Russia: ’Friends of Syria’ Bid to Anticipate Geneva II Results

Local Editor

The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement in which it sternly criticized the "Friends of Syria" group and considered that the results of its last meeting in London an attempt to reconsider the outcomes of Geneva I and to anticipate those of Geneva II.

In his statement, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Alexander Lukashevich said "Final document of Friends of Syria meeting contains "poorly hidden threat" to return to military scenario, which is unacceptable."



"We looked at the results of a meeting in London of eleven countries, the so-called "nucleus" of the so-called "nucleus" of the Friends of Syria group, including the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, and the Syrian National Coalition led by Ahmad Jabra," Lukashevich pointed out.
He saw the final document passed at the meeting as "an attempt to revise the key elements of the Geneva Communique."

"Before the London meeting, we had been assured that discussion would not overstep the framework of the Geneva Communique, yet it went far beyond the frames of both the above communique and the May 7 Russian-American initiative to convene an international conference on Syria," the spokesperson stated.
According to the statement, the document "was apparently conceived as an attempt to predetermine the results of Geneva-2 that are supposed to be coordinated in an entirely new format - through political dialogue between the Syrian government and the opposition to enable them to achieve mutual consent on their country's future."

It "calls for regime change Syria, proclaims the Syrian National Coalition as the only legitimate representative of the Syrian people and threatens to use 'all options' to influence violators of the 'London decisions'," Lukashevich highlighted.
"This is a poorly hidden threat to return to the use of military force, which is absolutely unacceptable," he underlined.
The spokesperson underlined "there is an impression that the document aims to disrupt Geneva-2 by shifting attention from the opposition to the Syrian authorities."

Remarking on the Syrian National Coalition's participation in the negotiation process, Lukashevich said "the parameters of this participation should be proportionate to its influence in the Syrian society and its role not just abroad but also inside Syria."

"It is groundless to say that the coalition is the sole legitimate representative of not only the Syrian people but even of the entire opposition," he added.

The spokesperson moreover stated "all questions related to the Syrian settlement should be the subject of talks between the government and the broad and representative opposition."

The "London document" was passed while Special Representative for Syria al-Akhdar Ibrahimi tours the region to discuss preparations for Geneva-2 with all Syrian parties in compliance with the Russian-American initiative.

Source: Websites