Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says his country opposes the idea of a United Nations Security Council resolution that would condemn the Syrian regime’s bloody crackdown on opposition protesters.
The Russian comments came as NATO allies France, Britain and the United States are reported to be considering pushing for a vote by the 15-member Security Council on a draft resolution condemning the regime of President Bashar al-Assad for alleged atrocities against civilians.
Lavrov noted that the Security Council and international community were already entangled in the conflict in Libya following the March Security Council vote authorizing NATO action to protect Libyan civilians.
Russia abstained in that Libya vote. Lavrov, quoted by the ITAR-TASS news agency, said that regarding Syria, the Security Council should seek to help solve the situation politically, and not create conditions for potential armed conflict.
Russia has been a close Syrian ally and has a naval base at Tartus on Syria’s eastern Mediterranean coast.
compiled from agency reports