Russia, Luxemburg Warn: Arming Terrorists Undermines Peace Efforts in Syria

MOSCOW- Russia has expressed “great concern” about arming the “opposition” in Syria, stressing that more arms supplies to the armed groups may lead to a military solution that would be destructive for the country.

In a statement on Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the decision by international powers to arm Syrian terrorists will hamper efforts to find a swift political solution to the crisis in Syria.

According to the ministry, the “statements from Doha cannot fail to cause serious concern”.

The ministry warned against dangerous reports about the increase of arms supplies by Qatar and Saudi Arabia to the Syrian “opposition” and about the training of Syrian armed groups by American and French experts inside Turkish and Jordanian bases.

The foreign office stressed that arms shipments to Syrian armed groups could fall into the hands of terrorists and push the opposition towards escalating violence.

The ministry’s statement pointed out that the Syrian government had agreed to take part in the upcoming international conference on Syria, but the “opposition coalition” and other “opposition” groups haven’t agreed to participate in the conference without preconditions.

The ministry urged “all parties concerned in solving the crisis in Syria to focus on halting violence and attaining a political settlement based on Geneva statement.” 

Luxemburg: Arming “Syrian opposition” never helps attaining political solution

The Foreign Minister of Luxemburg Jean Asselborn has stressed that supplying the “armed opposition” with more weapons won’t help attaining settlement of the crisis in Syria.

Asselborne was quoted by the Russian Itar Tass News Agency as saying during a meeting for the European Union Council at the foreign ministers level, that “EU countries must focus more on preparations for holding the international conference on Syria and think less in the issue of sending weapons to armed groups.”

“Peace couldn’t  be established without attaining a political solution to the crisis in Syria, therefore, the EU states together with the Russian and American partners should work hard to hold the Geneva conference.

In a statement to the Italian AKI news agency, Asselborne said he is confident that there must be a way to make Iran part in the Geneva conference, adding that “through its historical and regional dimensions, Iran can do something to peace in Syria. “   

H. Mustafa