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 Russia Monday condemned as hysterical the angry Western reaction to its veto of a UN resolution over Syria, as its top diplomat prepared for a mission to Damascus.Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed frustration that Western states did not postpone Saturday's UN Security Council vote until after his visit Tuesday to Damascus, where he will deliver a message to President Bashar al-Assad. "Some comments from the West on the UN Security Council vote, I would say, are indecent and bordering on hysteria," Lavrov told reporters in Moscow after a meeting with Bahraini counterpart Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa. "Such hysterical comments are aimed at suppressing what is actually happening and what has happened," said Lavrov. "It reminds me of the proverb: 'he who gets angry is rarely right'," he added. Lavrov reaffirmed Russia's position that the resolution was wrong to blame Assad's regime for the “violence” and should have also taken aim at the so-called opposition. "In Syria there is more than one source of violence. There are several there," he said. Russian news agency ITAR-TASS said that alongside the head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Agency (SVR) Mikhail Fradkov, Lavrov would deliver a message from President Dmitry Medvedev to Assad. But Lavrov would not divulge the purpose of the mission. "When you go on a mission on the order of the head of state then the purpose of the mission is usually only revealed to the person it is addressed to. If I tell you everything now then what is the point?" "You can talk to people just through the media. And some countries prefer to do things this way. But foreign policy demands a more classical approach." Lavrov regretted that Western powers had not postponed the vote, saying that Moscow had asked for a delay of a few days so that the outcome of his visit to Syria could be discussed. "The co-authors of the resolution over-hastily decided to put it to a vote," he said. | |||
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Russia, China defend Syria veto; France fumes
Published Monday, February 6, 2012
Russia and China defended on Monday their veto of a UN Security Council resolution which suggested Syrian President Bashar Assad step down, with Russia dubbing the West's reaction as "hysterical."
"Some comments from the West on the UN Security Council vote, I would say, are indecent and bordering on hysteria," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters in Moscow after a meeting with Bahraini counterpart Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa.
"Such hysterical comments are aimed at suppressing what is actually happening and what has happened," said Lavrov. "It reminds me of the proverb: 'he who gets angry is rarely right'," he added.
Lavrov reaffirmed Russia's position that the resolution was wrong to solely blame Assad's regime for the violence and should have included criticism of the armed opposition.
China also criticized the West for not doing enough to seek a compromise on the Gulf-drafted resolution.
"On the issue of Syria, China is not playing favorites and nor is it deliberately opposing anyone, but rather is upholding an objective and fair stance and a responsible position," the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told a regular briefing in Beijing.
Asked about accusations from the US ambassador to the United Nations and other Western officials that China would have blood on its hands in Syria, Liu said: "China does not accept such accusations".
"Our goal is for the Syrian people to escape violence, conflict and flames of war, and not to make the problem even more complicated," he said.
"Unfortunately, the countries that proposed the resolution forced a vote despite the serious differences among various sides, and this approach was not conducive to the unity and authority of Security Council and is not conducive to the appropriate resolution of the problem. Therefore, China voted against the draft resolution," Liu added.
Fierce Russian and Chinese objection to the resolution can be linked to the UN Security Council backing military intervention in Libya to stave off an onslaught by then leader Muammar Gaddafi on civilians.
The military intervention to protect civilians was then extended by NATO powers to arming rebels and engaging in a sustained war effort to remove Gaddafi from power.
NATO's involvement in Libya infuriated Russia and China, both of which are now determined to prevent the West from pursuing its own agenda in Syria.
That point was reinforced by the People's Daily, the top newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party, highlighting the growing distrust between Beijing and Western powers.
"Libya offers a negative case study. NATO abused the Security Council resolution about establishing a no-fly zone, and directly provided firepower assistance to one side," a comment piece in the newspaper said.
The author of the commentary used the pen name "Zhong Sheng", which can mean "voice of China" and is often used to give the government's position on foreign policy.
France, which staunchly backs Syria opposition groups based in Turkey, slammed Russia and China for the veto, with outspoken Defense Minister Gerard Longuet saying the two countries deserved a "kick in the ass."
"It is a disgrace for countries to refuse to assume their responsibilities," Longuet told Europe 1 radio. "Frankly, there are some political cultures that deserve a kick in the ass."
"Everyone must face up to their responsibilities. We must wake up those who accept conformity, and conformity that closes its eyes about a bloody dictator is unacceptable," he said.
Syria's Muslim Brotherhood said Russia, China and Iran were complicit in the "massacre" in Syria.
"We consider Russia, China and Iran as direct accomplices to the horrible massacre being carried out against our people," the group, which is banned in Syria, said in a statement issued from London.
Russia's Foreign Minister Lavrov is set to visit Damascus this week, and he said it was regrettable the West put forward the resolution for a vote before he completed his diplomatic mission.
"The co-authors of the resolution over-hastily decided to put it to a vote," he said.
Gulf Arab states, the original authors behind the failed UN resolution, will meet later this week in the Saudi capital to explore their next moves on Syria.
"The foreign ministers of the GCC will meet in Riyadh... to debate and exchange views on the situation in Syria," Omani Foreign Minister Yussef bin Alawi said.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – encompassing six oil-rich Gulf Arab states – have been at the diplomatic forefront in the Syrian crisis, pushing for the removal of long-time rival Assad.
The GCC opposes the pro-democracy Arab protests sweeping the region, fearing the impact on their own autocracies, but have steered diplomatic efforts against the Assad regime.
The Arab League, which suspended an observer mission in Syria because of an upsurge in the violence there, is also due to meet in the Egyptian capital over the weekend.
Thirteen countries voted for the UN resolution to end the crackdown in Syria, which the UN says has killed at least 5,400 people since the protests against Assad's regime erupted in mid-March last year.
(Al-Akhbar, Reuters, AFP)
"Some comments from the West on the UN Security Council vote, I would say, are indecent and bordering on hysteria," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters in Moscow after a meeting with Bahraini counterpart Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa.
"Such hysterical comments are aimed at suppressing what is actually happening and what has happened," said Lavrov. "It reminds me of the proverb: 'he who gets angry is rarely right'," he added.
Lavrov reaffirmed Russia's position that the resolution was wrong to solely blame Assad's regime for the violence and should have included criticism of the armed opposition.
China also criticized the West for not doing enough to seek a compromise on the Gulf-drafted resolution.
"On the issue of Syria, China is not playing favorites and nor is it deliberately opposing anyone, but rather is upholding an objective and fair stance and a responsible position," the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told a regular briefing in Beijing.
Asked about accusations from the US ambassador to the United Nations and other Western officials that China would have blood on its hands in Syria, Liu said: "China does not accept such accusations".
"Our goal is for the Syrian people to escape violence, conflict and flames of war, and not to make the problem even more complicated," he said.
"Unfortunately, the countries that proposed the resolution forced a vote despite the serious differences among various sides, and this approach was not conducive to the unity and authority of Security Council and is not conducive to the appropriate resolution of the problem. Therefore, China voted against the draft resolution," Liu added.
Fierce Russian and Chinese objection to the resolution can be linked to the UN Security Council backing military intervention in Libya to stave off an onslaught by then leader Muammar Gaddafi on civilians.
The military intervention to protect civilians was then extended by NATO powers to arming rebels and engaging in a sustained war effort to remove Gaddafi from power.
NATO's involvement in Libya infuriated Russia and China, both of which are now determined to prevent the West from pursuing its own agenda in Syria.
That point was reinforced by the People's Daily, the top newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party, highlighting the growing distrust between Beijing and Western powers.
"Libya offers a negative case study. NATO abused the Security Council resolution about establishing a no-fly zone, and directly provided firepower assistance to one side," a comment piece in the newspaper said.
The author of the commentary used the pen name "Zhong Sheng", which can mean "voice of China" and is often used to give the government's position on foreign policy.
France, which staunchly backs Syria opposition groups based in Turkey, slammed Russia and China for the veto, with outspoken Defense Minister Gerard Longuet saying the two countries deserved a "kick in the ass."
"It is a disgrace for countries to refuse to assume their responsibilities," Longuet told Europe 1 radio. "Frankly, there are some political cultures that deserve a kick in the ass."
"Everyone must face up to their responsibilities. We must wake up those who accept conformity, and conformity that closes its eyes about a bloody dictator is unacceptable," he said.
Syria's Muslim Brotherhood said Russia, China and Iran were complicit in the "massacre" in Syria.
"We consider Russia, China and Iran as direct accomplices to the horrible massacre being carried out against our people," the group, which is banned in Syria, said in a statement issued from London.
Russia's Foreign Minister Lavrov is set to visit Damascus this week, and he said it was regrettable the West put forward the resolution for a vote before he completed his diplomatic mission.
"The co-authors of the resolution over-hastily decided to put it to a vote," he said.
Gulf Arab states, the original authors behind the failed UN resolution, will meet later this week in the Saudi capital to explore their next moves on Syria.
"The foreign ministers of the GCC will meet in Riyadh... to debate and exchange views on the situation in Syria," Omani Foreign Minister Yussef bin Alawi said.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – encompassing six oil-rich Gulf Arab states – have been at the diplomatic forefront in the Syrian crisis, pushing for the removal of long-time rival Assad.
The GCC opposes the pro-democracy Arab protests sweeping the region, fearing the impact on their own autocracies, but have steered diplomatic efforts against the Assad regime.
The Arab League, which suspended an observer mission in Syria because of an upsurge in the violence there, is also due to meet in the Egyptian capital over the weekend.
Thirteen countries voted for the UN resolution to end the crackdown in Syria, which the UN says has killed at least 5,400 people since the protests against Assad's regime erupted in mid-March last year.
(Al-Akhbar, Reuters, AFP)
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