Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has expressed Moscow’s opposition to the ideas of supplying arms to foreign-backed militants in Syria, saying any measure in this regard is a violation to international laws

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has expressed Moscow’s opposition to the ideas of supplying arms to foreign-backed militants in Syria, saying any measure in this regard is a violation to international laws.

Speaking at a press conference in Slovenia on Friday, Lavrov said that “Arming non-state players runs against international law.”

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) "is competent for (organising) visits of refugee camps that have been set by the UN, the Security Council has no competence for that," Lavrov said.

He added: "If there was an attempt to use the Syrian refugee situation to push forward some ideas about no-fly zones, then we and China might have seen in it an attempt to prepare a foreign intervention."

Lavrov remarks come a day after US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the White House was mulling providing lethal weapons to the militants in Syria.

"Arming the rebels - that's an option," Hagel said, adding that a "range of options" remained on the table.

The Russian foreign minister said that such suggestions represent preference for a military solution to the Syrian unrest other than a negotiated settlement.

“Those who are talking about the need for a military solution to the problem should realize that they are paying for their geopolitical ambitions of overthrowing the regime with more and more fatalities among the Syrian population,” he added.

Lavrov described dialogue between the Syrian government and the opposition as the only solution to end the country’s unrest, reiterating Moscow’s support for “talks with any opposition forces in Syria.”