Russian Foreign Minister says Saudi Arabia reiterated commitment to solving Syria’s crisis

“Yes, I think Saudi Arabia is determined to solve the Syria crisis,” Lavrov told reporters.

An agreement by Russia, Turkey and Iran to set up so-called de-escalation zones in Syria was signed in May during talks in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana. But the plan was sharply criticised by the Syrian opposition, which rejected Iran’s role as guarantor in any deal.

Russia and Iran – Saudi Arabia’s main regional foe – back Syria’s government while Saudi Arabia supports Syrian rebels.

Lavrov said on Monday that Saudi Arabia had assured him it supports the agreement and “will cooperate in terms of creating de-escalation areas and other initiatives under the Astana process”.

A new round of talks aimed at ending Syria’s six-year conflict is set to get under way later this week in Astana.

UN-sponsored peace talks ended with “no breakthrough, no breakdown” in Geneva in July.

Local ceasefires have proven to be the most successful approach to mitigating multi-sided fighting in Syria, which has killed some 400,000 people and displaced half the country’s population since 2011, Lavrov said.

The Russian diplomat defended his country’s military support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, saying Russia – along with Iran and the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah – are there “based on a direct invitation from the legitimate Syrian authorities.”