RUSSIA: President Dmitry Medvedev reiterates Russia's belief in talks to resolve the crisis in Syria as Syrian opposition calls on Moscow to support protests against the Assad regime

Record ID: 279235

  • Title: RUSSIA: President Dmitry Medvedev reiterates Russia's belief in talks to resolve the crisis in Syria as Syrian opposition calls on Moscow to support protests against the Assad regime
  • Date: 10th September 2011
  • Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (SEPTEMBER 9, 2011) (REUTERS) NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS SYRIAN OPPOSITION DELEGATION MEMBERS AT CONFERENCE (PRESIDENT OF SYRIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION, AMMAR AL-QURABI ON THE RIGHT) JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HEAD OF THE SYRIAN OPPOSITION DELEGATION, AMMAR AL-QURABI, SAYING: "Of course we are disappointed by this latest announcement (by Presid
  • Embargoed: 25th September 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Russian Federation
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA9G8MYRN40V0DN3LUS6B82CHJN
  • Story Text: Syrian opposition representatives pressed Russia on Friday (September 9) to do more to support protests against President Bashar al-Assad and warned Moscow it could lose out if it failed to do so.
    Russia has resisted Western efforts to impose United Nations sanctions on President Bashar al-Assad over his crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, and hopes to build bridges between the government and opposition.
    Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday (September 8) reiterated Russia's belief in talks to resolve the crisis in an interview broadcast by Euronews television, signalling Moscow would continue to press Western nations to tone down a draft resolution they have drawn up calling for sanctions against Assad and some of his relatives and associates.
    But he also made clear Moscow was ready for discussions with its Western partners on the wording of any resolution.
    "We are ready to support different approaches, but they must not be based on one-sided condemnations of the actions their own government and President Assad," Medvedev said.
    "They must send a firm signal to all conflicting sides that they need to sit down at the negotiations table, they need to agree and stop the bloodshed," he added.
    Russia, which has a naval maintenance facility in Syria and arms contracts with Damascus, says Assad could cling to power despite the six-month-old revolt against his autocratic rule and that he could carry out reforms if he is given time.
    Head of the Syrian opposition delegation, Ammar al-Qurabi, expressed disappointment at the statements made by the Russian president.
    "Of course we are disappointed by this latest announcement (by President Dmitry Medvedev) and it contradicts those made by the Russian president in the past, but nevertheless we agree with the second half of the announcement, because no one in Syria wants a repetition of the scenario in Libya, except the Syrian regime itself," al-Qurabi said at a news conference in Moscow.
    Russian flags had been set on fire several times during the protests in Syria, he added.
    "We hope Moscow does not repeat the same mistake it committed in Libya. The late recognition of the National Transitional Council placed Russia as a slow responder to what was occurring in Libya. We do not want this scenario to repeat itself in Syria and we have demanded from the Russians that they become active from the beginning and not leave it too late," al-Qurabi added.
    His comments made clear Russia risks losing influence as well as missing out on potentially lucrative business contracts in Syria if Assad is ousted and Moscow does not show more overt support for the pro-democracy protesters.
    Russia did not use its veto to block a U.N. Security Council resolution allowing NATO bombing to protect civilians in Libya, but accused the West of going beyond its mandate and says it wants to prevent this happening in Syria.
    The Syrian opposition said it recognises that Russia is a key player in any resolution of the Syrian crisis.
    "In July we were in a number of countries, including France and Germany," said delegation member Radvan Badni. "They told me in one of those meetings with representatives of the French foreign ministry, 'Do not come to us, go to Russia as our position is clear'."
    Russian officials have dismissed suggestions Moscow will miss out on business deals in Libya because of this.
    But Mahmoud Hamza, another opposition representative, told the daily Kommersant newspaper that Russia should stop "shielding Bashar al-Assad."
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