Attempts to arm Syrian opposition hinder conference: Lavrov

PanARMENIAN.Net - The West’s attempts to arm the Syrian opposition hinder efforts to hold an international conference on Syria, the Russian Foreign Minister said, according to RIA Novosti.

“[The Syrian opposition’s] statement is that the conference is possible only when the military balance on the ground is restored,” Sergei Lavrov told journalists.

“But if this criterion is taken into account, we will never convene that conference,” he said.

“Conniving at such sentiments of opposition figures in favor of arming them for them to regain some additional areas, I think, means acting directly against the prospective conference,” Lavrov said.

Moscow has repeatedly stated it has no interest in seeing Assad remain in power, but is rather concerned that unilateral sanctions would create a power vacuum that would lead to more violence.

Moscow insists that Syria’s neighbors as well as Iran and Egypt be invited to the conference, Lavrov also said.

“We believe that representation of Arab countries without Egypt at the conference would be flawed,” he said. “Unfortunately, our partners are against such full-fledged representation of the regional countries at the conference, with a special objection to invitation of Iran.”