Lavrov: No Need to Implement Emergency Plan to Evacuate Our Citizens from Syria

MOSCOW, (ST) – Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergi Lavrov has stressed that “terrorism continues in Syria, but, according to the assessment of our embassy in Damascus, the situation doesn’t necessitate implementing an emergency plan to evacuate our citizens from the country.”

 In a news conference on Wednesday, Lavrov said “Our priority is to enhance dialogue and work with our partners as to prevent crises from being transferred to other regions, since our foreign policy aims at solving world’s crises.”

Lavrov added that there is a need to solve the crisis in Syria based on the Geneva statement, stressing that all parties should halt violence and sit to the dialogue table.

“Russia is keen to solve disputes on the basis of mutual respect, not meddling in countries affairs, Russia’s top diplomat said, stressing that Russia holds discussions with both the Syrian government and opposition in this respect.

Lavrov, who affirmed that Russia urges all foreign players to implement items of Geneva Statement, said that “Turkey and some member states at the Security Council are sending wrong messages to the opposition which rejects dialogue. This contradicts what we had achieved in Geneva.”

The Russian Foreign Minister pointed out that efforts being exerted by Russia and China, together with the UN Syria Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, “are colliding with the Syrian opposition’s refusal to be engaged in dialogue, and this is unacceptable.”

He stressed that the terrorists and al-Qaeda-linked groups wanted to control several countries in the world. The rebel groups, fighting in Mali, are the same groups who overthrew the government of Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi.

 “The Russian stance is evident as regards the situation there. Russia is concerned over the future of Mali and is worry that the state of instability may be transferred to North Africa,” Lavrov said.

Regarding the Russian-US relations, Lavrov said they suffered some misunderstanding because of the successive American administrations’ policies, not because of Russia, pointing out that the missile shield issue is still among the pending issues between the two countries and that the bilateral relations are negatively affected by a number of American procedures and laws. “

We won’t allow anyone to interfere in our internal affairs,” stressed the Russian foreign minister, pointing out that the new Obama administration must benefit from previous experiences.”

 Lavrov, who welcomed the American President’s speech about the end of the wars and conflicts decade, said “we are ready to coordinate our efforts with Washington to settle disputes in the world based on common principles including the giving up of war and the promotion of peaceful solutions.

About America’s exclusion of Iran from participating in solving the crisis in Syria, Lavrov said “it is a grave mistake. Iran is a key country in the region and problems can’t be solved without its participation.”

H. Mustafa