Foreign Meddling Triggered Violence in Mideast, North Africa, Says Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says foreign interference in the Middle East and North Africa has brought about heightened violence committed by terrorist groups operating in the region, Press T.V reported.

Lavrov made the remarks at a speech to the 38th session of the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) General Conference in the French capital city of Paris on Friday.

Lavrov expressed concerns about “the link of terrorism and extremism and violence in the Middle East and northern Africa”, where the DaeshTakfiri terrorists along with other militants are “massively killing civilizations,” stressing that their acts are in violation of all religions.

Violence by terrorist elements “has been the result of undermined and destroyed state institutes in this region due to external forces’ imposition of foreign values on these cultures,” he added.

The top Russian diplomat further called on UNESCO to dispatch its own missions to hit zones in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq to evaluate the scale of the damage inflicted by terrorists on historic sites there.

“When barbarians are rooted out from areas where we are protecting cultural heritage, UNESCO will need to send its own missions there to assess the damage and to establish plans to rebuild cultural heritage sites,” Lavrov said.

Lavrov discusses crisis in Syriawith US

Also on Friday, Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry discussed over the phone efforts aimed at launching a process of political talks in Syria, according to a statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry.

During the phone conversation, which took place at Washington’s initiative, the two sides also discussed the fight against Daesh and other militant groups active in the Middle East.

During another Friday phone conversation, the Russian foreign minister also discussed with his Turkish counterpart, FeridunSinirlioglu, attempts intended to find a political solution to the crisis in Syria.

The foreign-backed militancy in Syria has so far claimed the lives of over 250,000 people and displaced nearly half of the country’s population within or out of its borders.

Foreign countries such as the US, Turkey and Saudi Arabia are believed to be behind the crisis in Syria by supporting the militants operating in the country.

R.S