Russia, China Urge Cooperation between U.S.-Led Anti-Terrorism Coalition and Damascus

NEW YORK- The fight against terrorists in Syria by U.S.-led anti-terrorism coalition should be structured in cooperation with the Syrian government, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Saturday.

 “It goes without saying that the fight against terrorism should rely on a solid basis of international law,” Lavrov said at the general debate of United Nations General Assembly, according to Xinhua news gency

U.S. and five Arab countries on Monday began to launch air strikes against targets of the terrorist organization “Islamic State” in Syria. Washington said the Syrian government had been informed of the strikes beforehand.

Washington has openly declared its right to unilateral use of force anywhere to uphold its own interests, Lavrov told world leaders.

“Military interference has become a norm — even despite the dismal outcome of all power operations that the U.S. has carried out over the recent years,” he added.

Lavrov also accused the U.S. of “rejecting the democratic principle of sovereign state” and “trying to decide for everyone what is good or evil.”

“The U.S.-led alliance that portrays itself as a champion of democracy, rule of law and human rights within individual countries, acts from directly opposite positions in the international arena,” the Russian Foreign Minister said.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday that all measures to fight terrorist groups operating in Syria must be fully in line with the Charter of the United Nations and strictly in accordance with international humanitarian law.

“The parties involved in this campaign must abide by international humanitarian law and take all necessary precautions to avoid and minimize civilian casualties,” Ban said.

In response, Lavrov lashed out at the West on Saturday, blaming “arrogant policy” of the U.S. and Europe for the crisis in Ukraine.

 China Criticizes US Policies at UN General Assembly

Even as the US and its allies on Saturday launched fresh airstrikes against the so-called Islamic State in parts of Syria, China stressed on the need for political solutions to conflicts, Xinhua reported.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in his address to the UN General Assembly on Saturday said, “We should seek political solutions in the face of various conflicts”, stressing that any action against terrorism should be based on consultations among all concerned parties and should  have the authorization of the Security Council.

“To beat swords into ploughshares may take time and effort, but history and reality have repeatedly demonstrated that to meet violence with violence will not lead to enduring peace, and the use of force will create more problems than solutions,” he warned.

The Chinese Foreign Minister also criticized the US for what interference in the internal affairs of other countries.

“If a country places its domestic law above international law and interferes in other countries’ internal affairs at will or even seeks regime change, the legitimacy of its action cannot but be questioned by the international community,” Wang said at the UN.

H. Mustafa