Lavrov to Al-Manar: Geneva 2 Must Be Held without Preconditions

Lavrov told al-Manar Channel that the Western powers are supporting the preconditions set by Syria’s opposition to attend the international conference aimed at finding peaceful solution for the Syrian crisis,

Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, told al-Manar Channel that the Western powers are supporting the preconditions set by Syria’s foreign-backed armed opposition to attend the international conference aimed at finding peaceful solution for the Syrian crisis, Geneva 2.

Lavrov “When we proposed the US-Russian initiative, we stressed that its goal is to fulfill Geneva statement signed in June, last year. We also stressed that both the (Syrian) government and the opposition should accept without preconditions,” Lavrov told our correspondent Ahmad Hajali.

The top Russian diplomat said that the opposition, which is supported by West and some regional countries, announced that they would not attend the conference as long as the regime is not ready to surrender, “and till now, the opposition has not achieved any balance of power on the ground.”

Lavrov noted that “recently, the process of pumping arms to the opposition has increased, something that means there are preconditions which are actually supported” by western and regional powers.

In this context, he stressed that the arming process contradicts the concept of the conference that should be held without preconditions.
Lavrov also assured that Russia clings to the US-Russia initiative as agreed by the Russian FM and his counterpart, John Kerry during his visits to Moscow in May 7. He added that this issue will be discussed between Lavrov and Kerry next week during the ASEAN Summit in Brunei.

He pointed out that newspapers from US and other countries are reporting that President Barack Obama’s administration is planning to transfer arms to the Syrian opposition.

“If these reports were true, then it’s (arming the Syrian opposition) is considered a flagrant breach to arms embargo decree set by the United Nations Security Council.”

In another context, Lavrov said there are some sides who are insisting to portrait the conflict in Syria as sectarian.