NEW YORK, December 18. Russia will not support in the UN security Council ideas about regime change in Syria, said Russian foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
“The members of the Group (support for Syria) presented some estimates that are quite contradictory. There were still calls to offset (the President of Syria Bashar) Assad to leave as a condition for a more effective fight against terrorism,” Lavrov said.
“We reiterated our position that, as repeatedly stressed by the UN security Council, to combat terrorism there can be no preconditions. And any such assessments in a consensual approaches support Group, of course, do not fall”, – said the head of the Russian foreign Ministry.
“In the UN security Council, naturally, we will not support any ideas on this subject. As stated by the President of the Russian Federation at the press conference and during a meeting with (Secretary of state) John Kerry in Moscow, the fate of Syria should decide for the Syrian people,” Lavrov said.
“This is an absolutely no-alternative approach, it is enshrined in the documents of the support Group, said the Russian Minister. – I hope that he will be confirmed and the UN security Council”.
According to Lavrov, Russia hopes for the consideration of UN security Council resolution on Syria in the coming hours.
“In the political process should not be designated terrorists, the process must be carried out under the auspices of the UN security Council, – said the Minister. – Fixed that since our last meeting was held to which were invited some opposition groups in Riyadh. This event, along with the results of the meetings in Moscow, Cairo meetings of the opposition in other places will be used by the representative of the UN Secretary General Staffan de Mistura for the formation of the Syrian opposition to develop a constructive platform for negotiations with the government”.
“There is a desire that it took place somewhere in early January. This approximate date was confirmed,” said the Minister.
According to him, most importantly, that “all members of the Group support Syria agreed to the Vienna principles and approaches are enshrined in UN security Council resolution”. “The main components of the resolution discussed at the meeting. Now, in the light of this discussion, they agreed. I hope that in the next few hours the UN security Council will consider this project”, – the Minister added.
