MOSCOW, June 5 (Itar-Tass) —— Russia calls impermissible and dangerous the refusal of the Syrian armed opposition to follow the plan of UN/LAS Envoy Kofi Annan, Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich told reporters on Tuesday in comment on a statement by Free Syrian Army spokesman Sami al-Kurdi.
“Such statements are a source of very serious concern. In fact, it is the refusal of the armed opposition to honor the commitments of the implementation of the Syrian peace plan of Kofi Annan approved by the UN Security Council. A key achievement, the ceasefire accord reached on April 12, is being ignored. We view that as the wish to thwart international efforts in the promotion of a shift from confrontation to the political process, including the activity of the UN Observation Mission in Syria, which has been deployed fully in line with UN Security Council resolution 2043,” Lukashevich said.
“That is a very bad and dangerous trend. Apart from the aforesaid statement, the establishment of another illegal armed unit, the so-called Syrian Insurgent Army of 12,000 solders, was announced on June 4. Up to 20-30 officers and soldiers of the Syrian armed forces die daily in the attacks of militants who trample upon the ceasefire regime. How does that agree with the appeals of al-Kurdi for the deployment of peacekeepers in Syria? The international community should have learned the no-fly zone lesson from the Libyan events,” he said.
“Such a scenario is possible only if the illegal armed units receive moral support from abroad and are supplied with arms, munitions and money. We have repeatedly declared that such a situation was impermissible and we continue to call on the Syrian sides and the external forces to stick with the logic of the Annan plan, to play fairly and not to use the fragile truce for mounting the potential of the militants,” the diplomat said.
“Moscow hopes that the leading world capitals will fully realize the danger and amorality of preparations for an even bigger bloodshed in Syria and the leading of that country to a civil war, which may spread outside of the national territory and spill blood throughout the Middle East,” he said.