LAVROV: THE WEST'S ATTEMPTS TO ARM SYRIAN OPPOSITION HINDERS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
Jun 12, 2013
Rio De Janeiro, (SANA)- Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov,
stressed that the West's attempts to arm the "Syrian opposition"
its leniency towards its requests hinder the efforts seeking to hold
the upcoming international conference on Syria in Geneva.
"The Syrian opposition's statement mentioned that the conference is
only possible in case military balance was restored on the ground,"
the Russian Ria Novosti news agency quoted Lavrov as saying in a
press conference following talks with his Brazilian counterpart
Antonio Patriota Tuesday night.
He pointed out that if this criterion was taken into consideration
"we are not going to hold this conference at all."
"To connive with opposition figures and work on arming them to retake
some areas is an act that goes against holding the conference,"
said Lavrov.
He stressed Russia's insistence on inviting Syria's neighbors and
Iran to attend the international conference.
"It would be shameful to have the Arab countries represented in the
conference without Egypt, and unfortunately our partners are against
this full representation of the region's countries in the conference,"
said the Russian Foreign Minister, noting that there is also objection
to inviting Iran.
Lavrov pointed out that his country's proposal to send Russian troops
to replace the Austrian forces operating within the United Nations
Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan stems from its
keenness on achieving stability in the Middle East.
For his part, Patriota voiced Brazil's full support for holding
the international conference on Syria, noting that the date of the
conference hasn't been set yet due to the lack of clarity in the
position of the Syrian opposition, as the method of representing the
opposition hasn't been decided yet due to the disputes and disagreement
among its ranks.
Lavrov said in an interview with CBS channel Tuesday that the Syrian
opposition is responsible for delaying the holding of the international
conference on Syria in Geneva.
Lavrov and his Argentine counterpart Hector Timerman in Buenos Aires
on Monday expressed their refusal of importing weapons to illegal
armed groups to be used against the Syrian army and people.
H. Said
Jun 12, 2013
Rio De Janeiro, (SANA)- Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov,
stressed that the West's attempts to arm the "Syrian opposition"
its leniency towards its requests hinder the efforts seeking to hold
the upcoming international conference on Syria in Geneva.
"The Syrian opposition's statement mentioned that the conference is
only possible in case military balance was restored on the ground,"
the Russian Ria Novosti news agency quoted Lavrov as saying in a
press conference following talks with his Brazilian counterpart
Antonio Patriota Tuesday night.
He pointed out that if this criterion was taken into consideration
"we are not going to hold this conference at all."
"To connive with opposition figures and work on arming them to retake
some areas is an act that goes against holding the conference,"
said Lavrov.
He stressed Russia's insistence on inviting Syria's neighbors and
Iran to attend the international conference.
"It would be shameful to have the Arab countries represented in the
conference without Egypt, and unfortunately our partners are against
this full representation of the region's countries in the conference,"
said the Russian Foreign Minister, noting that there is also objection
to inviting Iran.
Lavrov pointed out that his country's proposal to send Russian troops
to replace the Austrian forces operating within the United Nations
Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan stems from its
keenness on achieving stability in the Middle East.
For his part, Patriota voiced Brazil's full support for holding
the international conference on Syria, noting that the date of the
conference hasn't been set yet due to the lack of clarity in the
position of the Syrian opposition, as the method of representing the
opposition hasn't been decided yet due to the disputes and disagreement
among its ranks.
Lavrov said in an interview with CBS channel Tuesday that the Syrian
opposition is responsible for delaying the holding of the international
conference on Syria in Geneva.
Lavrov and his Argentine counterpart Hector Timerman in Buenos Aires
on Monday expressed their refusal of importing weapons to illegal
armed groups to be used against the Syrian army and people.
H. Said