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Russia 'Disappointed' By EU's Move To Lift Syria Arms Embargo

May 28, 2013

Russia says the lifting of a European Union arms embargo on Syria will "directly harm" the prospects of holding a peace conference.

EU foreign ministers agreed on May 27 not to renew an expiring arms embargo on the Syrian opposition, but there was no immediate decision to send arms to Syrian rebels.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said the next day that Moscow was "disappointed" by the lifting of the EU embargo.

"The European Union in fact is pouring more fuel on the fire of this conflict and damaging the prospects for convening a conference for political settlement in Syria in the success of which the EU should have been very interested," Ryabkov said.

He accused the bloc of setting "double standards" by leaving in place all sanctions against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Ryabkov also said Russia reserves the right to provide the Syrian regime with S-300 antimissile systems.

"We consider these deliveries a stabilizing factor, and we think that such steps very much restrain some hotheads from an opportunity to transform this conflict into an international conflict with outside forces taking part," Ryabkov said.

In Jerusalem, Israel’s Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said the antiaircraft system destined for Syria has not left Russia yet, adding that his country "will know what to do" if it does.

Last month, Israel launched air strikes inside Syria to destroy weapons believed to be destined for Lebanese militant group Hizballah allied to Assad.

AFP news agency quoted a spokesman for Syria's opposition National Coalition as describing the lifting of the EU embargo as a "positive step."

But Louay Safi added that the coalition was "afraid it could be too little, too late."

The embargo officially expires at the end of May.

While the arms embargo against the opposition is being scrapped, the EU agreed to extend for one year all financial and economic sanctions targeting the Assad regime.

The bloc said it will review the weapons question again before August 1 "in light of fresh developments to end the conflict including the ongoing U.S.-Russia peace initiative."

Moscow has been trying, together with Washington, to arrange a peace conference for next month, but no date has been set yet.

The U.S. and Russian foreign ministers, John Kerry and Sergei Lavrov, held talks in Paris on May 27 on the planned meeting. Lavrov said organizing the conference to bring together Syria’s warring parties has been a "tall order."

Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, ITAR-TASS, and Interfax

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/syria-russia-eu-embargo-peace-conference/24999666.html

Copyright (c) 2013. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.