Russia, Arab League talk to bridge differences on Syria

Russian and Arab foreign ministers on Saturday called for an end to the violence in Syria “whatever its source,” as they struggled to find common ground on ways to resolve the conflict.

Reading out a joint statement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani said they also agreed on setting up a mechanism for “objective monitoring” in the country and had agreed on no foreign intervention there.

They also called for “unhindered humanitarian access” in Syria and support for the mission of U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan to Damascus.

Earlier, Russia said Lavrov told international envoy Kofi Annan, who was visiting Syria, that Moscow was opposed to “crude interference” in Syria’s affairs.

“A particular emphasis was placed on the inadmissibility of trampling on international legal norms, including through crude interference in Syria’s internal affairs,” the foreign ministry said.

The Russian stance drew an angry response from Gulf states when Lavrov joined the Arab foreign ministers’ meeting in Cairo with Saudi Arabia’s Saud al-Faisal accusing Moscow of giving Damascus a “license to extend its brutal practices against the Syrian people, without compassion or mercy.”
Lavrov responded saying his government is not “protecting any regimes.”
Lavrov said Russia is not trying to protect the regime in Damascus but to “protect international law” and “promote a peaceful resolution” to Syria’s crisis.

Lavrov, whose country is Syria’s top ally, said the immediate mission now is to halt violence and enable humanitarian assistance to reach those in need in Syria.

Russia angered many Arab governments last month by vetoing a draft U.N. resolution that would have pressured Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down.

He also said that Moscow was ready to work with anyone seeking reform in Syria, but that the international community should not blame only one side for the violence. Lavrov, whose country one of the main arms suppliers to Syria, also said that Moscow is stuck by its principle of not interfering in any country’s internal affairs.

Meanwhile, Qatar told Russia on Saturday that rebels fighting president Assad should not be labeled as “armed gangs,” but were instead defending themselves from systematic killing by the Syrian authorities.

The Qatari prime minister also told Lavrov that a ceasefire was not enough and that those responsible for the violence should be held to account, media and aid should be allowed in and prisoners should be released.

“There are no armed gangs, the systematic killing came from the Syrian government side for many months. After that the people were forced to defend themselves so the regime labeled them armed gangs,” Sheikh Hamad said.

Saudi Foreign Minister al-Faisal called on Russia to back Arab League effort to end the violence in Syria, adding that the shortcomings of the U.N. Security Council over Syria has allowed the crisis to kill more people.