Russia warns West over Syria action
Source: Agencies |
August 22, 2012, Wednesday
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned the West yesterday against any unilateral action on Syria after President Barack Obama said US forces could act if the Syrian leader deployed chemical weapons against rebels trying to topple him.
Lavrov met China's top diplomat and a Syrian government delegation in what appeared to be a push to keep diplomacy going at a time when fewer Western and Arab governments believe that a UN-backed peace plan can end the violence in Syria.
Russia and China have opposed military intervention in Syria throughout 17 months of bloodshed and have vetoed three UN Security Council resolutions backed by Western and Arab states.
Lavrov spoke at a meeting with China's State Councillor Dai Bingguo one day after Obama, in some of his strongest language yet, said US forces could move against Syrian President Bashar Assad if he resorted to chemical weapons against insurgents.
Russia and China base their diplomatic cooperation on "the need to strictly adhere to the norms of international law and the principles contained in the UN Charter, and not to allow their violation," Lavrov said during his meeting with Dai.
"I think this is the only correct path in today's conditions," Lavrov told Dai.
Lavrov's remarks also underscored Moscow's wish to keep international efforts to end Syria's crisis within the United Nations.
Obama said on Monday he had refrained "at this point" from ordering military engagement in Syria. But when asked whether he might deploy forces, for example to secure Syrian chemical and biological weapons, he said his view could change.
Russia has also expressed concern about Syria chemical weapons, saying it had told Damascus that even the threat to use them was unacceptable.
But Lavrov said on Monday that the Security Council alone could authorise the use of external force against Syria, warning against imposing "democracy by bombs."
To help counter Assad's superior firepower, Western powers are giving non-lethal equipment to rebels and Saudi Arabia and Qatar are believed to have funded arms shipments to them.
After the talks with Dai, Lavrov met a Syrian government delegation.
Lavrov said he was interested in hearing "plans for further actions to shift the situation into the channel of a political dialogue in order for Syrians themselves to decide their fate without external interference."
Lavrov said the path to a solution in Syria lay in the halt to fighting by both the government and its foes.
Lavrov met China's top diplomat and a Syrian government delegation in what appeared to be a push to keep diplomacy going at a time when fewer Western and Arab governments believe that a UN-backed peace plan can end the violence in Syria.
Russia and China have opposed military intervention in Syria throughout 17 months of bloodshed and have vetoed three UN Security Council resolutions backed by Western and Arab states.
Lavrov spoke at a meeting with China's State Councillor Dai Bingguo one day after Obama, in some of his strongest language yet, said US forces could move against Syrian President Bashar Assad if he resorted to chemical weapons against insurgents.
Russia and China base their diplomatic cooperation on "the need to strictly adhere to the norms of international law and the principles contained in the UN Charter, and not to allow their violation," Lavrov said during his meeting with Dai.
"I think this is the only correct path in today's conditions," Lavrov told Dai.
Lavrov's remarks also underscored Moscow's wish to keep international efforts to end Syria's crisis within the United Nations.
Obama said on Monday he had refrained "at this point" from ordering military engagement in Syria. But when asked whether he might deploy forces, for example to secure Syrian chemical and biological weapons, he said his view could change.
Russia has also expressed concern about Syria chemical weapons, saying it had told Damascus that even the threat to use them was unacceptable.
But Lavrov said on Monday that the Security Council alone could authorise the use of external force against Syria, warning against imposing "democracy by bombs."
To help counter Assad's superior firepower, Western powers are giving non-lethal equipment to rebels and Saudi Arabia and Qatar are believed to have funded arms shipments to them.
After the talks with Dai, Lavrov met a Syrian government delegation.
Lavrov said he was interested in hearing "plans for further actions to shift the situation into the channel of a political dialogue in order for Syrians themselves to decide their fate without external interference."
Lavrov said the path to a solution in Syria lay in the halt to fighting by both the government and its foes.
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