Russia to submit draft resolution on fighting terrorism in Syria to UN security council

Russia will submit a draft resolution on fighting terrorism in Syria to the UN Security Council shortly, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said. "Yes, I think (that will be done) imminently," he replied to an Interfax question whether Russia might submit such draft and when. The document "will above all urge everyone to take the necessary steps and to pool efforts in the deterrence of the terrorist threat coming from the territory of Syria," the diplomat continued. Multiple terrorist organizations, among them Al-Qaeda and affiliated groups, are operating in Syria, Gatilov said. "They create a real threat to the territorial integrity of the country and the region as a whole. Hence, the terrorist threat is no less serious than the humanitarian situation in Syria," he said. "It is necessary to deal both with the terrorist threat and the humanitarian disaster in a comprehensive manner," he emphasized. As to how the UN Security Council feels about the Russian initiative and whether Moscow expects support from other Security Council members, Gatilov said, "I think that if our colleagues at the Security Council share our concerns about the danger of terrorism and, in my opinion, they increasingly come to the conclusion that this threat really exists and if they sincerely want to fight it, then it will make sense to pool our efforts in this field."