Damascus: China and Russia said on Wednesday that they were “decisively against” intervention or regime change in Syria as Arab and Western calls mounted for tougher international action in the 15-month conflict, media reported on Wednesday.
According to reports, as rebel fighters stepped up their attacks in and around Damascus, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that regime change in Syria would lead the Middle East to “catastrophe”.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who has voiced mounting frustration with the Chinese and Russian position, was to discuss the situation with allies in Istanbul later on Wednesday, a Turkish diplomatic source said.
In a joint statement issued after two days of talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leaders, Beijing and Moscow said that they strongly opposed intervention and regime change in Syria.
“Russia and China are decisively against attempts to regulate the Syrian crisis with outside military intervention, as well as imposing… a policy of regime change,” the statement said.
Speaking in the Chinese capital, the Russian foreign minister urged the international community to resist calls from the exiled opposition to help oust President Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
“(Opposition groups) outside Syria appeal to the world community more and more to bomb the Assad regime, to change this regime,” Lavrov told reporters in the Chinese capital.
“This is very risky, I would even say it is a way that will bring the region to catastrophe.” Lavrov hit out at the rebel Free Syrian Army’s announcement on Friday that it was no longer bound by a six-point peace plan brokered by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan and endorsed by the UN Security Council in a resolution backed by both Beijing and Moscow.
Lavrov said it was important for all states that have sway over Syria’s opposition groups to convince them to stop escalating the situation, adding that Beijing and Moscow would continue in lockstep over Syria, opposing foreign intervention and forced regime change.
The two nations have vetoed two Security Council resolutions criticising Assad’s regime, but they voted in support of Annan’s blueprint to end the conflict, in which more than 13,500 people have died since March last year, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The plan was supposed to begin with a ceasefire from April 12 but as violence has raged on daily despite the deployment of nearly 300 UN observers, doubts have emerged about its effectiveness.
It is pertinent to mention here that according to UN estimates more than 10,000 people have been killed in Syria soon after the uprising begin against the Syrian regime led by Bashar-al-Assad last year.
Dear TNT Reader,
At The News Tribe, our mission is to bring you free, independent, and unbiased news and content that keeps you informed and empowered. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism, as we understand that we are a platform for truth.
Apart from independent global news coverage, we also commit our unique focus on the Muslim world. In an age marked by the troubling rise of Islamophobia and widespread misrepresentation of Muslims in Western media, we strive to provide accurate and fair coverage.
But to continue doing so, we need your support. Even a small donation of 1$ can make a big difference. Your contribution will help us maintain the quality of our news and counteract the negative narratives that are so prevalent.
Please consider donating today to ensure we can keep delivering the news that matters. Together, we can make a positive impact on the world, and work towards a more inclusive, informed global society.
Donate Monthly Subscription Annual Subscription