Sergey Lavrov: all peacekeeping operations must not be obtrusive

PanARMENIAN.Net - Russia plans to increase its support of UN peacekeeping activities around the world, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov told the UN Security Council summit in New York.

"We [Russia] intend to further increase our practical contribution to the UN's peacekeeping and peace-building activities," Sergey Lavrov said. Speaking about the settlement of conflicts, Lavrov said present-day conflicts must not be resolved by force.

"The solutions [for conflicts] must be searched for in the political and diplomatic dimensions by involving all parties in dialogue and negotiations and without isolating anyone. The events of August 2008 proved where a unilateral withdrawal from peacekeeping formats and a reliance on force leads to," he said. Lavrov also said there was a need for ample financial and intellectual investment to prevent conflicts as well as for the stronger UN potential in the sphere of preventive diplomacy and mediation.

According to him, all peacekeeping operations must not be obtrusive and interests and the priorities of the parties involved in a conflict must always be taken into account, RIA Novosti reported.