MONTREUX, January 22. /ITAR-TASS/. Any attempts to impose outside scenarios on the Middle East and North African countries will push back political and economic modernization in these states, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at the Geneva II Peace Conference currently underway in Montreux.
“The example is not far to seek,” Lavrov said.
Russia hopes that external players will encourage Syrians towards reaching accord and refrain from any attempts to predetermine final agreements, the Russian minister said.
“Moscow urges external players to comply with the basic principles of international law, including the respect of states’ sovereignty, the non-interference into internal affairs and the peaceful settlement of disputes,” he said.
“From the very beginning Russia believed that there was no way to use force in Syria. The crisis can be resolved only on the basis of mutual accord of Syrian parties,” Lavrov said.
“This approach provides the basis for the Geneva Communiqué, which was finally approved by the U.N. Security Council and Resolution 2118 as the internationally-legal framework for peace in Syria,” he said.