Russia’s Foreign Minister, on calling for the cessation of violence in the Arab Republic, has warned against the use of force as a means of resolving the two-year conflict.
"With regards to the Syria conflict, one can come to the
conclusion that any plan to settle it through the use of force by
any party will not work," Sergey Lavrov said at the opening of
the first ministerial session of a Russian-Arab League forum in
Moscow on Wednesday.
The understanding of the need to start a dialogue is gaining
ground, the Russian diplomat emphasized.
Lavrov told the forum that Russia is doing all it can to provide
conditions for a dialogue to begin as soon as possible, based on
the agreements stipulated by the Geneva Communiqué and being
promoted by the Arab League, as well as the UN's special envoy
Lakhdar Brahimi, he said.
Talking about the current situation in the Middle East, Lavrov said
Moscow is disappointed with the current developments there,
including pockets of armed conflicts in the region, growth in
extremist sentiments, terrorism and the uncontrolled proliferation
of weapons.
The Russian minister emphasized the participation of the Arab
League as the ‘central role’ in reducing the violence that has
swept the Arab world, a phenomenon that has been dubbed the Arab
Spring.
"We believe the League should play the central role in settling
the conflict occurring in the Arab world, including through efforts
that promote the resolution of internal conflicts and create
conditions for a broad and inclusive dialogue involving all
political groups, guaranteeing the rights of ethnic and religious
minorities, and certainly refraining from external interference
without a clearly formulated UN Security Council mandate," he
said.
The Russian minister also expressed solidarity with the Arab League
on its decision to convene a conference on the creation of a zone
free of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East.
"We will work hard to make sure that these decisions are
implemented," he said.
Meanwhile, Lavrov extended an invitation for a meeting between the
representatives of the Syrian government and the opposition.
“If this happens, they will feel more comfortable to start this
dialogue in Moscow. Certainly, we will provide all the necessary
opportunities for this," Lavrov told the press conference
following the forum.
Concerning the possibility of opening a dialogue between the two
warring sides, Lavrov said it is important that they should not
“set preconditions for each other."
Lavrov wrapped up his comments by emphasizing that it's time to
“put an end to the two-year war in Syria.”
Attempts to solve the problem by means of a “military
solution” will only meet a “dead end.”
Lavrov called on the Syrian government to prove its readiness for dialogue.
Robert Bridge, RT