Geneva II date depends on West's ability to get Syrian opposition to give up preliminary terms - Lavrov
MOSCOW. Nov 18 (Interfax) - The date for holding an international conference on Syria, Geneva II, depends on whether the West will manage to persuade the Syrian opposition to give up preconditions.
"The discussion of a date of the conference will depend on how well our Western partners will do their homework and persuade the opposition to give up preliminary terms," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a business breakfast at the Rossiiskaya Gazeta editorial office.
One of the terms was to create humanitarian corridors in Syria, Lavrov said. "Even the consent to participate, which the Syrian opposition finally gave - I understand, under very strong pressure from its sponsors in the West and in the region - did not come without terms advanced. It was said that the humanitarian situation, as they describe this task, should be moved from standstill and humanitarian corridors created with a cover. All this is extremely reminiscent of the old demands for creating such corridors and no-fly zones without the Syrian government's approval, so humanitarian aid could be delivered from outside using these corridors," Lavrov said.
"Practice shows that in nearly all instances where such corridors were created, they would channel not only humanitarian aid, but also weapons, funds and other forms of support for the opposition. By the way, corridors, used to supply militants with all they need to continue fighting, do exist. They are well developed, or the militants would have lost their strength a long time ago. They have arsenals at their disposal, which are being replenished all the time. So, we must be pragmatists in this respect," Lavrov said.