being reached between Russia and Turkey on a comprehensive ceasefire in Libya.

“There are some countries who don't want this Libyan crisis to end the way the Libyans wanted, and who still want to play the Libyan card and geopolitical games. But I hope, all sincere, international, European and regional players would concentrate on the positive agenda as agreed at the Berlin Conference,” he added.

Lavrov also spoke on the recent US efforts to reimpose snapback sanctions on Iran, saying that there was “no such thing as an arms embargo against Iran.”

“I cannot speak for the Americans because they say many funny things. And I know only one thing for sure that when the Americans as their representatives officially continue to assert that they still are participants of JCPOA, because of resolution 2231, I can only remind them that they should be, should respect the hierarchy in the American administration,” the Russian Foreign Minister said.