Iranian Advisor Stresses Important Roles of Russia, China in Crisis in Syria
TEHRAN- Senior Advisor to the Iranian Parliament Speaker Hossein Sheikholeslam underlined the important role of Russia and China in Syria’s developments.
“Russia and China have stepped onto the political scene of Syria with each other and shared the political costs of exercising their veto right (on Syria),” Sheikholeslam said,according to FNA.
He pointed to the importance of Syria for Russia, and said, “Syria is important for Russia from different angles, specially Russia’s role in the regional equations of West Asia and Northern Africa after the UN resolution which approved the US-led attack on Libya and Russia voted in support of it.”
Russia on Tuesday criticized the United States for sending warships close to Syria, saying the deployments would exacerbate tension in the region.
“The pressure being applied by the United States causes particular concern,” Russian Defense Ministry official Oleg Dogayev was quoted as saying by Itar-Tass news agency today.
He said “the dispatch of ships armed with cruise missiles toward Syria’s shores has a negative effect on the situation in the region.”
Russia opposes military intervention over an alleged chemical weapons attack in Syria. Moscow is also sending new warships to the Mediterranean but says it is just rotating ships in the area.
The Chinese foreign ministry announced on Monday that Beijing is gravely concerned about the prospect of unilateral military actions against Syria, adding no measures should be taken until it becomes clear who, if anyone, used chemical weapons in the country.
China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, has consistently called for a political solution to the crisis in Syria.
Over the course of the conflict it has joined with fellow UN Security Council member Russia in blocking resolutions supported by Washington and its allies, the Voice of Russia reported.
“We are gravely concerned that some country may take unilateral military actions,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hong Lei told reporters at a regular briefing, referring indirectly to the US.
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