Focus Should be on Terrorism in Syria Instead of Anti-Russia Calls

Kremlin spokesman  Dmitry Peskov called on human rights organizations to direct their attention to terrorists’ atrocities in Syria.

MOSCOW — The dozens of non-governmental organizations seeking to deprive Russia of its seat in the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) should focus on the terrorist activities in Syria, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.

 “Frankly, we would be more impressed if these organizations were more active in the area of the atrocities organized by terrorist operatives in Syria for several years,” Peskov told reporters.

 More than 80 international organizations have reportedly signed the anti-Russia appeal ahead of the UNHRC’s elections scheduled for Friday. The UN General Assembly in New York will be selecting members to fill 14 seats, with Russia, Hungary and Croatia running for two seats representing the Eastern European group at the council.

“If these organizations were as consistent and resolute in condemning the activities of these terrorists and in supporting those who are fighting these terrorists, then their activities would be more convincing and credible to us,” Peskov stressed.

Lavrov: Fight against Terrorism Used as Pretext for Pressure on Russia

In a relevant context, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that some EU states have begun to use the fight against the terrorist threat in Syria as a fresh pretext to exert pressure on Moscow.

He made the statement during a briefing with members of the Association of European Businesses (AEB) in Moscow.

The minister said, “We regret that our European partners have curtailed cooperation in the anti-terrorism sphere like in many other areas.”

He added that Russia “has consistently been advocating for an early, peaceful and just settlement of the crisis in Syria”.

Lavrov affirmed the need to uproot terrorism from Syria and launch an inclusive political process in accordance with the Security Council resolutions and the decisions of the International Syria Support Group.

“Our conclusions remained firm represented in separating the so-called “moderate opposition” from “Jabhat al-Nusra”,  “Deash” and other terrorist groups, Lavrov said, noting that the Americans couldn’t achieve this goal over the past eight months.

The Russian diplomat also said that the United States falls under the false impression that Russia interferes in US elections.

“I will not comment on the prospects of the elections in the United States. After all, an artificial impression is already being created among at least the US public that Russia is actively involved in these processes,” Lavrov said.

Ryabkov Points to Difficulties Hampering Lausanne-Format Talks

During the ‘Lausanne-format’ expert consultations on Syria, Russia is once again dealing with its counterparts’ inability to reach agreements, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Tuesday.

“The ideas that the experts discussed last week in Geneva, have not been completely developed yet, and work on it is still in progress. Nonetheless, it is affected by the situation in Eastern Aleppo and this area in general. We have faced this before, I would call it as I see it – our counterparts’ inability to reach agreement,” Ryabkov emphasized.

The Russian deputy foreign minister added that it could be even said that the agreements brokered by Russia, the US and other participants of the Lausanne meeting had been deliberately derailed.

“It would be wrong to speak of any changes or any progress that we see at the moment,” Ryabkov noted.

The first ‘Lausanne-format’ experts’ (from Russia, the US and a number of Middle Eastern countries) meeting took place last week in Geneva.

Ryabkov told reporters  that the humanitarian agencies in Aleppo have fallen short of their tasks failing to launch systematic work to deliver humanitarian aid.

Agencies

H.M