MOSCOW, November 5 (Itar-Tass) - Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urges American colleagues to check the efforts taken by Russia and the United States to settle the conflict in Syria since the initiative on convening the Geneva II Peace Conference had been put forth.
“We invite everyone to check what was done: who provided what and who influenced whom,” Lavrov said.
The Russian minister commented on a U.S. State Department spokesman saying Russia should reinforce pressure on the Syrian government in order to deliver humanitarian aid to the hit areas.
“I want to say the Syrian authorities confirmed the readiness to go to the conference. But we heard new statements on preconditions by opposition,” he said, adding, “If these statements are to provoke the regime to put forth preconditions, these are unalloyed provocations.”
Speaking about problems of humanitarian aid deliveries to Syria, Lavrov said the attempts were made to politicise the problem.
“While in New York within the U.N. General Assembly the opposition’s sponsors submitted a draft resolution on humanitarian aid. All responsibility was bore on the Syrian authorities. Thus, we believe that the humanitarian problem is raised by those who come against the peaceful settlement in Syria,” Lavrov said, adding, “They promote their own agenda, which is far from the goals, which were set in the Geneva communique.”
“Thus, I can say those who are unable to fulfil the obligations for involving the opposition in the Geneva conference politicise this humanitarian issue,” the Russian minister said.
“We’re working with the Syrian government to convince it to maintain cooperation with the U.N. structures and with the International Committee of the Red Cross,” he said, adding, “These organisations say the government cooperates with them.”
However, “We can note that such cooperation can be more effective. I believe that none has data the government creates more problems than the opposition does to deliver humanitarian aid to the hit areas. Militants create more problems in this aspect”, Lavrov said.
External players
External players, who influence any party in Syria, must be invited to the Geneva Peace II Conference, Lavrov said.
After the talks with New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully on Tuesday, Lavrov said: “External players must take part in the talks on Syria in Geneva on the initial stage.”
“On other stages Syrians will talk directly under the auspices of U.N./LAS Special Envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi and his team,” the Russian minister said.
“All those who influence the situation must be invited to the conference. They include all neighbours of Syria, practically all countries of the Persian Gulf, Iran and not only Arab countries, permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, as well as other countries, for example Turkey,” he said.
“It is necessary to proceed from the parties’ interests and not from any ideological preferences as those who insist Iran be excluded from the list of invitees,” Lavrov said.