Islam Times - Lavrov: Syrian Opposition Seeks Military Balance before Attending Geneva 2

Islam Times - The Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the United States and Russia must do “everything possible” to stop violence in Syria, warning that people who fight the Syrian army are “very well armed,” among them “the terrorist organization created by the United States - Al-Nusra Front.”

“This is a tragedy. What must be done and that's where the US and Russia see eye to eye is to do everything to stop it. You know that alongside with the opposition which is called Free Syrian Army terrorist organizations fight. And one of them was the terrorist organization created by the United States - Al-Nusra Front. Immediately the political leaders of the opposition said it was a mistake and betrayal because Al-Nusra cannot be listed as terrorist organization as long as it fights the regime,” Lavrov said in an interview with CBS television in Moscow.

He added that back in the 1970s and ’80s the US was supporting Mujahideen in Afghanistan against the Soviet troops.

“Then these Mujahideen gave rise to Al-Qaeda, and then Al-Qaeda struck back,” Lavrov said.

Hoping to resolve the Syria crisis at the Geneva II peace conference, due in July, which could gather all interested parties, the Russian official stressed it requires a genuine joint effort.

“We want Syria to stay united, one piece, sovereign territorial integrity respected,” Lavrov stated, while voicing beliefs that the West’s tolerance towards the opposition arming requests aims at thwarting the efforts to hold Geneva 2 on Syria.

“The stance of Syrian opposition indicates that they attempt to restore the military balance before attending Geneva 2,” Lavrov stated, stressing that “leniency towards armament demands from the opposition to help them seize control over more regions means there are efforts to thwart the conference.”

The Russian top diplomat noted that Russia insists on inviting all the countries that neighbor Syria in addition to the influential countries in the region, like Iran and Egypt to attend the conference.

“It is strange to hear the U.S. diplomats saying that the only aim of the conference is the attendance of the Syrian government delegation to hand over the powers to the opposition. This worries us because it thwarts the idea of the conference that we have discussed with the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry during his visit to Moscow on May 7,” Lavrov further said.

Russian Peacekeeping Troops

In a different context, Lavrov pointed that the Russian initiative to send peacekeeping troops to the Golan Heights aims at achieving peace in the fragile Middle East and helps to prevent turning the Golan Heights into a new focus of bloodshed.

“Russia has not received any negative response to the initiative,” he was quoted as saying.

“In the case of the Syrian and Zionist approval as well as the adoption of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for the decision, the Russian troops will deploy in the Golan Heights to attain stability in an honorable way,” the Russian FM concluded.