November 29, 2011
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
The Russian foreign minister has called on the US and the European Union to put an end to their threats against Syria, urging Washington and the European bloc to exercise diplomacy on Damascus.
“Right now, the most important thing is to stop acting by means of ultimatums and try to move toward political dialogue,” AFP quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on Tuesday.
He further criticized a proposal by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to impose a complete arms embargo on Syria.
On Monday, the UNHRC accused Syria of committing crimes against humanity and called for an arms embargo against the Middle Eastern country.
In addition, the Arab League on Sunday approved unprecedented sanctions against Syria.
The sanctions include cutting transactions with the Syrian Central Bank and an embargo on the investments for projects in Syria.
“We are going to view another embargo, this one against Syria, based on the experience that we gained from the Libyan example,” Lavrov said.
Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March, with demonstrations being held both in favor of and against President Bashar al-Assad. Hundreds of people, including members of the security forces, have been killed in the turmoil.
Damascus blames “outlaws, saboteurs and armed terrorist groups” for the unrest, saying that it is being orchestrated from abroad.
President Assad has warned against any foreign attack against Syria, saying the military action will cause instability in the whole Middle East.
PM/GHN/HJL
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