Russia submits draft resolution to UNSC on fighting terror in Syria

Russia has submitted a draft resolution on fighting terrorism in Syria to the U.N. Security Council, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday. "Terrorism is a pressing problem because it, same as the humanitarian crisis, harms not only Syrians but also regional countries," Lavrov told reporters following the 2+2 meeting between Russian and Egyptian foreign and defense ministers here. Russia was concerned about the multiplying threats coming from terrorist groups and that they were growing in number, he said, adding the humanitarian crisis had been among the most pressing problems in Syria. "We prefer to rely on concrete deeds rather than words, which are fanning emotions over this problem," Lavrov said, stressing rhetoric could not replace practical steps on the ground. On Wednesday, a day after U.S. President Barack Obama branded Russia a holdout against a U.N. draft resolution on Syria aid, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich accused Washington of deliberately distorting Moscow's position on conflict-torn Syria.