Russia won’t pressure Syrian president to step down: Lavrov
Iran Press TV
Fri Mar 8, 2013 10:15AM GMT
Russia says there will be “absolutely” no chance that Moscow pressures Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with Britain’s state-run BBC published on Friday that Moscow was not in the “regime change game,” adding that Russia was opposed to interference in domestic conflicts.
Lavrov further said Moscow would not ask the Syrian president to stand aside while it is agreed that negotiations would be the best way to solve the crisis in Syria.
“We have been against any preconditions to stop the violence and start the dialogue, because we believe that the priority number one is to save lives,” Lavrov said.
The Russian foreign minister added that those who say Assad must disappear before the start of any talks have a different priority than the lives of the Syrian people.
Lavrov reiterated that it was only up to the Syrian nation to decide who will lead their country.
“Unless we all act in sync, telling the parties we don’t want any military solution, that we don’t want any further loss of Syrian lives, that we want them to start negotiating in earnest… this crisis will continue and more blood will be shed.”
On February 26, Lavrov condemned “extremists” in Syria’s opposition who blocked the start of dialogue to end the conflict in Syria.
The Russian foreign minister also called on the international community on January 10 to consider proposals made by President Assad for ending the crisis.
On January 6, Assad called for an end to terrorist operations inside Syria and urged “concerned states and parties” to stop funding, arming and harboring the militant groups.
MKA/HSN
|
NEWSLETTER
|
| Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list |
|
|
|
