Thaindian News

Moscow, March 21 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russia is ready to support a UN Security Council resolution on Syria based on UN envoy Kofi Annan’s proposals on how to resolve the crisis in the Middle East country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

“We are ready to support Kofi Annan’s mission and proposals that he has passed to the Syrian side in the UN Security Council as a resolution, not even as a statement,” Lavrov said.

“Obviously, those proposals should first be published,” he said.

Former UN secretary general Annan travelled to Syria to try to persuade President Bashar al-Assad to stop his crackdown on protesters, allow humanitarian aid to violence-hit areas and launch dialogue with opposition forces.

He left Damascus March 11 without a deal, but said he had offered al-Assad “concrete proposals” and felt optimistic about his mission.

Syrian foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi said Damascus was interested in the success of Annan’s mission.

Lavrov said the Security Council should approve Annan’s proposals “not as an ultimatum”, It it should “take into consideration the ongoing work and approve them as the basis for Kofi Annan’s efforts aimed at achieving reconciliation between all Syrians on all essential questions”, he said.

Lavrov said he believed recent terrorist attacks in Syria were aimed at disrupting Annan’s efforts to restore peace in the country.

“Now that Kofi Annan’s mission, which was supported by everyone - at least verbally - has started to become part of a very complicated process that requires maximum concentration and maximum practical support. We face a series of events which do not contribute to the success of this mission,” he said.

“Not to mention the terrorist attacks that took place in Damascus, Aleppo and other cities - those were obvious provocations designed to disrupt Annan’s mission,” he said.

–IANS/RIA Novosti
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