United Nations, Sep 30 (EFE).– The United States and Russia on Wednesday agreed to hold top-level military talks as soon as possible on the airstrikes that both countries are conducting in Syria, the two top U.S. and Russian diplomats – John Kerry and Sergei Lavrov, respectively – announced.

The agreement is aimed at avoiding undesired “incidents,” Lavrov said in remarks to reporters along with his U.S. counterpart, with whom he met for the third time in recent days.

According to Kerry, who reiterated U.S. “concerns” about the objectives of Russian intervention in Syria, the military contacts could begin as soon as Thursday.

“We agreed on the imperative of, as soon as possible – perhaps even as soon as tomorrow, but as soon as possible – having a military-to-military de-confliction discussion,” said Kerry at his joint appearance with Lavrov before the press.

Kerry appears to have deliberately used military terminology that refers to coordinating military actions to reduce, for example, the risk of collision between the warplanes of the two parties in the conflict zone.

The secretary of state said that during their meeting, he reiterated to Lavrov the “concerns” of his government about the targets of the Russian airstrikes in Syria and the need for clarity about them.

It is one thing to attack the forces of the Islamic State jihadist group, but if the Russians are simply bombarding the enemies of Syrian President Bashar al Assad – whom Washington says must leave power, albeit in accord with a reasonable transition – then the United States would “obviously” be concerned, Kerry said.

Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said in Washington on Wednesday that the first Russian airstrike in Syria seems to have occurred in a zone where the IS does not operate, a situation that Assad opponents have denounced.

According to the opposition Syrian National Coalition, the Russian airstrikes were carried out in areas “free of the IS and Al Qaeda” and killed 36 civilians in the northern part of Homs province.

On the political level, Kerry and Lavrov said they had agreed to take certain “steps” that can be positive in resolving the Syrian conflict and which will be the subject of discussions that will take place shortly.

Kerry said that the two sides have some “very specific” measures in mind that could be effective in moving toward that goal, although he warned that Washington and Moscow have differences on key points.

“We all want Syria to be democratic, united, secular. A Syria which is a home for all ethnic groups whose rights are guaranteed, but we have some differences as for the details on how to get there,” Lavrov said.

Kerry and Lavrov, who took no questions from reporters during their joint appearance, provided no details on the measures and/or steps to which they have agreed.

To date, the main difference of opinion between the United States and Russia has been the role that Assad will have in Syria, with Moscow supporting him and his regime and Washington saying he must leave power. EFE