Lavrov Stresses Geneva Statement Needs no Interpretation

The Geneva statement issued by the international workgroup on June 30, 2012 regarding the Syrian issue, needs no interpretation as it clearly provides for halting violence by all parties and naming the negotiating parties so as to be able to build the structure of the interim leadership body, said the Russian Foreign Minister Sergi Lavrov.

We are strongly determined to go ahead with efforts to solve the crisis in Syria based on Geneva statement, but the rest is connected with our partners,” Lavrov added in an article published by the Diplomatic Group’s Annual Bulletin, stressing that the Security Council and all influential foreign players have to pave the way for implementing the statement.

“Russia spares no effort to attain a peaceful settlement in Syria after the stopping of violence and having all conflicting parties sitting to the dialogue table so as the Syrians attain national reconciliation and agree on a political structure of their country,” Lavrov said.

He affirmed that Russia’s priority focuses on attaining a comprehensive settlement in Syria rather than a leadership change, and “this explains Russia and China’s use of the veto at the Security Council against military intervention in Syria.” 

He warned of more bloody chaos if the conflict continues and if no peaceful settlement is attained.

For his part, Ginadi Gatilov, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, made it clear that the Geneva statement is still urgent and vital as it was, stressing Russia’s readiness, together with its partners, to look for new mechanism to implement it.

He pointed out that the real obstacle facing the implementation of the statement is the insistence of some opposition and foreign parties to change the leadership in Syria by force, so that they keep rejecting an all-out national dialogue based on Geneva statement.

He remind of the Russian initiative to hold a second session for the work group namely “Geneva 2”, and of Russia’s call for expanding the participation in the group’s meeting to include key regional players, like Saudi Arabia and Iran, but no response has so far been made by other partners.

“The Security Council had adopted many important resolutions, but when we suggested approving the work group’s Geneva statement, our idea didn’t get the support of our colleagues in the Council and I think this was a grave mistake,” Gatilov said. 

H. Mustafa