Lavrov: Syrian Opposition Obsessed with Toppling Al-Assad, West Practices Double Talk

Local Editor

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed Wednesday that there could be no peaceful resolution of the conflict in Syria, as long as opponents of President Bashar al-Assad refuse to negotiate with his government and demand his exit from power as a precondition for peace talks.
In an annual press conference, Lavrov highlighted: "Everything runs up against the opposition members' obsession with the idea of the al-Assad regime overthrow. As long as this irreconcilable position remains in force, nothing good will happen, armed action will continue, people will die."

"Western negotiators on Syria excel in double talk," he said, and pointed out: "We openly speak with [our Western partners]. They verbally agree with us, saying they realize the threats of the collapse of the Syrian state in the perspective. But when they go to the public, they say things that differ from those previously said by them in private."

Meanwhile, he said that the opposition's insistence on ousting al-Assad was thwarting efforts to find a diplomatic solution backed by the former international peace envoy Kofi Annan and his successor al-Akhdar Ibrahimi.
"Our priority is not reaching a geo-political aim -- like the toppling of al-Assad regime -- but a stabilization of the situation and a rapid end to the bloodshed to save Syrian lives," said Lavrov.

Regarding the Russian fleet's presence in the Mediterranean, the top of Moscow's diplomacy stressed "this forms a stabilizing factor for the region."
In parallel, he said: "We are not interested in even more destabilization in the Mediterranean region, and our fleet's presence there is certainly a factor stabilizing the situation."
Lavrov called the navy war games the Russian fleet is conducting right now in the Mediterranean an ordinary event and promised that such drills will happen regularly in the future.

On another level, Lavrov called for unity amid global transition.
"Moscow will continue to respond to US unfriendly moves but its primary guideline is the readiness to develop Russian-US relations," he mentioned.
Moreover, he confirmed "Certainly, we will continue to respond to unfriendly moves but the core of our position is the readiness to develop Russian-US relations in all areas and the interest in coordinated actions on the international scene based on equality, mutual respect for interests and non-interference in each other's internal affairs."

Source: News Agencies, Edited by moqawama.org