Russia: Hezbollah Fighters Deploy in Syria to Protect Religious Shrines

Source : Ahlul Bayt News Agency

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned against “the increasing flow of foreign fighters who are coming to Syria from North Africa and Europe.”

“Since the beginnig of the crisis, we warned against internationalizing the conflict, yet the flow of foreign fighters to Syria, those who are coming from Libya, North Africa, Middle East, Europe and other regions, has been steadily increasing,” he added.

Concerning the deployment of Hezbollah fighters in Syria, Lavrov said “that this comes in order to protect the Shiite Holy sites there, and Hezbollah does not conceal this fact.”

Lavrov recalled what "Secretary-General of Hezbollah Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah publicly announced about the deployment of his fighters in Syria to primarily protect the Shiites, the Alawites, and the Shiite shrines that are exposed to the attacks of the militants and face the threat of destruction."

Russian FM also pointed to the increasing flow of weapons to militants despite the fact that supplying weapons to non-governmental groups was illegal according to the International law. Lavrov also considered that “the non-extension of the EU ban on the supply of arms to Syria places obstacles in the way of Geneva Conference.”

“The European decision raises questions, knowing that from the beginning, imposing the ban on arms supply, that is basically prevented according to the international law, was ambiguous. However, lifting the ban now complicates the situation.

In a different context, Lavrov considered “that the only way to put an end to the Syrian crisis is to hold an international conference.” He added that the conflict in Syria has taken a sectarian nature, and “this would threaten the Islamic unity and the non-Islamic elements of the Syrian Society."

Lavrov also called for holding an international conference to reach political solutions for the Syrian Crisis, away from the unilateral and double-standard prospects to the Syrian conflict. He also mentioned that all the countries that are concerned with the Syrian crisis must attend, including Iran.

Russian Top Diplomat also said that the intention of the Human Rights Council to issue a resolution on Syria will not help holding Geneva Conference 2. He added that this unilateral resolution comes in the context of the efforts that led to the resolution of the General Assembly of the United Nations which condemned Syria.

“Russia is astonished by such efforts of the US, Turkey, and Qatar,” Lavrov, added.

WMD issue in Syria cannot be used in geopolitical games: Russia

Source : Xinhua

MOSCOW, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Syria is an issue not to be used for geopolitical purpose, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.

"There are countries and external players who believe that all methods are good for overthrowing the Syrian regime. However, the issue of the use of weapons of mass destruction is too serious an we can't joke with it," Lavrov told reporters at a press conference.

Russia saw it "unacceptable" to use the WMD issue as a pretext of pursuing certain geopolitical interests, the diplomat said.

"I believe it is unacceptable to use it and speculate on it," he added.

U.S. officials said on Friday that they suspected the use of the deadly agent sarin in small-scale attacks in Syria. President Barack Obama warned Syria that using chemical weapons would be a "game changer." He also promised a "vigorous" U.S. and international probe into the latest reports.

Syria has denied the accusation. Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi told Russian television Saturday that the U.S. and British accusations are a "barefaced lie."

Zoubi said Friday that Damascus would agree if inspections of the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria are conducted by Russian experts.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Thursday that the UN team was ready to be deployed in 24-48 hours to investigate the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria.

According to Zoubi, the chemical shelling in the town of Khan al-Asal near Aleppo was fired by terrorists based near the Turkish border and the ammunition could be shipped from Turkey.

Editor: Hou Q

Moscow Concerned about Syria, Not Assad - Minister

Source : RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, February 25 (RIA Novosti) - Moscow’s position on Syria stems from its concern for the Syrian people, and not the fate of President Bashar al-Assad, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday.

“Russia’s position is not predetermined by support of personalities; it is dictated by concern about the fate of the Syrian people, our long-standing friend and partner, and the fate of a country which has a very long history,” he said at a news conference with his Syrian counterpart Walid Mouallem.

The United States has called for Assad to step down, but Russia says it is concerned that the Syrian president’s forced departure would make the conflict worse.

Russia would like to see Syria as an independent and united country with all sections of society living in peace and stability, regardless of their political sympathies and resolving their domestic problems without outside interference, Lavrov said.

The number of political forces favoring a political settlement in Syria is growing, Lavrov claimed, adding there is no acceptable alternative to a settlement through a political dialog between the Syrian government and the opposition.

“There are sensible forces that are becoming increasingly aware of the need for an early start of negotiations and a political settlement. The number of those supporting this realistic line is growing,” he said.

The situation in Syria is at a critical point, with the escalation of the conflict threatening the disintegration of the Syrian state and society, he said.

Mouallem repeated the Syrian government's claim that the conflict in Syria is “a war against terrorism” spearheaded by al-Qaeda.

“One of al-Qaeda’s branches is conducting the main combat actions in Syria and it has brought into Syria militants from 28 countries, including from Chechnya,” he said.

He reiterated the Syrian government’s readiness for dialog with the opposition, “even those with weapons in their arms.”

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said last Tuesday foreign military supplies to Syria’s armed opposition have been growing. He reiterated Russia’s official position that Moscow will not carry out fresh arms deliveries to the Syrian government, but is only supplying arms and military equipment under contracts signed before the civil war, which has claimed some 70,000 lives according to the latest UN estimates.

Last Monday, Lavrov denied Moscow had tried to smuggle arms components into Syria via Finland, and said there are no Russian troops in Syria apart from several dozen technical staff at the Tartus naval support facility.

Russia’s state-run arms dealer Rosoboronexport said on Wednesday it is supplying air-defense missile systems and maintenance and servicing equipment to Syria, but not combat aircraft.

Russia has repeatedly denied media reports that it was sending warships to Syria and delivering new weapons to Damascus.

Almaty Nuke Talks to Reconcile Russian, EU Plans – Iran's FM

Source :   RIA Novosti

TEHRAN, February 11 (RIA Novosti) – This month’s upcoming talks on Iran’s nuclear program will be dedicated to reconciling Russian and European proposals on the issue, Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi told RIA Novosti on Monday, just before leaving for Moscow.

Last year, Iran announced that it had put forward a five-point plan based on proposals outlined by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in 2011, Salehi said in an exclusive interview inside Iran’s Foreign Ministry.

Lavrov's plan had suggested a gradual easing of economic sanctions against Tehran in exchange for its increased collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Vienna-based global nuclear watchdog.

But the European Union has pitched a separate three-step plan, announced last month, for the nuclear program, Salehi said.

“Now the negotiating parties will try to find common ground between the two plans,” he added through an interpreter.

Salehi refused to elaborate on either plan’s details, but said that reconciling them would be the main focus of the meeting set for February 26 between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries involved in negotiations on Iran's nuclear program.

The P5+1, comprising the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – as well as Germany, is set to hold the meeting in Kazakhstan's former capital, Almaty. The group last met in June 2012, but made no breakthroughs.

Salehi also confirmed that Iran would not, for the time being, take up the US offer of direct bilateral talks, floated earlier this month by US Vice President Joe Biden and rebuffed by Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. But he added that such talks are possible in the unspecified future, if the United States gives up its “policies of threats and pressure.”

“You may say that their rhetoric has changed, becoming more positive. But it is still not enough yet,” Salehi said.

A number of Western countries have expressed fears that Iran's nuclear program is aimed at creating weapons, while Tehran insists it is purely peaceful and in line with international treaties.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry had said earlier that Salehi was set to hold talks in Moscow with his Russian counterpart, Lavrov, but Salehi himself denied this in the interview, saying he is only going to Russia to participate in a meeting of a joint commission on bilateral economic cooperation.

A number of agreements, including ones on trade, oil and agriculture, will be on the table during the meetings, set to be held in Moscow on Monday evening and Tuesday, Salehi said. He declined to give details prior to the talks.

Bilateral trade between Russia and Iran stood at $3.4 billion, or 0.3 percent of Russia's total foreign trade turnover, between January and November 2012, according to Russia's Federal Customs Service.

Lavrov: Exerting More Efforts to Restore Security and Stability to Syria

Source : SANA

MOSCOW, (SANA) – Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated his country's calls for halting violence in Syria according to the Geneva statement, adding that all Russia's efforts are directed towards implementing the terms of this statement.

Speaking at a press conference with his Belgian counterpart Didier Reynders in Moscow on Monday, Lavrov said that all foreign players should realize the current woeful situation in Syria and work on implementing the Geneva statement.

Lavrov said "I wish that the US would realize the need for doing everything to get the Geneva statement applied," adding that his country will exert efforts to restore security and stability to Syria.

He recalled Russia's efforts to hold the Geneva meeting on June 30th last year with the UN former envoy to Syria Kofi Annan, adding "We were talking about 8 hours of deliberations after which we agreed on the statement, the most important of its terms is obliging all participants to call all Syrian sides to halt violence and appoint negotiators to reach an agreement on the structure and the powers granted to the transitional government.

The Russian Foreign Minister added that the failure to implement the conditions is still a mystery to him till the moment, noting that his country supports the implementation of such agreements and works with the government and the opposition groups while the majority of other participants in Geneva meeting are unilateral and work with the opposition only.

Lavrov stressed that Russia's mission included convincing all those who met in Geneva to realize the current tragic situation in Syria and halt violence in the country.

He called upon foreign diplomats to think before making any comments on Russia's stance towards the crisis in Syria, expressing hope that other countries will be more diplomatic when they talk about Russia's actions and viewpoints towards events in Syria.

He referred to such inaccurate comments made by the US State Department Spokesperson on helping Russian citizens who live in Syria, most of them were women, to travel to Russia onboard of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry airplanes upon their request.

Lavrov said that the Spokesperson considered this move as an evidence on Russia's disappointment with the Syrian government and that it has stopped its support to it, stressing that this is not true as his country's stance is not about supporting this party or that and its actions are directed towards implementing the Geneva statement.