Lavrov: no need for new UN security council resolution on Syria

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said here Wednesday there is no need for a new UN Security Council resolution on Syria. Speaking at a joint news conference with Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa following the GCC-Russia meeting held here Wednesday, Lavrov said a settlement to the Syrian crisis was included in the Geneva Declaration on Syria and, thence, there is no need for a fresh UNSC resolution on the current situation in Syria. He added that violations are being made by both sides in Syria, noting that his country is defending the Syrian regime, rather than the ruling regime. Lavrov added that his country seeks to encourage pro-opposition foreign parties to urge revolutionary groups to stop violence and join dialogue with the regime instead. He thanked the GCC member states for continuing to work with Russia to arrive at a solution to the Syrian crisis. The Russian foreign minister called for a halt to military operations in Gaza, emphasizing that there should be security and stability in the Middle East region. For his part, the Bahraini foreign minister, who is the head of the current session of the GCC Ministerial Council, said the GCC-Russian meeting reflects Gulf interest in key issues of mutual interest, primarily Syria. He lauded Russia’s relentless support for Arab issues, believing that Moscow should be involved in any solution to the Syrian crisis, given that Russia is one of the UN Security Council’s five permanent member states. “The Syrian regime has lost legitimacy since it is killing its citizens, given that there is Gulf, Arab, Islamic and international consensus against this regime, which is waging war on its people,” he said. The Bahraini foreign minister praised the newly created alliance of Syrian opposition and revolutionary forces, which was announced in Doha on Monday. He regretted that the current divisions and splits in the UN Security Council on Syria have fueled the sufferings of the Syrian people. The Bahraini Foreign Minister condemned the Israeli air strikes at Gaza, calling on the UN Security Council to take action against Israel.