RUSSIA: Moscow says it regrets that Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Lebanon were not invited to the upcoming ministerial crisis talks on Syria in Geneva

Record ID: 281179

  • Title: RUSSIA: Moscow says it regrets that Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Lebanon were not invited to the upcoming ministerial crisis talks on Syria in Geneva
  • Date: 30th June 2012
  • Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY EMBLEM ON WALL
  • Embargoed: 15th July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Russian Federation
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAE6JNIU3RESKZFXFCO98S71NQQ
  • Story Text: Russia said on Friday (June 29) it regretted that Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Lebanon had not been invited to ministerial crisis talks on Syria in Geneva on Saturday (June 30) following objections by the United States.
    "In the course of preparation to the international meeting in Geneva, both common points of interest and serious discrepancies were noted in the positions of its potential participants. It was a hard work to agree on the list of those invited to this meeting. Russian proposal has met insuperable objections from the U.S. side, first of all in the part concerning Iran's participation. The decision the organiser and the chairman of this meeting, Kofi Annan, had to make in these circumstances does not seem to be optimal in Russian opinion. Such important players like Iran and Saudi Arabia have remained overboard, so-to-speak, together with immediate Syria's neighbours Lebanon and Jordan, and also the influential trans-regional structure, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation," Maria Zakharova, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said in a video statement published on the official FM website.
    The Foreign Ministry also said in a statement that agreement on a ceasefire and the withdrawal of government troops and rebel forces from cities would create a good atmosphere for a political transition.
    "We are deeply concerned over the situation on the ground, killings and suffering of the Syrian civilians as a result of the ongoing armed fighting and terrorist attacks. In this regard, the Russian side considers it necessary to agree on the ceasefire mechanism and synchronised withdrawal of the government forces and opposition armed groups from cities and other settlements, under control of the U.N. monitoring mission in Syria, so that the municipal authorities could deal with the acute social problems of the population. The implementation of these measures would create favourable conditions for an early start of the all-national political dialogue in Syria between the government and all opposition groups, with the help of which the Syrians could set the agenda and the time frames of the political transition," Zakharova said.
    Although the ministry welcomed the talks as a positive move, the statement pointed to no rapprochement with Western powers over plans for a political transition in Syria.
    The ministry released its statement shortly before a dinner in St Petersburg at which U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was expected to try to persuade Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that Moscow should agree to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's departure.
    International mediator Kofi Annan will seek backing for a proposal that does not explicitly stipulate that Assad must step down, but does call for a unity government that would exclude figures who jeopardise stability.
    Diplomats said Russia proposed changes on Thursday (June 28) to Annan's plan for a national unity government, despite initially supporting it, but the United States, Britain and France rejected the amendments.
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