Russia: Syria Strike A Challenge to UN Charter

Local Editor

The Russian foreign ministry stressed Thursday that calls for a military intervention in Syria are an "undisguised challenge" to the United Nations charter.

"Declared plans by some states to inflict a military strike on Syria are an undisguised challenge to the key provisions of the UN charter and other norms of international law," the statement quoted deputy foreign minister Gennady Gatilov as telling UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at a meeting at The Hague on Wednesday.

Russia stressed that it was premature to mull any reaction by the United Nations Security Council to an alleged chemical attack near Damascus before the UN team inspecting the site releases its findings.
"At this stage it is necessary to use political and diplomatic instruments to the maximum, first and foremost by letting the UN experts inspecting possible chemical weapons use in Syria complete their mandate and report the results to the UN Security Council," Gatilov told Ban, according to the ministry statement.

For his part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that resorting to force in Syria will lead to destabilize the situation in the region, stressing that there's no alternative for a political resolution for the crisis in Syria.

Lavrov's remarks came during a phone call with UN Envoy to Syria, al-Akhdar Ibrahimi.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement issued on Wednesday that Lavrov and Ibrahimi discussed the Syrian issue which has become very intense in recent days due to steps and statements made by some countries, and that the two sides agreed on the necessity that all sides, including outside players, act candidly and not repeat past mistakes during this critical juncture.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team