About 1,000 West Europeans fighting in Syria – Gatilov

About 1,000 citizens of West European countries are fighting in Syria, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said on Monday. Another major problem is the growing number of terrorist groups in Syria, he added.

“Some sources report increasing flows of terrorist elements from Europe into Syria. About 1,000 West European nationals participate in military operations alongside Al Qaeda and other radical groups,” he said.

“European countries are deeply worried over the situation, aware that effective measures are needed to reverse the process,” the diplomat added.

Europeans who are now fighting in Syria on the opposition’s side may return to Europe and take part in terrorist attacks, which arouses concern in West European governments, Gatilov said.

There has been mounting awareness in the United States and some European countries of the threat of radical groups taking on a leadership role in the opposition, the diplomat said. That would mean unpredictable consequences for Syria and the entire Middle East, he added.

UN report inconclusive of Syrian troops’ involvement in chemical incidents – Moscow

A fresh report on Syria’s chemical disarmament, released by a team of UN experts, is inconclusive as to whether the Syrian authorities were solely responsible for chemical weapons incidents in Syria, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov.

“The report that has just been released by the Ake Sellstrom mission and will be debated at the UN Security Council in a few days offers no unambiguous conclusions. The mission’s experts make no assertion that the government is to blame for the use of chemical weapons. From the facts cited in the report it does not follow that the responsibility lies exclusively with the Syrian government,” Gatilov said on Friday.

Russia has conducted its own inquiry into the chemical weapons incidents in Syria.

“Our experts don’t confirm government troops’ involvement. But there is plenty of proof that the opposition might have committed a chemical attack,” the diplomat said.

Commenting on last week’s article by US journalist Seymour Hersh about the August sarin attack near Damascus, Gatilov said: “His journalistic investigation suggests that it could be the work of the opposition, not government troops. There is evidence that the opposition had an opportunity to commit such actions and committed them”.

Russia to provide transport for elimination of Syrian chemical weapons

Russia is prepared for an operation to transport Syria’s chemical stockpiles from their inland storage sites to the Mediterranean port of Latakia, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov.

Speaking in an interview with the agency RIA-Novosti, Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov mentioned the necessary funds, a company of Russian engineers and drivers, a fleet of appropriately equipped trucks, fuel and the necessary expendable materials. He said the entire force is on its way to Syria, and its deployment has already been approved by the Syrian government.

Russia hopes Geneva-2 will bring progress on Syria

Russia hopes the scheduled Geneva-2 conference on Syria will result in a workable compromise between the Syrian sides, which would enable the family of nations to discard other possible ways to settle the Syrian crisis.

Speaking in an interview with the RIA-Novosti news agency in Moscow Friday, Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said he was looking forward to good results from mediation by UN envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi and from diplomatic efforts by the powers who wield influence in Syria, primarily Russia and the United States. He said these powers can offer useful advice to the Syrian factions.

Mr Gatilov warned that further Syria diplomacy will be in vain unless in complies with the decisions of the first Geneva conference on Syria that sat in June 2012.

“Rebels” in Syria block aid delivery – Moscow

Russia believes it is wrong to keep the Syrian government solely responsible for the poor progress of international operations to bring humanitarian aid to Syria.

Speaking in his Moscow interview Friday, Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov quoted delegates from international aid agencies whom he met in Geneva as saying “rebels” in  Syria usually block the delivery of aid cargoes to areas under their control.

Gatilov also called attention to the fact that all major international aid agencies are content with the latest rulings of the UN Security Council on aid to Syria and are prepared to comply with them. Obstruction mounted by the rebels creates new difficulties and only makes matters worse.

M.D