Russia has no reasons to defend al-Assad regime - Lavrov
MOSCOW. June 15 (Interfax) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has denied claims common in the West that Moscow is doing all its can to keep the Syrian president's regime in place for the sake of saving its influence in the Middle East.
"We have stated many times that Russia is not a defender of the current regime in Damascus and has no political, economic or other reasons for becoming one. We have never been a major trade and economic partner of that country, the government of which has communicated mostly with the capitals of Western European countries," Lavrov writes in an article, published by The Huffington Post on Friday.
"Those who say that Russia 'is saving' Bashar al-Assad are wrong. I would like to reiterate that it is the Syrian people themselves who choose the political system and leadership of their country. We are not trying to whitewash the multiple mistakes and miscalculations made by Damascus, including the use of force against peaceful demonstrations at the beginning of the crisis," Lavrov writes.
"For us, the issue of who is in power in Syria is not the major one; it is important to put an end to civilian deaths and to start a political dialogue in a situation where the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the country will be respected by all external actors," he said.
"It is no less clear to us than to others that the main responsibility for the crisis that has swept over the country lies with the Syrian government, that has failed to take the course of reform in due time or draw conclusions from the deep changes unfolding in international relations," he writes.
"The shelling of residential areas by government troops is unacceptable, but it cannot be viewed as an indulgence for terrorist acts in Syrian cities, for murders conducted by insurgents opposed to the regime, including those of al-Qaida," Lavrov said.
"We are upset by the claims and actions of some actors involved in the Syrian situation that manifest their stake on the failure of the Special Envoy's efforts. Among them, are the calls of the Syrian National Council (SNC) leadership for foreign intervention. It is unclear how such claims would help SNC sponsors to unite the Syrian opposition under its umbrella," he writes.
"We stand for the integration of the Syrian opposition only on the platform of preparedness for political dialogue with the government," Lavrov writes.
"Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms has traditionally been, and continues to be, a major problem for the states of the Middle East, and was one of the main causes of the 'Arab revolutions,'" he said.
"However, Syria has never ranked low on that list, with its level of civil freedoms immeasurably higher than that of some of the countries who are now trying to give lessons in democracy to Damascus," Lavrov writes.
"A big state in the Middle East," he said, executed 76 death sentences in 2011 alone, including for those accused of witchcraft," said Lavrov.