英语文摘:Spotlight: Russia, West divided on air raids against IS

Russia has no political agenda in Syria, Federation Council (the upper house of parliament) Chairperson Valentina Matviyenko said on Tuesday while meeting with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh in Amman.

"It only seeks to fight terrorist organizations including the so-called Islamic State, which represent a threat to the region, the world and Russia as well," Matviyenko said.

She said Russia strongly believes that there is no solution to the crisis in Syria except through a political one that preserves the unity and stability of Syria.

Meanwhile, the Russian military is willing to expand cooperation with the U.S.-led coalition in Syria, said Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov.

"We are firmly convinced that no country is able to cope with the common threat of terrorism alone, no matter how strong the United States, Britain, Germany and NATO are. That is why we are in favor of broader international cooperation," Antonov said on Tuesday.

Russia is ready to share specific reconnaissance data about the IS positions and activities with the anti-IS coalition, he added.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday noted that Moscow and Washington have maintained high-level contacts for military operations in Syria.

Lavrov added that the IS is the enemy of all states and nations including the Islamic world, stressing that the problem of terrorism and extremism should be addressed "in a comprehensive way."

Marzieh Afkham, spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry, said last week that her country considers Russia's operation as a path towards resolving the ongoing crisis in the region.

She also called for an international cooperation with the governments of Iraq and Syria to eradicate terrorism in those countries.

The Syrian president said earlier that the current Russian war on terror in Syria has high chances of success, noting that the failure of the Russia-led coalition would cause the destruction of the region.

"We have confidence that the coalition between Syria, Russia, Iran and Iraq must be destined to success, otherwise, we would face the destruction of the entire region," Assad said Sunday.