Anti-Terrorism Coalition Proposed by Putin to Be 'Regional Safety Net'

An international anti-terrorism coalition proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin will become a new "regional safety net" bringing together the governments of the Middle Eastern countries in their fight against terrorism, a member of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, told Sputnik Saturday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik), Svetlana Alexandrova – Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, that he had discussed creating an international anti-terrorism coalition with his US counterpart Barack Obama over the phone and had brought up the subject with the leaders of Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, as well as other Russian partners.

"If all parties agree, it will be a new regional safety net which will bring governments of neighboring countries of the region closer together in their fight against terrorism," Tarek Ahmad said.

The politician underscored that his party and also the Syrian government positively assessed Putin's proposal.

Syria has been engulfed in a civil war since 2011. The country's government forces are battling against Islamic State (IS) militants, as well as against the so-called moderate opposition and the Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria.

The United States leads an international coalition of over 60 countries that has been conducting airstrikes against IS since 2014.

Russia has repeatedly criticized the coalition's actions for not seeking approval from the UN Security Council. In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow would support the formation of an anti-terrorism coalition if Syria considered it appropriate and feasible.