Lavrov against politicizing use of chemical weapons in Syria

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov came against politicizing any fact of the use of chemical weapons in Syria. After the talks with Moldovan Foreign Minister Natalia Gherman on Wednesday, Lavrov said: “We’ll act in strict compliance with the agreements of the G-8 leaders. We agree that these facts were investigated and submitted to the U.N. Security Council.” “Recently, we’ve submitted our data on the use of chemical weapons in Syria. Russian documents are very clear,” the minister said. “I heard other data be submitted to the United Nations. We’re ready to make public our information. I hope that other people do the same,” he added. “On May 7, John Kerry and I favoured the convocation of the conference without any precondition. The Syrian government put forth an initiative and expressed readiness to send the delegation in compliance with the Geneva communique. The opposition has not confirmed its participation yet. In addition, the newly formed leadership of the National Coalition said they would not go to Geneva until the situation in Syria improved and until the Syrian government confirmed it would arrive in Geneva to give an act of capitulation. These are serious conditions, which run counter the communique and our agreements with Kerry,” the Russian minister said. “That is why our partners lay emphasis on arms supplies to the Syrian opposition and their plans to deliver strikes on the Syrian government’s positions. Of course, it runs counter the agreements on the convocation of the international conference without any precondition,” Lavrov said, adding, “Even if these steps are aimed at creating optimal prerequisites to convene the conference, they contradict our initiative.”