‘Friends of Syria plans contradict a fast political settlement’ - Russia

The Russian Foreign Ministry has expressed concern over the Friends of Syria decision to send weapons to rebels, saying this could push the opposition to a ‘destructive military solution’.

“The intentions to render unlimited military support to the opposition in the Syrian Arab Republic that were declared in Doha and that are already being implemented in reality are totally contradicting the objectives of a fast political settlement in Syria”, reads the official statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday.

The statement was a reaction to the decisions made last week at the conference of the so called Friends of Syria group that united foreign ministers of 11 nations, including the United States, Great Britain and  France as well as Middle East countries whose governments support the Syrian opposition .

Russia added that the decisions of the Friends of Syria group to urgently start the delivery of weapons to anti-Asad forces caused even greater concern as media is reporting Qatar and Saudi Arabia are stepping up the supply of weapons to Syrian fighters and that these fighters receive training in Turkey and Jordan from French and American instructors.

The resolution also pointed out that this all happened at the same time as certain nations voiced unfounded accusations that the Russian Federation was allegedly adding to the tension by its support of the government in Damascus.

"In reality, the lawful government of the Syrian Arab Republic has already expressed its readiness to take part in the international conference in accordance with the Russian-American initiative. At the same time, the National Coalition and a number of other Syrian opposition groups have not yet announced their intent to take part in such a conference without any preliminary conditions, as set out in the May joint resolution by Russia and the US”, the Russian statement reads.

“It is obvious, that the new additional weapons supplies can eventually get into terrorists’ hands and can only instigate the opposition to the military solution that will be destructive for Syria,” the ministry concluded.

Russia again called upon Western and Middle East states to concentrate on the fastest cessation of violence in Syria, and on the political settlement based on the Geneva conference decisions in June 2012. Russia reiterated that this will be its own approach to the Russia-US-UN summit due in Geneva on June 25 this year.