RUSSIA: Syrian opposition leader says his pleas to sanction PresidentAssad fail to convince Russian Foreign Minister during day of talks in Moscow

Record ID: 280061

  • Title: RUSSIA: Syrian opposition leader says his pleas to sanction PresidentAssad fail to convince Russian Foreign Minister during day of talks in Moscow
  • Date: 16th November 2011
  • Summary: MOSCOW (NOVEMBER 15, 2011) (REUTERS) SYRIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL CHAIRMAN, BURHAN GHALIOUN, SITTING AT TABLE MEDIA MEMBERS LISTENING BURHAN AND OTHER MEN SITTING AT TABLE REPORTERS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SYRIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL CHAIRMAN, BURHAN GHALIOUN, SAYING (AS TRANSLATED INTO RUSSIAN): "We of course wanted to say that we already made our choice. Our choice w
  • Embargoed: 1st December 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Russian Federation
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVANRNTV28WA7DWROZCH3MREHCK
  • Story Text: The exiled Syrian opposition leader said on Tuesday (November 15) that his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was cordial, but his pleas for Russia to put pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to resign fell on deaf ears.
    Syrian National Council Chairman Burghan Ghalioun led a delegation to Russia in the hopes of persuading Russia to react more strongly to quell bloodshed in Syria.
    Ghalioun and Lavrov's meeting came amidst the Arab League's suspension of Syria and calls for Assad's ouster from the West as well as from Jordan's King Abdullah just a day before.
    Russia has refused to sanction the Syrian regime, and Lavrov on Monday (November 14) was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying that the Arab League's decision was "incorrect."
    Ghalioun said he came to appeal to the Russian Foreign Minister on behalf of Syrians who have been protesting for regime change for months and have been cruelly punished, and to promote international talks and action on Syria.
    "We of course wanted to say that we already made our choice. Our choice was to transition from the autocratic regime of Syria to a democratic regime peacefully and via negotiations as any other methods of this transition are very dangerous and fraught with very bloody consequences for the Syrian people. And of course, in this matter, Russia plays a very big role," Ghalioun said.
    During their meeting, Ghalioun said he and Lavrov were able to better understand each other's positions on Assad, but Lavrov would not be moved.
    We, the Syrian National Council, think that Bashar Al-Assad is the only obstacle in the path to achieving a free, democratic Syria. We, of course, asked for this (Russia's help in removing Assad from power) several times. The Russian side said that this was not a condition of the Arab League to holding talks but we said that we represent the Syrian people and that is what the Syrian people want," Ghalioun said.
    Russia, struggling to maintain what influence it has in the Arab amid unrest that has toppled long-standing leaders, has taken a firm stand in opposition to the West on Syria after voicing anger over the extent of the NATO air strikes that helped Libyan rebels oust Muammar Gaddafi.
    Russia let the NATO operation go ahead by abstaining in the U.N. Security Council vote that authorised it, but then accused the alliance of overstepping its mandate to protect civilians.
    As Western pressure for Security Council action against Syria mounted, Russia emphasized it would not support a resolution condemning only the government and said the European-drafted, U.S.-backed draft submitted last month would have opened the way toward military intervention.
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