Minister Lavrov: Dialogue without External Interference

RIYADH, (ST)_  Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov underscored that  the priority in Syria must be to end the bloodshed rather than form an opposition bloc, adding that a plan to end the violence drafted at the Geneva meeting is the key for this purpose.

 “We believe it is important, before anything else, that all external parties should work to implement the Geneva plan. No one is doing so,” Lavrov said in a press conference following his talks with his counterparts from gulf Cooperation Council.

 “We do not want to change regimes; and Russia is defending the Syrian people,” added Minister Lavrov, pointing out that the main opposition groups did not attend the recently Qatari-orchestrated opposition meetings in Doha and Cairo.

According to the Moscow Times,  Russia and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf stressed the need to ensure sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria.

“We are unanimous in the necessity to ensure sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria. It is necessary to hold the dialogue without external interference.” Minister Lavrov was quoted as saying so, asserting that an all-Syrian dialogue was impossible without unification of the external and internal opposition in Syria.

Itar-Tass News Agency quoted Minister Lavrov as saying “We insist the Syrian opposition be unified. We are meeting with representatives of the opposition in Moscow and other cities. We call on all opposition groups to unify and form a team to conduct talks. The key goal of all opposition groups should be the readiness for the dialogue,”

Commenting on the results of the conference in Doha where the so-called National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces is formed, Lavrov said, “We must study documents, which were approved in Doha. There are many questions, primarily related to the categorical refusal to hold the dialogue with the Syrian government and to overthrow the regime in Syria.”

“I don’t believe that this is the way, which will allow us to avoid chaos,” Lavrov added expressing his belief that ”without the internal Syrian opposition, it is difficult to hope that the process will involve all Syrians,”

Earlier today Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Alexander Lukashevich reiterated that foreign military assistance to Syrian opposition would ”grossly violate international law”.

M. A. Al-Ibrahim