MOSCOW, September 18 (Itar-Tass) —— Russian Foreign Minister Mikhail Lavrov has confirmed Russia’s support for Lahdar Brahimi’s mission, sources at the Russian Foreign Ministry said after Lavrov’s meeting with Arab ambassadors and the head of the League of Arab States mission in Moscow.
Lavrov confirmed “Russia’s fundamental position in favor of resolving pressing internal political problems and conflicts by peaceful means, through a national dialogue and social reconciliation, without outside intervention.”
“In this context the need was emphasized of the early consolidation of efforts by the international community for the sake of promptly terminating violence in Syria and creating conditions for the launch of the crisis settlement process on the basis of resolutions 2042 and 2043 of the UN Security Council, and the Geneva Communique of the Action Group, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. “Russia and the Arab countries confirmed their strong intention to furnish the necessary assistance to the Brahimi mission.”
The negotiators noted the importance of fundamental positions taken by Russia and the LAS member-states in support of the national aspirations of the Palestinian people and a fair and lasting Palestinian-Israeli settlement on the universally recognized international regulatory basis.
Among other issues discussed were the situations in Yemen, Sudan, West Sahara and Iran’s nuclear program, as well as the task of convening in 2012 a conference on creating in the Middle East WMD-free zone.
The participants in the meeting confirmed the common interest in the further strengthening of cooperation between Russia and the Arab regional structures, in the first place the LAS and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf. The diplomats said they would like to see tangible results achieved at the second ministerial meeting of the Russia-CCASG dialogue and the first session of the Russia-Arab cooperation forum in Moscow.